The Brew Cabin

i have been asked to lay a pathway in marshalls bridle pathiors with kerb edges down a garden which has at least an angle of 35 degress, the drive is also to be laid using the same stones and the angle is something i havent come across before, whatproblem whould you foresee and should i make allowance in labour cost for this angle

The big problem is creep. The blocks, along with the sub-base and the bedding, will want to migrate down the gradient over time. To counter this you need intermediate restraining courses.

These are courses of blockwork or edgings or kerbs or whatever, laid transversely across the pavement at intervals of not more than 6 metres. They are laid on a full concrete bed and haunch, the full thickness of the pavement, and therefore 'anchor' each section of pavement in place and minimise the amount of migration. The distance between intermediate restraints varies according to traffic use and angle of slope, but, on a project such as this, I would use one every three metres.

You could simply use a soldier course of the Brindles running across the drive/path, or you can make a feature of it by using a contrasting colour, such as the charcoal or a buff. I'm less impressed when uncoloured concrete products, such as flat-top edging kerbs are used, or square 125x150mm road kerbs, which I have seen on a job in Preston.

When it comes to laying, you have to start at the bottom, obviously. Remember that access can be awkward on such a slope, particularly for bedding and sub-base materials once you have the inter-restraints in place, so add a premium to your standard laying rate to allow for this.

Persuading the vib plate up the gradient is also a problem, and you may well end up attaching a rope to the front end and having your least favourite worker dragging it upwards while another operative steers from the rear. Going downhill is a doddle.

Lastly, it's worth mentioning just how bloody tiring it is trudging up and down a gradient such as that. It really does get to the back of your legs by mid-afternoon!

I'd be interested to hear how you get on.