The Brew Cabin

I am a novice to block paving but have experience in foundation laying and building conservatories and garages.

The front of my house is 25ft from kerb-side but the pavement is 1000mm lower than the path leading to my front door. (the entire length of the driveway will be 55ft) :(

Any suggestions on how best to accomodate the gradient and are there any other factors I need to consider. :confused:

Is the drop of 1000mm over the 25 ft (7.6m) or the 55 ft (16.7m)?

The ideal construction would be to use a s-profile, which eases the transition from public highway to drive, and then driveway to garage or pathway....I'll post a sketch later this afternoon.

The other thing is that you might need intermediate restaint courses. These are simply corses of blocks laid across the driveway on a concrete bed and haunch. Their purpose is to minimise or eliminate and downhill creep of the blocks once they are laid. We would typically use these on any driveway with a gradient in excess of 1:8 and at around 5-6 metre separations. They are constructed in exactly the same way as a standard edge course.

The last point to make is to start laying at the bottom of the slope and work 'uphill', so that the blocks can't slip away from you while working. I was watching a pair of eejits in Prestwich near Manchester the other evening, a sthey struggled to pave a driveway sloping downhill at something like 1:4, and the blocks were sliding down the hill each time they stood near the laying edge.

Naturally, I didn't want to upset them or offend them by pointing out the correct way to do it, so I just kept grinning at them until the traffic lights changed and I had to move on. :)

It would be a 1000mm drop over the 25ft (remaining 30ft would be a flat driveway).

Thanks for the speedy response :)

Here's the sketch of a s-profile as opposed to a simple gradient....



...which is obviously exaggerated on the vertical scale to emphasise the 'rounding' that takes place.

Your drive, with a gradient of 1m over 7.6m (1:7.6) just about qualifies for the inclusion of an intermediate restraining course, and the ideal place would be at the mid-point.

Thanks again. Beginning to look just about manageable now :confused:

... but have looked through the site and (I may be having a Homer Simpson moment!) cannot seem to find information on restraining courses for inclines. Should I just use one of the courses stated... and at approx 3.8 mets up from the start of the rise???

Keen to make a good job :)

I've not included info on intermediate restraining courses mainly because I've not had time. It's on the ever-growing list of things to do, but, to be honest, it's not a high priority compared to some of the other topics.

However, just ask away if you've any questions. Guiding you through the process will probably help me when I eventually get the requisite tuits and set about building the page.

Before committing yourself to a IRC at 3.8m, tell me what blocks you're using, and what laying pattern.

50mm charcon blocks, using a 90 degree herringbone pattern (to limit cutting) :)

OK, use an IRC somewhere around the middle of the slope. You can install it as work proceeds, to minimise cutting - see the Edge courses Construction page to see how a fixed course can be installed after the bulk of the blocks are laid.

So, using this method, you'd lay the perimeter edge courses, then start the block paving at the bottom of the slope, working uphill until you're around halfway, or some other convenient point. Next, install a "floating soldier course" which can be adjusted as required to suit the positioning and eliminate/minimise cutting. I like to use contrasting blocks - if you;re going to have an IRC slicing through your blockwpork, it might as well look intentional! So, if you've used, say, charcoal blocks for the edge courses to contrast with the main body of the paving, use the same charcoal blocks for the IRC)s).

Once done, piece in as required and then resume block laying on the uphill side of the IRC.

You might want to construct a second IRC at the top of the gradient, just to give the drive a more 'balanced look', or you could simply lay a break band of contrasting blocks to give the impression of another IRC, although it would actually be laid on a standard screeded sand bed.

Thanks, that sounds pretty straight-forward. Just one more question though.

Would it be advisable to haunch in the blocks at the IRC's???

Thanks for all your help, feel more confident now and looking forward to starting the job. (Be kakking my pants whilst doing it though!!!) :)

Yes - sorry, I should have made this this clear. IRCs must be haunched as they are, after all, restraining courses and so must be firmly anchored in place.

They don't need a great deal of haunching, just sufficient to make sure they stay put, but not so much that the concrete haunching massively messes up the non-IRC blocks.

On commercial applications, we would typically use a deeper unit for the IRCs, so that their haunching does not interfere with the bedding of the remaining blocks, but this is probably impractical on residential driveways and so you may have to consider trimming the underside of the adjacent blocks to get them to fit snugly.

Here's an unfinished drawing showing 3 options: the top image uses a typical block paving kerb laid 'upside down', while the middle image uses a thicker block (an 80mm block in amongst the aurrounding 60mm units). The bottom image shows one option when using blocks of the same depth, which is to undercut the adjacent blocks to accommodate the haunching. This is the least satisfactory option - in fact, if using a same thickness block is the only viable option, then I'd be happier to bed the IRC on a wetter concrete mix so that the IRC blocks become bonded to the concrete. I'd use a strengthening/bonding admix in the concrete, if necessary.



Does that make it any clearer?

Yes, yes. This is much clearer, especially with the images you drew.

I think, for ease, I will use the middle option. (would it be daft to use 80mm, similar coloured, blocks for the edging course?)

This is a great web-site, plainy explained, jargon free and suitable for any level of ability (even Japanese Patioers!!!)

I now have the project stages mapped out on paper and ready to tackle it whilst the good weather is still around.

Thanks a lot for your help, it's been invaluable.