Pavestone

What is a paving stone?

A paving stone is a small stone in the form of a parallel slope, which is quite thick. It is done to ensure maximum durability of the pavement, as the paving stone is placed tightly together on a sandy base. There are two main types of paving stones - split and sawn.

Sawn paving stones are carefully processed stones that, when laid correctly, provide a smooth surface. Sometimes these paving stones are even polished on the front.

Granite paving stone is one of the most durable and popular building materials.

How is a paving stone produced?

Usually, paving stones are made from two materials - granite and sandstone. The first belongs to the category of noble stones. It is aesthetically beautiful and durable, and also gives the road a certain bourgeois style and taste. With its help, you can achieve interesting patterns on the roads. The second material is a layered material, the cost of which is several times lower than that of granite.

However, there are some advantages of using sandstone to make paving stones:

The customer can choose the necessary thickness of the finished product;

A wide variety of shapes for each element can be made, including sawn, split, or even paving stones with rounded edges.

Specifications and characteristics

So, paving stones are an excellent building material that has many advantages and is ideal for both major road paving and decorating summer houses and yards.

All of the above can be added to the fact that it has the following characteristics:

• Production technology - paving stones are made by vibrating concrete and various additives (such as colored pigments, etc.);
• Resistance to frost - this characteristic shows how many cycles of freezing and thawing the paving stone can withstand. On average, during the winter, paving stones go through 5 to 10 cycles of freezing in the range from -20 to +20°C. This means that its average service life is 50 years.
• Water absorption function - for paving stones, this indicator reaches approximately 2%. What does this mean? In the case of a stone weighing 1000 g, it can absorb 20 g of liquid. This is possibly the biggest weakness of the paving stone, as the water that enters the stone structure during the winter will freeze and thaw, thereby destroying the stone from the inside. In other words, the lower the water absorption rate, the better.
• Durability - there are 3 durability indicators: compressive strength, flexural strength, and abrasion resistance. The first indicator refers to the load that paving stones can withstand in vertical compression. The strength of a normal, durable material is approximately 400 kg/cm². The flexural index shows the maximum load on paving stones that are unevenly placed but at an angle. The average index is 60 kg/cm². The lower the abrasion, the longer the service life. The standard paving stone index is 0.4 g/cm².
• Weight and size - paving stones come in various sizes and weights. So, on average, one square meter weighs more than 100 kg, and the dimensions depend directly on the shape of the elements.

Types and shapes of paving stones

Depending on the materials used in the production of paving stones, it is divided into several types - clinker, stone, and concrete. Let's look at each type separately.

Concrete paving stone. The most common type of paving stone, which is made from concrete and additives by vibrating. Polymer sandstone paving stones are made in the same way.

The vibration technology includes the following production stages:

• Preparation of a special ready-made mixture;
• Filling the prepared molds with the mixture and pressing with vibration;
• Drying in thermal furnaces;
• Removing the elements and edging.

With the help of vibration, you can obtain paving stones of various colors, shapes, and excellent surface quality, which do not require additional processing. The function of vibrocompression allows you to create paving stones with excellent geometric shapes, high durability, and good frost resistance.

Clinker. Clinker paving stones, in simple terms, are bricks. These paving stones are obtained by firing a special plastic clay in kilns. This type of paving stone is characterized by high durability, various shapes and colors, and it is also long-lasting.

Stone (granite). This paving stone is rightly considered the hardest and most durable road surface. These paving stones are made from natural stones such as sandstone, marble, granite, or basalt. The production technology of this material is based on giving the raw material the required shape. It is most recommended to use a stone splitting machine and a stamping press.

Appearance differences

Paving stones are classified into the following types based on their appearance:

• Split - obtained by splitting large granite blocks into smaller ones, they have quite uneven shapes.
• Sawn - differs in that it is made by sawing into small parts, each of which has a smooth and even surface.

Colored (decorative) mosaic paving stones. Experience shows that the variety of such material as colored paving stones looks very beautiful and interesting. With its help, you can organize comfort near your site, living spaces, etc. For example, to improve the appearance, it is completely possible to mark your parking space or use colored paving stones to organize a grilling area.

When choosing concrete paving stones, the concept of color is very arbitrary. If the color is obtained by adding pigment, then after a short time, nature will do its job. Bright and saturated colors will fade. The quality of the color certainly matters, but it only affects the color's service life.

A good solution would be concrete paving stones with a surface of granite, travertine, or marble chips. Such products are produced by serious companies that have a surface cleaning line.

If the paving stone is clinker, then there is generally no need to worry about fading. During firing, ceramics naturally acquire their color. Paving stones with color will delight several generations without losing their attractiveness.

Advantages of paving stones

Paving stones have several advantages compared to other types of continuous road surfaces:

• Durability against cracks;
• Ability to build any shape of road surface;
• Ability to quickly and easily replace any surface element;
• After laying the paving stones, the surface can be used immediately, which cannot be done with concrete or asphalt;
• Environmentally friendly (eco-paving).

*Translated using automatic translation tool
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