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Aug
23
Amongst the concrete blocks there is an enormous variety of shapes, sizes, colours, and textures now available, with all the major concrete paving manufacturers producing their own versions of the standard rectangular block, and also special shapes, "olde-worlde" looking tumbled or antiqued units, and an ever increasing array of textured blocks.
Amongst contractors, specifiers and manufacturers, the blocks are often referred to as "CBP" - Concrete Block Paving
Typical concrete block Most rectangular blocks are moulded to a specific size, 100mm x 200mm x 50-100mm, with exactly 50 blocks per square metre, and, because of this standard size, blocks from different manufacturers may be interchangeable, depending on tolerances and position of any spacer lugs. The typical rectangular blocks tend to have one presentable face, although some blocks are reversible, which makes easy work of replacing stained paving.
The colour of concrete blocks is achieved by the use of concrete dyes, usually some form of metallic oxide. Even the best dyes are prone to some fading in natural daylight and the quality of the dyes is a significant factor in block price; cheaper blocks are usually coloured by cheaper, inferior dyes. The manufacturers rarely entertain any complaints of fading, so choose carefully. Make your selection by looking at blocks that have been in place for at least a couple of years, rather than from glossy publicity photos or newly-laid paving.
Face Mix allows the money to be spent only on that part of the block that will actually be seen once the paving is laid.
Example of a face-mix block
The face mix is clearly visible above the backing mix concrete that makes up the bulk of the block.
Face Mix technology enables the manufacturer to use cheaper, possibly recycled aggregates and alternative cements such as PFA and GGBFS for the backing mix, and to use amuch smaller quality of very high quality fine aggregates, cements and colours in the face mix.
While there may be cost savings, the production cycle-time for face mix manufacturing is greater than that for the through-colour process, and so less block per hour can be manufactured. There are also other costs involved in creating separate bins for face mix aggregates and separate hoppers for the face mix concrete once mixed.
Through-colour and face-mix
There are two manufacturing processes used to produce colour (and, to a lesser extent, texture) in a concrete block.
The first process, known as 'through colour', relies on placing all of the concrete (even though it may be three or more different colours of concrete) into the mould in one operation, and then pressing and compacting to create a unit that has the colour running right through the block, even though it's most likely that only the top surface will ever be seen once the paving is laid.
Through colour concrete block
The colour is present throughout the whole block While this use of expensively-coloured concrete throughout the block may be considered wasteful, there are manufacturing cost savings, that have to be considered.
The alternative is to use a technique known as "Face Mix", in which a no-frill, un-coloured 'backing mix' or 'base mix' is first placed into the mould, partially pressed and then topped with a high-quality, coloured 'face mix' concrete. The whole is then pressed and compacted before being de-moulded and passed into the curing chamber.
There is a delay of only a very few seconds between placing the base and the face, so there is no day joint or construction joint, no plane of weakness, and absolutely no risk of delamination between the two. The block cures as one, single, monolithic mass of concrete.
It's not possible to say that one production technique is better than the other. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, and some special products, such as tumbled blocks, need to be through-coloured otherwise they would have just the one serviceable face. However, most production in Ireland, in continental Europe, and in North America use face-mix technology far more wideley than has been the case in Britain to date
Amongst contractors, specifiers and manufacturers, the blocks are often referred to as "CBP" - Concrete Block Paving
Typical concrete block Most rectangular blocks are moulded to a specific size, 100mm x 200mm x 50-100mm, with exactly 50 blocks per square metre, and, because of this standard size, blocks from different manufacturers may be interchangeable, depending on tolerances and position of any spacer lugs. The typical rectangular blocks tend to have one presentable face, although some blocks are reversible, which makes easy work of replacing stained paving.
The colour of concrete blocks is achieved by the use of concrete dyes, usually some form of metallic oxide. Even the best dyes are prone to some fading in natural daylight and the quality of the dyes is a significant factor in block price; cheaper blocks are usually coloured by cheaper, inferior dyes. The manufacturers rarely entertain any complaints of fading, so choose carefully. Make your selection by looking at blocks that have been in place for at least a couple of years, rather than from glossy publicity photos or newly-laid paving.
Face Mix allows the money to be spent only on that part of the block that will actually be seen once the paving is laid.
Example of a face-mix block
The face mix is clearly visible above the backing mix concrete that makes up the bulk of the block.
Face Mix technology enables the manufacturer to use cheaper, possibly recycled aggregates and alternative cements such as PFA and GGBFS for the backing mix, and to use amuch smaller quality of very high quality fine aggregates, cements and colours in the face mix.
While there may be cost savings, the production cycle-time for face mix manufacturing is greater than that for the through-colour process, and so less block per hour can be manufactured. There are also other costs involved in creating separate bins for face mix aggregates and separate hoppers for the face mix concrete once mixed.
Through-colour and face-mix
There are two manufacturing processes used to produce colour (and, to a lesser extent, texture) in a concrete block.
The first process, known as 'through colour', relies on placing all of the concrete (even though it may be three or more different colours of concrete) into the mould in one operation, and then pressing and compacting to create a unit that has the colour running right through the block, even though it's most likely that only the top surface will ever be seen once the paving is laid.
Through colour concrete block
The colour is present throughout the whole block While this use of expensively-coloured concrete throughout the block may be considered wasteful, there are manufacturing cost savings, that have to be considered.
The alternative is to use a technique known as "Face Mix", in which a no-frill, un-coloured 'backing mix' or 'base mix' is first placed into the mould, partially pressed and then topped with a high-quality, coloured 'face mix' concrete. The whole is then pressed and compacted before being de-moulded and passed into the curing chamber.
There is a delay of only a very few seconds between placing the base and the face, so there is no day joint or construction joint, no plane of weakness, and absolutely no risk of delamination between the two. The block cures as one, single, monolithic mass of concrete.
It's not possible to say that one production technique is better than the other. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, and some special products, such as tumbled blocks, need to be through-coloured otherwise they would have just the one serviceable face. However, most production in Ireland, in continental Europe, and in North America use face-mix technology far more wideley than has been the case in Britain to date
Apr
30
Clay pavers 
admin , 15:07 , Concrete blocks and bricks , Comments(0) , Trackbacks(0) , Reads(256) , Via Original
Many of the "house brick" manufacturers produce their own ranges of clay paving bricks. These are generally available as typical, rectangular bricks, although there are now a good choice of size variations, from 60x60mm 'cobbles', 150x150mm 'setts' and 300x300mm squares. Custom shapes can be made for specific projects by some of the more co-operative manufacturers.
Clay paviors in differing sizes and colours
The most usual size is 100-105 x 200-215 x 60mm; this means that, with some bricks, there are less than 50 bricks per square metre, and that not all clays are interchangeable. Unlike the concrete blocks, most clays are manufactured with 2 presentable faces, allowing them to be inverted to replace stained paving.
Clay paviors on my own patio The colour of clay bricks is completely natural, not a chemical dye, and so these bricks are not subject to fading as are the concrete types. This use of natural colour also means that the range of colours available is almost limitless; reds, browns, buffs, greys, blues and a mass of multi-colour blends. If colour is an important factor in your project, clay bricks are probably the solution.
From a contractor's point of view, clay bricks are much harder to cut with a conventional block splitter than are concrete blocks, and it's worth hiring-in a diamond-bladed bench-saw if there are a lot of cuts to be made.
Note that 'house' bricks, 'facing' bricks or 'commons' ARE NOT SUITABLE for paving. They were never designed for that purpose, and often fail when wrongly used as a pavior, by flaking or cracking or just disintegrating in damp conditions. Conversely, paving bricks are not designed to build walls or pillars. Horses for courses, as they say.
Clay paviors in differing sizes and colours
The most usual size is 100-105 x 200-215 x 60mm; this means that, with some bricks, there are less than 50 bricks per square metre, and that not all clays are interchangeable. Unlike the concrete blocks, most clays are manufactured with 2 presentable faces, allowing them to be inverted to replace stained paving.
Clay paviors on my own patio The colour of clay bricks is completely natural, not a chemical dye, and so these bricks are not subject to fading as are the concrete types. This use of natural colour also means that the range of colours available is almost limitless; reds, browns, buffs, greys, blues and a mass of multi-colour blends. If colour is an important factor in your project, clay bricks are probably the solution.
From a contractor's point of view, clay bricks are much harder to cut with a conventional block splitter than are concrete blocks, and it's worth hiring-in a diamond-bladed bench-saw if there are a lot of cuts to be made.
Note that 'house' bricks, 'facing' bricks or 'commons' ARE NOT SUITABLE for paving. They were never designed for that purpose, and often fail when wrongly used as a pavior, by flaking or cracking or just disintegrating in damp conditions. Conversely, paving bricks are not designed to build walls or pillars. Horses for courses, as they say.
Apr
30
Concrete blocks
admin , 15:05 , Concrete blocks and bricks , Comments(0) , Trackbacks(0) , Reads(233) , Via Original
Amongst the concrete blocks there is an enormous variety of shapes, sizes, colours, and textures now available, with all the major concrete paving manufacturers producing their own versions of the standard rectangular block, and also special shapes, "olde-worlde" looking tumbled or antiqued units, and an ever increasing array of textured blocks.
Amongst contractors, specifiers and manufacturers, the blocks are often referred to as "CBP" - Concrete Block Paving
Typical concrete block Most rectangular blocks are moulded to a specific size, 100mm x 200mm x 50-100mm, with exactly 50 blocks per square metre, and, because of this standard size, blocks from different manufacturers may be interchangeable, depending on tolerances and position of any spacer lugs. The typical rectangular blocks tend to have one presentable face, although some blocks are reversible, which makes easy work of replacing stained paving.
The colour of concrete blocks is achieved by the use of concrete dyes, usually some form of metallic oxide. Even the best dyes are prone to some fading in natural daylight and the quality of the dyes is a significant factor in block price; cheaper blocks are usually coloured by cheaper, inferior dyes. The manufacturers rarely entertain any complaints of fading, so choose carefully. Make your selection by looking at blocks that have been in place for at least a couple of years, rather than from glossy publicity photos or newly-laid paving.
Face Mix allows the money to be spent only on that part of the block that will actually be seen once the paving is laid.
Example of a face-mix block
The face mix is clearly visible above the backing mix concrete that makes up the bulk of the block.
Face Mix technology enables the manufacturer to use cheaper, possibly recycled aggregates and alternative cements such as PFA and GGBFS for the backing mix, and to use amuch smaller quality of very high quality fine aggregates, cements and colours in the face mix.
While there may be cost savings, the production cycle-time for face mix manufacturing is greater than that for the through-colour process, and so less block per hour can be manufactured. There are also other costs involved in creating separate bins for face mix aggregates and separate hoppers for the face mix concrete once mixed.
Through-colour and face-mix
There are two manufacturing processes used to produce colour (and, to a lesser extent, texture) in a concrete block.
The first process, known as 'through colour', relies on placing all of the concrete (even though it may be three or more different colours of concrete) into the mould in one operation, and then pressing and compacting to create a unit that has the colour running right through the block, even though it's most likely that only the top surface will ever be seen once the paving is laid.
Through colour concrete block
The colour is present throughout the whole block While this use of expensively-coloured concrete throughout the block may be considered wasteful, there are manufacturing cost savings, that have to be considered.
The alternative is to use a technique known as "Face Mix", in which a no-frill, un-coloured 'backing mix' or 'base mix' is first placed into the mould, partially pressed and then topped with a high-quality, coloured 'face mix' concrete. The whole is then pressed and compacted before being de-moulded and passed into the curing chamber.
There is a delay of only a very few seconds between placing the base and the face, so there is no day joint or construction joint, no plane of weakness, and absolutely no risk of delamination between the two. The block cures as one, single, monolithic mass of concrete.
It's not possible to say that one production technique is better than the other. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, and some special products, such as tumbled blocks, need to be through-coloured otherwise they would have just the one serviceable face. However, most production in Ireland, in continental Europe, and in North America use face-mix technology far more wideley than has been the case in Britain to date
Amongst contractors, specifiers and manufacturers, the blocks are often referred to as "CBP" - Concrete Block Paving
Typical concrete block Most rectangular blocks are moulded to a specific size, 100mm x 200mm x 50-100mm, with exactly 50 blocks per square metre, and, because of this standard size, blocks from different manufacturers may be interchangeable, depending on tolerances and position of any spacer lugs. The typical rectangular blocks tend to have one presentable face, although some blocks are reversible, which makes easy work of replacing stained paving.
The colour of concrete blocks is achieved by the use of concrete dyes, usually some form of metallic oxide. Even the best dyes are prone to some fading in natural daylight and the quality of the dyes is a significant factor in block price; cheaper blocks are usually coloured by cheaper, inferior dyes. The manufacturers rarely entertain any complaints of fading, so choose carefully. Make your selection by looking at blocks that have been in place for at least a couple of years, rather than from glossy publicity photos or newly-laid paving.
Face Mix allows the money to be spent only on that part of the block that will actually be seen once the paving is laid.
Example of a face-mix block
The face mix is clearly visible above the backing mix concrete that makes up the bulk of the block.
Face Mix technology enables the manufacturer to use cheaper, possibly recycled aggregates and alternative cements such as PFA and GGBFS for the backing mix, and to use amuch smaller quality of very high quality fine aggregates, cements and colours in the face mix.
While there may be cost savings, the production cycle-time for face mix manufacturing is greater than that for the through-colour process, and so less block per hour can be manufactured. There are also other costs involved in creating separate bins for face mix aggregates and separate hoppers for the face mix concrete once mixed.
Through-colour and face-mix
There are two manufacturing processes used to produce colour (and, to a lesser extent, texture) in a concrete block.
The first process, known as 'through colour', relies on placing all of the concrete (even though it may be three or more different colours of concrete) into the mould in one operation, and then pressing and compacting to create a unit that has the colour running right through the block, even though it's most likely that only the top surface will ever be seen once the paving is laid.
Through colour concrete block
The colour is present throughout the whole block While this use of expensively-coloured concrete throughout the block may be considered wasteful, there are manufacturing cost savings, that have to be considered.
The alternative is to use a technique known as "Face Mix", in which a no-frill, un-coloured 'backing mix' or 'base mix' is first placed into the mould, partially pressed and then topped with a high-quality, coloured 'face mix' concrete. The whole is then pressed and compacted before being de-moulded and passed into the curing chamber.
There is a delay of only a very few seconds between placing the base and the face, so there is no day joint or construction joint, no plane of weakness, and absolutely no risk of delamination between the two. The block cures as one, single, monolithic mass of concrete.
It's not possible to say that one production technique is better than the other. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, and some special products, such as tumbled blocks, need to be through-coloured otherwise they would have just the one serviceable face. However, most production in Ireland, in continental Europe, and in North America use face-mix technology far more wideley than has been the case in Britain to date
Apr
30
Concrete blocks
admin , 14:59 , Concrete blocks and bricks , Comments(0) , Trackbacks(0) , Reads(270) , Via Original
Amongst the concrete blocks there is an enormous variety of shapes, sizes, colours, and textures now available, with all the major concrete paving manufacturers producing their own versions of the standard rectangular block, and also special shapes, "olde-worlde" looking tumbled or antiqued units, and an ever increasing array of textured blocks.
Amongst contractors, specifiers and manufacturers, the blocks are often referred to as "CBP" - Concrete Block Paving
Typical concrete block Most rectangular blocks are moulded to a specific size, 100mm x 200mm x 50-100mm, with exactly 50 blocks per square metre, and, because of this standard size, blocks from different manufacturers may be interchangeable, depending on tolerances and position of any spacer lugs. The typical rectangular blocks tend to have one presentable face, although some blocks are reversible, which makes easy work of replacing stained paving.
The colour of concrete blocks is achieved by the use of concrete dyes, usually some form of metallic oxide. Even the best dyes are prone to some fading in natural daylight and the quality of the dyes is a significant factor in block price; cheaper blocks are usually coloured by cheaper, inferior dyes. The manufacturers rarely entertain any complaints of fading, so choose carefully. Make your selection by looking at blocks that have been in place for at least a couple of years, rather than from glossy publicity photos or newly-laid paving.
Face Mix allows the money to be spent only on that part of the block that will actually be seen once the paving is laid.
Example of a face-mix block
The face mix is clearly visible above the backing mix concrete that makes up the bulk of the block.
Face Mix technology enables the manufacturer to use cheaper, possibly recycled aggregates and alternative cements such as PFA and GGBFS for the backing mix, and to use amuch smaller quality of very high quality fine aggregates, cements and colours in the face mix.
While there may be cost savings, the production cycle-time for face mix manufacturing is greater than that for the through-colour process, and so less block per hour can be manufactured. There are also other costs involved in creating separate bins for face mix aggregates and separate hoppers for the face mix concrete once mixed.
Through-colour and face-mix
There are two manufacturing processes used to produce colour (and, to a lesser extent, texture) in a concrete block.
The first process, known as 'through colour', relies on placing all of the concrete (even though it may be three or more different colours of concrete) into the mould in one operation, and then pressing and compacting to create a unit that has the colour running right through the block, even though it's most likely that only the top surface will ever be seen once the paving is laid.
Through colour concrete block
The colour is present throughout the whole block While this use of expensively-coloured concrete throughout the block may be considered wasteful, there are manufacturing cost savings, that have to be considered.
The alternative is to use a technique known as "Face Mix", in which a no-frill, un-coloured 'backing mix' or 'base mix' is first placed into the mould, partially pressed and then topped with a high-quality, coloured 'face mix' concrete. The whole is then pressed and compacted before being de-moulded and passed into the curing chamber.
There is a delay of only a very few seconds between placing the base and the face, so there is no day joint or construction joint, no plane of weakness, and absolutely no risk of delamination between the two. The block cures as one, single, monolithic mass of concrete.
It's not possible to say that one production technique is better than the other. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, and some special products, such as tumbled blocks, need to be through-coloured otherwise they would have just the one serviceable face. However, most production in Ireland, in continental Europe, and in North America use face-mix technology far more wideley than has been the case in Britain to date
Amongst contractors, specifiers and manufacturers, the blocks are often referred to as "CBP" - Concrete Block Paving
Typical concrete block Most rectangular blocks are moulded to a specific size, 100mm x 200mm x 50-100mm, with exactly 50 blocks per square metre, and, because of this standard size, blocks from different manufacturers may be interchangeable, depending on tolerances and position of any spacer lugs. The typical rectangular blocks tend to have one presentable face, although some blocks are reversible, which makes easy work of replacing stained paving.
The colour of concrete blocks is achieved by the use of concrete dyes, usually some form of metallic oxide. Even the best dyes are prone to some fading in natural daylight and the quality of the dyes is a significant factor in block price; cheaper blocks are usually coloured by cheaper, inferior dyes. The manufacturers rarely entertain any complaints of fading, so choose carefully. Make your selection by looking at blocks that have been in place for at least a couple of years, rather than from glossy publicity photos or newly-laid paving.
Face Mix allows the money to be spent only on that part of the block that will actually be seen once the paving is laid.
Example of a face-mix block
The face mix is clearly visible above the backing mix concrete that makes up the bulk of the block.
Face Mix technology enables the manufacturer to use cheaper, possibly recycled aggregates and alternative cements such as PFA and GGBFS for the backing mix, and to use amuch smaller quality of very high quality fine aggregates, cements and colours in the face mix.
While there may be cost savings, the production cycle-time for face mix manufacturing is greater than that for the through-colour process, and so less block per hour can be manufactured. There are also other costs involved in creating separate bins for face mix aggregates and separate hoppers for the face mix concrete once mixed.
Through-colour and face-mix
There are two manufacturing processes used to produce colour (and, to a lesser extent, texture) in a concrete block.
The first process, known as 'through colour', relies on placing all of the concrete (even though it may be three or more different colours of concrete) into the mould in one operation, and then pressing and compacting to create a unit that has the colour running right through the block, even though it's most likely that only the top surface will ever be seen once the paving is laid.
Through colour concrete block
The colour is present throughout the whole block While this use of expensively-coloured concrete throughout the block may be considered wasteful, there are manufacturing cost savings, that have to be considered.
The alternative is to use a technique known as "Face Mix", in which a no-frill, un-coloured 'backing mix' or 'base mix' is first placed into the mould, partially pressed and then topped with a high-quality, coloured 'face mix' concrete. The whole is then pressed and compacted before being de-moulded and passed into the curing chamber.
There is a delay of only a very few seconds between placing the base and the face, so there is no day joint or construction joint, no plane of weakness, and absolutely no risk of delamination between the two. The block cures as one, single, monolithic mass of concrete.
It's not possible to say that one production technique is better than the other. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, and some special products, such as tumbled blocks, need to be through-coloured otherwise they would have just the one serviceable face. However, most production in Ireland, in continental Europe, and in North America use face-mix technology far more wideley than has been the case in Britain to date
Apr
30
blocks and bricks types
admin , 14:53 , Concrete blocks and bricks , Comments(0) , Trackbacks(0) , Reads(239) , Via Original
There two basic types of block paving; the moulded concrete block (CBP - Concrete Block Pavers), and the kiln-fired clay brick, hence the interchangeability of the terms block and brick paving. In the following notes, concrete types are referred to as blocks, and clays as bricks.
However, both may also be known as pavers, paviors, or paviours, as well as some more obscure terms, not all of which are repeatable in polite company!
The bricks and blocks are available in a range of thicknesses, from 40mm to 100mm. There are even 120mm units for exceptional applications, but they are not likely to be found in stock at your local supplier! For domestic use, the 50mm or 60mm units are most suitable. 80mm thick units are used for road construction or where there will be regular vehicle overrun, while the 100mm thick units are for heavy-duty pavements such as those in Freight Yards, Ports and Airports. We find that the 40mm thick blocks are now (thankfully) difficult to obtain and offer no significant cost saving over a 50mm thick unit. They are/were also particularly prone to breakage during the compaction phase of construction.
Given the wide range of products on the market, choosing a block or brick paver for any given project can be a long, complex and fraught decision. Fuller consideration of the possible choices is covered on the Choosing a Block/Brick Paver page. What follows on this page is a brief summary of the main points.
However, both may also be known as pavers, paviors, or paviours, as well as some more obscure terms, not all of which are repeatable in polite company!
The bricks and blocks are available in a range of thicknesses, from 40mm to 100mm. There are even 120mm units for exceptional applications, but they are not likely to be found in stock at your local supplier! For domestic use, the 50mm or 60mm units are most suitable. 80mm thick units are used for road construction or where there will be regular vehicle overrun, while the 100mm thick units are for heavy-duty pavements such as those in Freight Yards, Ports and Airports. We find that the 40mm thick blocks are now (thankfully) difficult to obtain and offer no significant cost saving over a 50mm thick unit. They are/were also particularly prone to breakage during the compaction phase of construction.
Given the wide range of products on the market, choosing a block or brick paver for any given project can be a long, complex and fraught decision. Fuller consideration of the possible choices is covered on the Choosing a Block/Brick Paver page. What follows on this page is a brief summary of the main points.
