The use of cobblestone pavements in urban areas has experienced a renaissance in recent years. However, when exposed to high traffic loads, this can lead to permanent damage. In order to evaluate the properties of pavers against traffic loads, a laboratory test has been designed for this purpose.
In order to achieve the planned objective, firstly, the passage of traffic over the paving stones was simulated according to the UNE EN 12697-22 standard "Bituminous mixtures. Test methods for hot bituminous mixtures. Part 22: Rolling test".
In addition to the previous test, another test was designed for the intended purpose. In order to determine the capacity of various paving systems to resist horizontal forces, a 1.5 x 2 m test bench was designed, on which a paving block panel was placed, executed in a similar way to a real construction site.
Therefore, the test designed can be a decisive starting point when comparing the performance of cobblestone pavements and, consequently, can be used for the design of new paver systems with superior properties to those currently available on the market. In this sense, the company Prefabricados de Hormigones Montalbán y Rodríguez S.A. has developed a new paver design to improve the performance of cobblestone surfaces under traffic loads using the test method described.
- Prefabricados de Hormigón Montalbán y Rodríguez, S.A. and the Construction Technology Centre of the Region of Murcia (CTCON) participated in this study. This project has been co-financed by the Instituto de Fomento de la Región de Murcia (project2016.08.ID+I.0009) in the Programa de Ayudas dirigidas a empresas destinadas a fomentar la Investigación y Desarrollo.
