The technology of pouring monolithic concrete curbs directly into the paths

Earlier I wrote that tracks and platforms covered with vibropressed paving stones are inexpensive, durable and easy to install tracks. But there is a "fly in the ointment" in this method - this is the installation of the curb. Without them, the paving stones will creep away with the formation of cracks. Curbs are needed. The installation of concrete curbs is the use of wet concreting works.

IN this article offered the option of replacing concrete curbs - fixing the paving stones with plastic ones.

I propose this time to discuss another way - pouring monolithic curbs right in the paths using special equipment and handicraft techniques.

There is a small-sized equipment (no larger than a walk-behind tractor), which, by vibrating concrete, allows you to obtain a monolithic curb for paths with smooth bending lines.

This method is especially suitable for creating flower beds. And for those companies that do landscaping, printed concrete.

A set of equipment for such work. Following the link to the photo, you can read the description, characteristics and the principle of obtaining a border.

The process is shown in this short video:

The mobile unit is called the Curb Machine. The curb is made by pressing a semi-dry or very thick concrete mixture. After extrusion of the border from this "extruder" - it is smoothed with trowels and applied with a roller or printed with another tool. In order to prevent the border from cracking during heat shrinkage and frost heaving of the soil, seams are made for each meter of length, coinciding with the pattern.

Idea for those who rent tools. Buy and rent to self-builders and do the work yourself. With the help of such equipment, you can get an exclusive view of the tracks.

In the meantime, this equipment for rent can not be found in every city - monolithic "flexible" curbs can be filled with your own hands:

To do this, you need 5 mm plywood, better laminated (it is waterproof). From it we make the formwork along the marked contour and lay out a thick concrete mixture (the proportions of cement-sand are 1 to 3 and you can add a coloring pigment for concrete). Then we ram and smooth it with a curly trowel made of a strip of tin with a screwed handle.

We scratch the drawing after the concrete starts hardening or we make it with a textured roller immediately after smoothing. A textured roller can be made from a regular pile roller coated with silicone.

But this technology is not much cheaper than purchased concrete curbs. And it makes sense to use it only if you make exactly "flexible" curbs with smooth turns of paths or a border for flower beds.

***

Photos are taken from open sources, from Yandex. Pictures

Subscribe to the channel, add it to the browser bookmarks (Ctrl + D). There is a lot of interesting information ahead.