QCS Section 6 Part 8 Kerbs, Footways and Paved Areas Page 1

8. KERBS, FOOTWAYS AND PAVED AREAS ..................................................2

8.1 GENERAL ......................................................................................................2

8.1.1 Scope 2
8.1.2 References 2
8.1.3 Submittals 2
8.1.4 Quality Assurance 2
8.2 KERBS ...........................................................................................................2
8.2.1 General 2
8.2.2 Materials and Manufacture 3
8.2.3 Laying 4
8.3 CONCRETE BLOCK PAVING.......................................................................5
8.3.1 General 5
8.3.2 Materials 5
8.3.3 Laying and Jointing Sand for Blocks 6
8.3.4 Laying of Blocks 6
8.3.5 Cutting and Trimming 7
8.3.6 Joint Filling and Compaction 7
8.4 LIFTING AND RELAYING CONCRETE BLOCK PAVING .............................7

8.5 PRECAST CONCRETE PAVING SLABS.......................................................8

8.6 CAST-IN-PLACE CONCRETE PAVED AREAS .............................................8

8.7 BITUMINOUS PAVED AREAS.......................................................................9

QCS Section 6 Part 8 Kerbs, Footways and Paved Areas Page 2

8. KERBS, FOOTWAYS AND PAVED AREAS

8.1 GENERAL

8.1.1 Scope

1 Highway kerbs, edging kerbs for footways and other paved areas. Precast concrete paving
slabs and precast interlocking concrete block areas.

2 Related Sections and Parts:

This Section
Part 4, Pavement - Unbound Materials
Part 5, Pavement - Bituminous Materials
Part 3, Earthworks

Section 5, Concrete
8.1.2 References

1 The following standards and other documents are referred to in this Part:
BS 12, Portland Cement
BS 812, Testing Aggregates
BS 882, Aggregates from natural sources for concrete
BS 1377, Methods of test for soil for civil engineering purposes
BS 6717, Precast concrete paving blocks
BS 7263, Precast concrete flags, kerbs, channels, edgings and quadrants

8.1.3 Submittals

1 The Contractor shall submit samples of the various types of concrete kerbs and other
pavement materials for approval by the Engineer before beginning work.

8.1.4 Quality Assurance

1 Tests shall be carried out on the concrete mix before beginning manufacture of precast
kerbs and other items to ascertain the strength and surface finish requirements can be met.
If the required strength and surface finish is not obtained, the Engineer may order revisions
to be made in order to achieve the designated requirements.

2 The Engineer shall, at all reasonable times, have access to the place where paving blocks
and other items and their constituent materials are manufactured and stored, for the
purpose of examining and sampling the materials and finished blocks, inspecting the
process of manufacture and marking the blocks.

3 The laying of paving blocks shall comply with the requirements of the Code of Practice for
Laying Precast Concrete Block Pavements and BS 6717 Part 3 except where otherwise
designated.

8.2 KERBS

8.2.1 General

1 The following are the types of precast kerbs to be constructed where designated together
with associated channels, edgings and quadrants:
(a) non-mountable
(b) dropped
(c) flush.
QCS Section 6 Part 8 Kerbs, Footways and Paved Areas Page 3

2 The dimensions and shapes of the different kerb types shall be as per the details in BS 7263
part 1 unless otherwise shown on the drawings or designated in the contract .

3 The bedding and support for such units shall be as shown on the drawings.

4 Except as modified in this Part, all precast concrete kerbs, channels, edgings and quadrants
shall be hydraulically pressed complying with BS 7263 Part 1.

5 Kerbs shall be laid and bedded in accordance with BS 7263 Part 2 on the concrete
pavement slab, a mortar bed, the roadbase, or on a concrete foundation while it is still
plastic or after it has set. All precast units shall be backed with concrete as per the
designated details.

6 The use of cast-in-place concrete for kerbs will not be permitted except with the express
written approval of the Engineer.

8.2.2 Materials and Manufacture

1 Constituent concrete materials for kerbs shall conform to the requirements designated in
Section 5. Kerbs shall be prepared with a concrete mixture containing not less than 400
kg/m3 of sulphate resisting Portland cement.

2 Testing of concrete kerbs shall be carried out in accordance with the requirements of BS
7263 part 1.

3 The aggregate shall meet the designated requirements and conform to the following
gradation.

Table 8.1

Sieve mm % Passing by Weight

19 100
13.2 76-100
9.50 60-80
4.75 40-60
2.36 22-42
1.18 12-32
0.6 7-23
0.3 4-15
0.15 2-10
0.075 0-2

4 The 28-day compressive strength of the concrete shall be not less than 30 N/mm2
determined on 150 mm cube specimens, and not less than 75 % of this figure after seven
days.

5 Non-mountable kerb, dropped kerb, flush kerb and heel kerb elements shall only be precast
from concrete produced in a fully automatic batching plant.

6 Before approval of elements of commercial manufacture, cores shall be taken from a

2
random sample to ascertain that the concrete strength is not less than 25 N/mm at 7 days.

7 Elements shall be manufactured to the designated dimensions as standard 900 mm lengths

unless specified otherwise in the contract documents.
QCS Section 6 Part 8 Kerbs, Footways and Paved Areas Page 4

8 Non-mountable and dropped precast kerbs shall be formed by elements 500 mm long where
required to be laid in straight lines but may be reduced to 250 mm long where required to be
laid to curves, depending on the radii of the curves.

9 The finished product shall be of solid appearance with clean planar faces, be free of
segregation, honeycombing, pits, broken corners or other defects and there shall be no
evidence of external rendering.

10 Bull-nosed and curved faces shall be of constant radius with a smooth change from radius
to straight.

11 Tolerances of manufacture shall be 3 mm in any one dimension and end faces shall be
truly perpendicular to the base.

12 Transverse strength requirements shall be assessed in accordance with BS 7263 Part 1

appendix B. The failure loads shall not be less than those stated in Table 6 of
BS 7263 Part 1.

13 Water absorption requirements shall be assessed in accordance with BS 7263 Part 1

appendix C . The water absorption shall not exceed the appropriate values in Table 7 of
BS 7263 Part 1.

8.2.3 Laying

1 Elements shall be set on to the designated lines and grades. Under no circumstances shall it
be permitted for levels to be set by direct measurement from pavement layers.

2 Unless otherwise indicated, elements shall be laid either directly onto a wet-concrete base
or onto a sand/cement (3:1) mortar bedding, 25 mm thick, on a previously laid concrete
base or approved subbase. The dimensions of the base and concrete class shall be as
designated.

3 After kerb units have been laid, a contiguous backing of concrete shall be poured for the
elements using steel forms, unless otherwise designated. Lateral resistance shall be
provided to the kerbs by placing dowel bars in the backing concrete.

4 No pavement layers shall be laid against kerbing until such time as the backing is complete,
backfilled and approved by the Engineer.

5 Joints between kerbs, shall have a width of 4 mm.

6 Immediately after any concrete is in place, and for seven days thereafter, the kerbs, base,
and backing shall be fully cured and protected from drying out and against the harmful
effects of weather, including rain and rapid temperature changes. The method of protection
shall be subject to the Engineer's approval. The use of coloured curing membranes will not
be permitted. Concrete not properly cured and protected will be rejected and shall be
removed from the site.

7 At every 10 m interval movement joint 20 mm thick shall be formed through the concrete
bed and backing. The joint filler shall be bitumen impregnated cork board . The filler shall
extend through the kerb, bed, backing and channel, and shall be trimmed to the finished
shape of the kerb and channel.

8 At access points, the kerbs, including the bed backing shall be dropped to show a face of
25 mm or as otherwise designated.

9 At the termination of any kerb run, the end kerb section shall be sloped down to ground
level, if applicable, and angled away from the road at 30 degrees in accordance with the
details given in figure 1 of BS 7263 part 1.
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10 All kerbs shall be thoroughly cleaned of all extraneous material.

11 Kerbs shall be laid within a tolerance of ±3 mm, at each end of an element, to the
designated lines and grades.

8.3 CONCRETE BLOCK PAVING

8.3.1 General

1 Concrete paving blocks shall comply with the requirements of BS 6717 Parts 1 and 3,
except where otherwise designated. The blocks are designed to form a structural
element, having the block-to-block joints filled so as to develop frictional interlock.

2 Blocks shall be of either 60, 80 or 100 mm nominal thickness as designated. The size and
shape of the blocks shall be as designated.

3 The layout of the blocks and details at edges, chamber covers, gullies and other openings
shall be as designated.

8.3.2 Materials

1 Blocks shall comply with the requirements of BS 6717 Part 1 except that the compressive
strength as per clause 10 of the standard shall be as follows:
Average N/mm2 Minimum N/mm2

Pedestrian Areas 35 30
Trafficked Areas 49 40
2 Blocks shall be hydraulically pressed at the minimum water/cement ratio necessary to
ensure proper compaction.

3 The blocks shall be pressed in two stages. Initially the bulk of the block shall be placed with
the main mix design and pressed. The top 10 mm thickness of the block shall use a richer
mix with a maximum aggregate size of 5 mm to ensure a smoother and more durable finish
to the top of the block.

4 The constituent materials for concrete used for making new blocks shall be comply with the
requirements of Section 5.

5 The cement content shall not be less than 380 kg/m3. Cement other than ordinary Portland
cement to BS 12 shall require the Engineer's approval.

6 Aggregate shall be all in aggregate to BS 882 Table 6, 10 mm nominal size.

7 The maximum aggregate size shall not exceed 20 mm.

8 The clay, silt and dust content of the aggregate shall comply with BS 882, Table 7.

9 The aggregate shall have a 10 % fines value of at least 50 kN. when tested to BS 812 Part
3, Clause 8.

10 Coloured paving blocks shall be obtained by the use pigments complying with the
requirements of BS 1014. Prior to the start of the work the Contractor shall submit to the
Engineer three samples of each proposed coloured block for approval. These blocks shall
be kept as reference blocks for acceptance of the production blocks.

11 Concrete paving blocks shall be sampled as per the requirements of BS 6717 part 1 clause
11 and tested as per appendix b - determination of compressive strength of BS 6717 part 1
QCS Section 6 Part 8 Kerbs, Footways and Paved Areas Page 6

8.3.3 Laying and Jointing Sand for Blocks

The laying course material and jointing material shall be clean sharp sand graded as per
BS 6717 as follows:

Table 8.2
Grading for laying course & jointing sand

% Passing

Sieve Size (mm) Laying Course Jointing Course

10 100 100
5 90-100 100
2.36 75-100 95-100
1.18 55-90 90-100
0.6 35-70 55-100
0.3 8-35 15-50
0.15 0-10 0-15
0.075 0-3 0-3
1 The material shall not contain more than 3 % by mass of clay and silt and shall be free from
deleterious salts or contaminants. Stock piles of laying course material shall be covered to
maintain the material at its optimum moisture content.

2 The laying course material shall be spread only after the base has been approved by the
Engineer. The subbase shall be tested for density and the minimum density shall be greater
than 95% of the maximum dry density.

3 The material shall be spread to within +1 to -3 % of its optimum moisture content as

determined by BS 1377 Part 4, 4.5 kg rammer method..

4 The material shall be spread loose and screeded with a surcharge of approximately 30 % of
the finished thickness prior to laying the blocks, in preference to laying the blocks on
precompacted material. The Contractor shall demonstrate both these methods during a
laying trial . The Engineer will instruct the extent and nature of the laying trial.

5 Purpose-made screeding templates shall be used for screeding the laying course material.
Areas of laying course material screeded shall be limited to the area which can be
subsequently covered by blocks in a single laying session. When the laying course material
has been screeded to level, it shall not be walked on.

6 The laying course material shall have a final compacted thickness of 40 mm, to a tolerance
of ±6 mm, or as shown on the contract drawings.

8.3.4 Laying of Blocks

1 The laying surface shall be clear of all obstructions to permit a satisfactory continuity of
work. The direction and shape of the laying face shall be carefully selected so that the
maximum output can be achieved.

2 Blocks shall not be laid so tightly that sand fails to penetrate the block joints from the laying
course or sand subsequently applied to the top surface.

3 Particular attention shall be paid to areas of edge restraint and corners in order to ensure
adequate compaction close to such obstructions.
QCS Section 6 Part 8 Kerbs, Footways and Paved Areas Page 7

4 Where the paving meets ground beams, manhole surrounds or any other obstruction, it shall
be laid at a suitable height above the flush kerb so as to ensure that the finished paving
does not settle below it after it is opened for traffic. This height shall be agreed with the
Engineer after the trial area has been completed.

8.3.5 Cutting and Trimming

1 Cutting of blocks, where required, shall be by a hydraulic splitter or disc cutter. Where it is
necessary to fill small areas, two blocks of larger size shall be trimmed and the cut block
shall be repositioned away from the boundary. Small off-cut pieces of block less than 50
mm nominal dimension shall not be used. These gaps shall then be filled with a 4:1 sand
cement mortar.

2 Trimming to openings and obstructions shall be carried out using a double row of lapped
stretchers, and then trimming the main block pattern into the boundary formed by the
perimeter blocks.

8.3.6 Joint Filling and Compaction

1 The block surfacing shall initially be compacted using a vibrating plate compactor.

2 After the block surfacing has been compacted, dry graded sand as per Table 8.2 shall be
spread over the surface and brushed into the joints.

3 The paving shall be compacted with a 1500 kg vibrating roller. If necessary, the joints shall
be filled again and compaction repeated, until such time as the joints remain full after
compaction and no further movement of the blocks is detected.

4 Joints between blocks shall be not less than 2 mm or more than 5 mm.

5 The laying edge shall not be out of line by more than 10 mm in 20 m at any point. The lines
of blocks at right angles shall not be out of square.

6 The levels of any two adjacent blocks shall not differ by more than 2 mm. In addition, the
finished surface of each course shall be within ± 6 mm of the specified levels. All levels
shall be measured after laying and final compaction.

8.4 LIFTING AND RELAYING CONCRETE BLOCK PAVING

1 This clause covers the lifting, removal, temporary storage and reinstatement of concrete
block paving for work on buried services or for other reasons.

2 The extent of the area of block removed shall be agreed with the Engineer before beginning
work and the area shall be the minimum necessary.

3 The Contractor shall remove carefully the concrete blocks, clean, chisel off any mortar or
hardened sand from the exposed faces, protect, load, transport and unload the sound and
unbroken blocks at locations designated by the Engineer.

4 The Contractor shall remove the concrete blocks by hand so as to preserve the blocks. Any
damaged blocks shall be replaced by the Contractor.

5 The Contractor shall cart away and dispose of the remainder of the blocks to a location
designated by the Engineer.

6 The Contractor shall break and remove the mortar or any concrete base laid below the
blocks as directed by the Engineer. The Contractor shall cart away to the designated
location mortar or any concrete base laid below the blocks.
QCS Section 6 Part 8 Kerbs, Footways and Paved Areas Page 8

7 Before beginning relaying of blocks, the Contractor shall agree with the Engineer the
location where any new blocks are to be placed to minimise negative aesthetic impacts due
to colour difference.

8 Additional or substitute pattern, if needed, can be used for laying blocks only after a written
approval from the Engineer is obtained.

9 The reinstatement of the blocks shall be in accordance with Clause 8.3.

10 Blocks relaid against existing blocks shall be placed slightly higher to accommodate any
consolidation or settlement. This level difference shall be agreed with the Engineer after
initial laying trials.

11 The Contractor shall supply new bedding sand for the laying of the blocks. The use of the
old bedding sand will only be permitted if approved by the Engineer and only after the
Contractor has carried out tests as per the requirements of Clauses 8.3.

8.5 PRECAST CONCRETE PAVING SLABS

1 Precast concrete paving slabs shall be hydraulically pressed, complying with BS 7263 Part
1.

2 The dimensions of precast concrete paving slabs shall be as per Table 3 of BS 7263 Part 1
unless shown otherwise on the contract drawings.

3 Where permitted by the Engineer as an alternative, slabs 450 mm x 450 mm and smaller
may be bedded on a layer of clean sharp sand complying with BS 882 Grading C or M, 25
mm ±10 mm thick.

4 On circular work where the radius is 12 m or less, all slabs shall be radially cut on both
edges to the required line.

5 Transverse strength requirements shall be assessed in accordance with BS 7263 Part 1

appendix B. The failure loads shall not be less than those stated in table 5 of
BS 7263 Part 1.

6 The mortar bed shall be spread only after the base has been approved by the Engineer.
The subbase shall be tested for density and the minimum density shall be greater than 95%
of the maximum dry density.

7 Slabs shall be laid in accordance with BS 7263 Part 2. to the designated cross-section and
with joints at right angles to the kerb.

8 Slabs shall be bedded on a sand/cement (3:1) mortar bedding not less than 10 mm and not
more than 40 mm thick.

9 Unless designated elsewhere paving slabs shall be laid with close joints of between 2 to
4mm . After laying the joints shall be filled with sand complying with clause 8.3.3.

10 Where designated paving slabs shall be laid with open joints of between 5 to 10mm laid in
accordance with BS 7263 Part 2 clause 4.1.2.

8.6 CAST-IN-PLACE CONCRETE PAVED AREAS

1 Cast-in-place concrete for footways and paved areas shall only be permitted for small areas
where it is awkward or impractical to use one of the alternative paving materials specified in
this part of the specification.

2 The use of steel reinforcement bars or mesh in cast-in-place concrete slabs is not permitted.
QCS Section 6 Part 8 Kerbs, Footways and Paved Areas Page 9

3 Paving shall be cast in sizes to avoid the formation of shrinkage cracks. The actual
maximum size of area to be cast at one time will be advised by the Engineer based on the
mix design and layer thickness shown on the drawings. The Contractor may be permitted to
cast larger areas at one time if non-metallic fibres are added to the concrete mix to
eliminate cracking. In such cases the maximum pour size shall be proposed by the
Contractor and approved by the Engineer.

4 Cast-in-place concrete for footways and paved areas shall be mixed, laid and cured as
described Section 5.

5 The grade of concrete, layout, thickness, position of joints and surface finish shall be as
designated.

6 Cast-in-place concrete shall he laid on a designated sub-base in accordance with Part 4.

8.7 BITUMINOUS PAVED AREAS

1 Flexible surfacing for footways and paved areas shall be made and laid in compliance with
Part 5.

2 The type of mix and the surface treatment/finish to the paving will be as designated..

3 Surfacing shall be laid to true levels and crossfalls and be of the designated thickness.

4 Surfacing shall be laid on a designated sub-base in accordance with Part 4.

END OF PART