Interlocking Concrete Block Pavements have been found to have applications in several situations. Such as :
Footpaths and Side-walks
Cycle Tracks
Residential streets
Car Parks
Fuel Stations
Rural Roads through Villages
Highway Rest Areas
Toll Plaza
Bus Depots
Approaches to Railway Level Crossings
Intersections
City Streets
Truck Parking Areas
Industrial floors
Urban Sections of Highways
Road Repairs during Monsoon
Container- Depots
Port Wjiarf and Roads
Roads in high altitude areas
Advantages and Limitations of Interlocking Concrete Block Pavements.
Since the blocks are prepared in the factory, they are of a very high quality, thus avoiding the difficulties encountered in quality control in the field.
Concrete block pavements restrict the speed of vehicles to about 60 km per hour, which is an advantage in city streets and intersections.
Because of the rough surface, these pavements are skid-resistant.
The block pavements are ideal for intersections where speeds have to be restricted and cornering stresses are high.
The digging and reinstatement of trenches for repairs to utilities is easier in the case of block pavement.
These pavements are unaffected by the spillage of oil from vehicles, and are ideal for bus stops, bus depots and parking areas.
They are preferred in heavily loaded areas like container depots and ports as they can be very well designed to withstand the high stresses induced there.
In India, the laying of concrete block pavements can be achieved at a low cost because of the availability of cheap labour.
Since the concrete blocks are grey in colour, they reflect light better then the black bituminous pavements, thus bringing down the cost of street lighting.
The cost of maintenance is much lower than a bituminous surface.
Block pavement does not need in-situ curing and so can be opened to traffic soon after completion of construction.
Construction of block pavement is simple and labour-intensive, and can be done using simple compaction equipment.
Maintenance of block pavement is simple and easy. Also, the need for frequency of maintenance is low as compared to bituminous pavement.
Structurally round blocks can be recycled many times over.
Unlike concrete pavements, block pavement does not exhibit very deterioratory effect due to thermal expansion and contraction, and are free from the cracking phenomenon.
Use of permeable block pavement in cities and towns can help replenish depleting underground sources of water, filter pollutants before they reach open water sources, help reduce storm water runoff and decrease the quantum of drainage structures.
Limitations
Concrete block pavements cannot be used for high speed facilities.
The riding quality is reasonably good for low-speed traffic, but is inferior to that observed on a machine laid bituminous or concrete pavement.
The noise generated is high,5-8 dB (A) higher than bituminois surfaces.
A very good attention to pavement drainage is needed because the water can seep through the joints.
