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How do Interlocking Pavers Work?

1/10/2012

16 Comments

 
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This article retrieved from Concrete Pavers Guide 
The first reason that concrete pavers – and any paver that interlocks – has to do with the material that they are constructed from. Concrete pavers are rated multiple times stronger than poured concrete. This is due in part to the way the pavers are formed, but it’s also due to the ‘interlocking nature’ of the material.

The Secret: The Interlocking ActionInterlocking pavers remain durable and new looking even after years of abuse and weather precisely due to the ‘interlocking action’ of the paving stones. Interlocking concrete pavers are designed specifically to leave gaps in between each brick – in other words, they do not sit exactly flush to each other. It is this space, paradoxically, that gives the entire structure its strength as soon as these joints are filled with an appopriate joint material, such as sand. The pavers are laid in a particular pattern (the pattern really is just how the joints are arranged), leaving a bit of space in between each and every paver. Mortar is not used to bind these joints together, as this would destroy the benefits of the sand-interlocked paver.

Though sand is the most popular material used for the joints, it is not the only one – special joint material is put out by the concrete paver companies for this purpose, but it’s generally quite expensive. Bluestone screenings are another popular material, though there may be problems with this material when the surface is compacted, as the small stones may scratch the surface of the brick. Thus, sand remains the most popular joint material for most projects and contractors.

How the Interlocking WorksWhen the sand fills the joints, it helps hold the pavers together in two ways. First, the small pits and holes in the stone interlock pavers through friction. The small gaps ‘join together’ and help the paving stones cohere. The sand also fills these holes, increasing the friction between  the pavers even more. Second, the sand itself, when compacted, gets very tight. Thus, not only does the sand help the pavers stick together, it actually helps all the sand stick together as well, as the closely packed grains of sand cannot move without great force (this movement is resisted by friction). When the entire structure is surrounded with edging and compacted, it holds together as a whole even though the paving stones are not directly touching each other across their entire faces.

The material doesn’t matter here, either. Interlocking brick pavers or natural stone work the same way as their concrete brethren. It all has to do with the roughness of the bricks, the joints, and the sand that fills the gaps between them.

It is this strength and toughness that makes paving stones such a great option for homeowners. For instance, interlocking patio pavers withstand the constant pitter-patter of feet and the damaging effects of weather due to this cohesion. They are so strong that they will withstand the actions of vehicles – parking, sitting, accelerating, and so on. The surface is also quite flat, so it’s easy to plow or shovel snow off of it as needed.

Best of all, these types of installations are strong yet flexible. As water drains through the patio, for example, it collects in the base underneath. If it is cold out, the water will freeze. In other applications, such as concrete or asphalt, this freezing would expand the base, putting extreme pressure on the structure above and perhaps causing cracks or fissures. However, paving stone applications bend and flex with this freezing due to the flexibility of the joints and the sand. There is no “solid” structure above, but one that shifts and changes with the elements. Thus, the concrete paver project resists damage as the ice thaws, returning the structure to its original position, freezes again, thaws again, and so on.

The only disadvantages to this system lie in the fact that there is sand in between the pavers, and sometimes this sand escapes. Whether it’s due to the action of water or wind, or the action of ants building anthills, or your own power washing of the surface, sand levels will lower with time. This can weaken and even damage the structure. Luckily it’s quite easy to put sand back into the joints to replace the lost material. In addition, one of the benefits of sealing pavers lies in the fact that the sealant can help keep the sand where it belongs.

16 Comments
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7/28/2013 07:51:07 pm

Very big thanks to the users for sharing this information about the interlocking paving system with the users and I have learned so much here. All I can say is you have done a great job and I will visit your site again for more updates. Keep posting more in the future.

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Eboh kelvin
3/12/2014 10:31:51 pm

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adew0le dizkid.
7/13/2014 04:34:14 am

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is am not from canada am in nigeria.ls there any
other institution around my country that have same
standard as yours and are we be gretfull if your company can add me to your work man are so much happy? I need ur response thanks.
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Benjamin link
6/24/2015 09:34:21 pm

Wonderful post. I am searching awesome news and idea. What I have found from your site, it is actually highly content. You have spent long time for this post. It's a very useful and interesting site. Thanks!

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Hazel Owens link
6/11/2018 07:36:34 pm

Thanks for the information that both interlocking brick pavers and natural stone pavers work the same way as concrete pavers so it only depends on the roughness of the bricks, the joints, and the sand. My husband and I were looking at getting pavers for a patio in our front yard and were thinking about getting brink. This helps give us a bit more information on different pavers and which could work for our front yard. We'll have to ask a contractor what type of brick would work best for an interlocking brick paver patio.

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JOHN mcmahon link
9/14/2018 06:56:09 am

SIR
WHERE CAN I PURCHASE THESE LIGHTWEIGHT INTERLOCKING PATIO PAVERS

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Robert Raypole link
1/9/2019 09:12:00 pm

Thanks for the great information. One of the issues we face is repairing a lot of jobs done where the pavers "sink" due to not placing them properly. Enjoyed your input. Thank you!

Reply
ritesh link
2/25/2019 08:01:21 am

I really agreed with your blog Thanks for the above information I would recommend visiting the suppliers of precast concrete:-http://www.terracast.in/pavers/

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David Paver link
4/13/2019 02:00:38 pm

Thank you for sharing a lot of details about paving system. It gives us a lot of helpful ideas and methods on it.Pavers Fort Lauderdale-www.fortlauderdalepavers.net

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Frank Morris link
6/6/2019 03:19:45 pm

Designing your house with some pavers are great and cool. Anyway thanks for sharing this very informative blog. Keep posting.

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akki link
12/12/2019 07:22:00 am

Thank you for such an insightful post. Actually, I had similar questions and while searching out for the answer, I came across a website. If you are looking forward to reading more on the topic do visit, http://www.terracast.in/

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Natural Stone link
7/28/2020 01:15:48 am

Thanks to the author for sharing such a great post. The article was very well written and providing knowledge on how do interlocking pavers work. It can be really great for people like me who are looking for grabbing more knowledge about it.

Reply
Local Pavers in Mackay link
10/6/2020 08:30:32 am

Thank you so much for sharing this with us, it really helped me a lot.

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emily bennette link
10/13/2020 12:08:15 am

I have been considering putting some nice interlocking pavers around my garden this upcoming spring. Thanks for explaining that it would be smart to consider the roughness of the pavers. I didn't realize that could create some issues with the installation process.

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Adam Golightly link
1/22/2021 08:54:51 pm

My cousin has been thinking about getting interlocking pavers so that her driveway can have a really nice pattern. making sure that she can get them installed by a professional could be really useful. Her area gets a lot of storms, so making sure that they can handle the water could be really useful for her.

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