The Brew Cabin

Hi there,
i'm getting along with laying the MoT1 for my block pave drive thanks to the confidence your web site has given me.
My question is this: I am going to lay soldier blocks as edging in the damp concrete mix you recommend, what will fix the blocks in place? Will i be relying on the concrete to 'stick' the blocks in place or is the idea to just make a stable concrete platform which then allows the blocks to be locked in place when the whole pavement is vibrated into place with jointing sand?

It's the haunching at the 'back' of the edging blocks that keeps everything in place.

The concrete bed prevents the blocks being driven downwards or settling, but the concrete haunching prevents them being pushed outwards. You CANNOT rely on the bond between the blocks and the concrete bed being strong enough to contain the not inconsiderable lateral forces that can be generated within a pavement when it's trafficked, that why we use concrete haunching, which is sometimes known as 'Backing-Up'.

hi tony,
ta for the reply. i can assure you that i have understood from your web site that containing the finished surface lateraly (sideways) is essential, especially as i will have a mates van parking on it.
what i am unclear about is, for example, where i am laying blocks against a restraining wall, i will use a bed of damp mix concrete to fix the level of the block & the house wall will stop it moving sideways.
But, not having done stuff like this before, i just wonder if such an edging block will get jiggled upwards & become loose because it is not mortared in or is the idea that such edging blocks also get locked in by sand working into the joint between block & wall.
And the same thing applies to the edging blocks that are restrained by haunching - should i avoid the edging blocs with the vib plate.
thanks for your help. things are getting on now that i'm talking about getting edges down.