In order to build concrete curb, there are several concrete curbing equipment need to used. There are several concrete curb equipment in the market, such as trowel, molds, undercarriages, plungers, slurry tray and etc. Concrete trowel is commonly used to support and maintain the style and shape of concrete curb that we carry, of course there are several types of trowel in the market as well. It’s a handed concrete curbing equipment, it’s simple to be used and easy to carry.
List Of Concrete Curbing Equipment – Concrete Trowel
There is a list of concrete curbing equipment for Trowel :
1) 4×4 Square Trowel
2) 5×3 Decorative Trowel
3) 5×4 Square Trowel
4) 6×4 Front Angle Half Trowel
5) 6×4 Angle Back Half Trowel
6) 6×4 Angle Trowel
7) 6×4 Decorative Front Half Trowel
8 ) 6×4 Decorative Trowel (Original Style)
9) 6×4 Decorative Back Half Trowel
10) 6×4 Square Trowel
11) 6×4 Square Half Trowel
12) 6×4 Round Cap Trowel
13) 6×4 Round Cap Half Trowel
14) 6×4 Angled Lighting Trowel
15) 6×4 Multi Lighting Trowel
16) 6×6 Square Trowel
17) 6×6 Square Half Trowel
18) 6×6 Parking Lot Half Trowel
19) 6×8 Square Trowel
20) 8×6 Square Trowel
21) 8×6 Parking Lot Trowel
22) 8×8 Half Trowel
23) 8×8 Square Trowel
24) Walkway Trowel
25) Walkway Half Trowel
These are all the types of trowel that commonly used for building concrete curb and concrete landscape edging in shape, concrete curbing contractor can build the concrete curb with the shape they want with relevant trowel. It’s simple to be used and can be constructing a good concrete curb design by following client’s requirement.
Most of the concrete used in the construction have to be gone through the concrete testing procedure to ensure the strength of the concrete, if the concrete is crack or spoil in the concrete test, which mean the concrete is failed to be used in construction. There is several types of concrete testing in the construction, where Cylinder Test and Slump Test are commonly used. Some of them are very costly and time consuming, while some of the concrete testing are very simple and low cost.
Type of concrete testing depends on type of concrete used, purpose of the concrete used and requirement from client. Concrete for concrete curb is not required to go through the concrete testing process because it’s just a light duty work, usually concrete testing used to test the concrete for commercial building, concrete bridges, and etc.
Types Of Concrete Testing
1) Cylinder Test
For Cylinder test, concrete is poured into a 6 x 12 inches cylinder (6 inches diameter, 12 inches height). The cylinders are usually plastic, like the ones below. The plastic cylinders filled with concrete are allowed to cure at 70 degrees Fahrenheit for 28 days.
Then each cylinder is loaded axially in a laboratory, the cylinder is stood up in a loading machine and an arm of the machine pushes down on the top of the cylinder until the cylinder breaks. The maximum amount of force the machine used on the cylinder is important, it tests the maximum strength of the concrete.
The compressive strength of the concrete, f’c (f¡¯c=P/A) where P is the load at which the cylinder failed A is the cross-sectional area of the cylinder, in this case, pi*r^2, where r is the radius of the cylinder. Cylinder concrete test is to be done in a closed room, no one will be around the concrete testing during the compressing process, because it’s very dangerous when the spoil concrete pieces will be flying everywhere.
2) Slump Test Concrete Slump Test is another method of concrete testing, which is a easiest way of testing the concrete. Slump testing is a means of measuring the consistency of concrete using “slump cone”. The cone is made of galvanised metal with an 8-inch-diameter base, a 4-inch-diameter top and a 12-inch-height. The base and the top are open and parallel to each other and at right angles to the axis of the cone. This is the most economic way for concrete testing which don’t require any machine.
Concrete curb can be done in several ways, some contractors build it by hand, while some contractors build it by using concrete curbing machine, it’s depending on the situation and requirement by client. It goes same to building concrete landscape edging, it can be done in several methods. Basically the procedure and method are almost the same with building concrete landscape curbing. In this tutorial will show you how to building concrete landscape edging by using concrete curbing machine which is Miller MC250 & MC350.
How To Build Concrete Landscape Edging By Using Miller MC250 & MC350
1) Mixing concrete by using concrete mixer or concrete batch. If by hand, wheelbarrow need to be used. Materials for concrete mixing such as cement, sand and water.
2) Once the concrete been mixed properly, put it in wheelbarrow. Move it to the place that the landscape curbing need to be done.
3) Start the concrete curbing machine (Miller MC250 & MC350).
4) Put in the ready mixed concrete into the concrete curbing machine.
5) A worker is pulling the concrete curbing machine, and the concrete landscape edging is built in shape. Another worker keep filling concrete into the concrete curbing machine.
6) Once the concrete landscape edging is done in shape, pull out the concrete curbing machine from the edging.
7) After that, a worker is smoothing the concrete landscape edging with a tool. Finishing the surface of concrete landscape edging and make it stable. Repeat this step for the whole concrete landscape edging.
8 ) Done!
Building concrete landscape edging by using concrete curbing machine is actually easy, it has lot of advantage such as time saving because these can be done in short period, minimum workers needed, low cost because of less time and worker, works done in clean and tidy condition, and etc. Most of the contractor like to use this method to build concrete landscape edging because it’s simple and low cost.
Cutting concrete can be done in various ways, one of the simplest way is cutting off concrete with concrete saws and saw blades. It produces a perfect cut and you can cut in shapes you want easily. The only disadvantage for concrete saw and saw blades is it’s too dusty, so you have to prepare face dust masks or glass spectacle so that it can protects your eye and mouth from the dust.
Sometimes concrete curb has to be cut, but in this article that will be only cutting off concrete slab. Some precast concrete curb is constructed in lengthy way, after the precast concrete curb is properly cast, concrete cutting machine has to be used to cut them in certain length and ready for delivery.
How To Cut Off Concrete With Concrete Saws and Saw Blades
1) First, you may need to have a concrete saws and saw blades. You have to learn how to use it.
2) Find a concrete slab that is meant to be cut.
3) Use a plywood as the guideline.
4) Turn on the engine of concrete saws and saw blades.
5) Wearing face dust masks or glass spectacle to protect your eyes from the dust.
6) Draw a line by cutting the concrete slab in shallow and use the plywood as guideline.
7) Following the shallow line, cut the concrete slab in the depth you want.
8 ) After done one side and you can cut another side.
9) Do some cleanup work.
10) Done!
It’s the easiest way to cut off the concrete with concrete saws and saw blades, but it’s good to have safety equipments to protect workers when cutting the concrete with the machine. In construction, contractor always says “Safety First” before the work can be done!
Concrete paving block is a type of floor and commonly used on roadside, walkway and etc. There is few types of paving block such as interlocking paver, landscape paver and etc. All of them have its’ own features and installation procedure.
Normally people uses concrete paving block to decorate their house’s external floor because concrete paving block has many colours and unique pattern. Paving block manufacturer mixes it with a few different of colour to make the pavers the look of natural stone, like granite or slate. Contractors use it on walkway as well.
How To Install Concrete Paving Block
1) Basecourse
Taking the existing sub-grade or soil conditions and the anticipated traffic loading into consideration, an adequate thickness of well compacted base course must be provided to ensure good pavement performance. Existing bitumen or concrete surfaces need not be removed and can act as good sub-grade.
2) Edge Restraint
Adequate edge restraints should be provided at this stage along the perimeter of paving area to prevent lateral movement of blocks. They may be in the form of concrete curbs or vertical edges of exiting structures.
3) Sand Bedding Layer
A layer of sand should be spread loose and screeded to a uniform thickness such that its compacted thickness would be approximately 30mm. It is important that the sand layer remains undisturbed prior to the laying of blocks.
4) Laying The Concrete Paving Blocks
Concrete paving blocks are placed side by side on the sand bed with gaps of approximately 2mm between adjoining blocks.
5) Cutting The Concrete Paving Blocks
Paving blocks an be cut to fit edges and awkward corners.
6) First Pavement Compaction
Block pavement is compacted with a hand-guided plate vibrator until it is firmly embedded in the sand layer.
7) Sand Filling
After first compaction, fine sand is brushed in to fill gaps in between paving blocks.
Second Pavement Compaction
Hand-guided plate vibrator is applied once again to ensure that sand filling in the gaps are fully compacted to stablize the block pavement. Steps 7 and 8 may need to be repeated until gaps are completely filled with fine sand. Once the remaining surface sand is removed, the block pavement is ready for use.
Second Pavement Compaction