Concrete pavers are precast modular units intended to provide aesthetic and functional pavement for both foot traffic and vehicle traffic. They come in many different colors and shapes. There are 2 primary types of concrete pavers, interlocking and Architectural Slab.
Interlocking pavers tend to be thicker and duller looking and are more structurally apt to receive vehicle traffic. Architectural slab pavers are geared more towards an aesthetic hardscape look, commonly used in residential applications. They are thinner, lighter duty, and more susceptible to freeze thaw characteristics. They are typically produced to mimic the look of brick or natural stone and are a fair amount less expensive.
For pavers, sand is typically the required or preferred base, most commonly the top inch or 2 above a 2-8″ aggregate stone base (depending on anticipated loading/traffic. The importance of a well compacted base under pavers is very critical to the placement and performance of the pavers. It is also not uncommon to see cast in place concrete as a base for the pavers, with or without a top layer sand leveling course. The surface must be exceptionally flat and dense to appropriately accept the pavers, and it must be compacted well enough to hold up well over time.
Some common patterns are Basket weave, Interlocking Basket weave, Octagon and Dot, Roman Cobble, Herringbone, Interlocking Herringbone, and Running bond.
Many variations of the above patterns exist including border patterns.
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