Block paving...the easy way

[Tommy]

Those crazy dutch.

All in the preparation I'd say. That and the fact it'd be next to useless in back gardens

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjV-XF0DVfM&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkVBg_-OviI&feature=player_embedded

[ilovesettsonmondays]

LOL THAT was funny to watch.magic mushrooms come to mind

[Dave_L]

Thats impressive, takes the backache out of the job somewhat!

Gotta love how the loader drives into the stack of blocks and scats them everywhere! Damage to the newly laid pavement, Sir?

[Tony McC]

There are all sorts of things I don't like about that process (delivery of blocks over uncompacted surface: blocks laid onto laying course at a very sharp angle that will cause them to sink into the sand: etc) but you have to admire the Dutch for their obsession with making the job (allegedly) easier for the installation team.

In Holland, all jobs in excess of 1500m² have to be machine laid and over the years there have been a bewildering array of weird and wonderful machines that are supposed to simplify the job. The big advantage of this one is that operatives are stood up straight and not required to bend or kneel, but is that small gain worth the drop in pavement quality?

Spookily, tomorrow sees the re-convening of the Elfin Safety group on how to reduce manual handling in the paving trade. Big meeting in Birmingham (which means the London-dwelling soft gits won't attend in case they get eaten by monsters) to plot the way forward. I'll let you know how it goes.....

[lutonlagerlout]

IME of holland there is no point doing CBP to any great standard as most of the coastal towns are on reclaimed land and the roads/drives etc sink anyway
they do love a gadget though
LLL

[mickg]

this is quite a good machine for relaying second hand paving but the guys hand laying at the start are faster

machine laying pavers

the laying side seems good but the loading of both machines is very basic

[GB_Groundworks]

Nice machine for recycling rather than crushing them, put would get boring very fast

Least you get tumbled blocks cheaper, not sure it dishing out the screened dirt/sand onto the new pavement though

[lutonlagerlout]

dont like to see people laying on leaves and i am surprised you didnt mention the wireless mick,next to the conveyor belt!!
looks slow and complicated from here
LLL

[rab1]

tony, the reason mick didnt mention the radio was that these lads are dutch, everyone knows when you spend the majority of your day smoking "happy smokes" you need a bit of massive attack in the background to keep things moving.
i also agree it looks slow etc, but if you were as stoned as your average Dutchman... how fast do you think you would move. lol :p :p :p

[pickwell paving]

don't think either of them would be as quick as a probst robotec, better finished paving too

[GB_Groundworks]

yeah but thats for new allready stacked paving in layers, these two are handling second hand or recycled paving

[mickg]

actually I had spotted the radio but i was late for work this morning :p

I can't help thinking its and health and safety issue having the radio hooked on the side of the machine plus no one is wearing any PPE, bit like it was in the good old days over here really

with todays technology Giles one would of thought the machine would be loaded, the blocks drop down and be sorted, the dust separated and the blocks continue onto the conveyor automatically with out human intervention unless there was a blockage

to have a guy picking every single block up and placing them into the slot is very labour intensive, but it is a machine for use on site and not in a factory

[lutonlagerlout]

my thoughts exactly mick
i suppose the only problem would be blocks upside down
LLL