Product Profile

1. HIGH QUALITY SURFACING MATERIALS FOR STREETSCAPING
2. IMPORTANCE OF SURFACE MATERIALS IN STREETSCAPING

2.1. Informal Crossing
2.2. Shared Space : Shared Surface
2.3. Zebra Crossing
2.4. Mini Roundabouts / Paving of Circular Pattern
2.5. Psychological Calming
2.6. Cycle Path Surfacing

3. CONCLUSION

3.1. Composition of A' Slab
3.2. Sizes of A' Slab
3.3. Colouring and surface texture of A' Slab

4. Reinforced heavy duty A'slab

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwESCgKwDBQ

5. Athees Cover Block

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHcCFej5W0s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Z9ImlOCv3A

5. A' Slab Gripped

1. HIGH QUALITY SURFACING MATERIALS FOR STREETSCAPING

The aim of streetscaping is enrich the urban streets as most comfortable and safest place for leisure sitting, walking, cycling, travelling and transiting.

Because the streets are varied from one another and are needed to crafting of their own unique way to improve their performance, The designers and the planners are using various strategy of streetscaping features needed according to their concept.

2. IMPORTANCE OF SURFACE MATERIALS IN STREETSCAPING

Though various factors are involved in streetscaping features, it is understood that all the streetscaping features are essentially consisted of surface materials which behave as skin of a body.

Here some ideas of streetscaping feature are analyzed and based on the demands of idea, related to surface materials, the innovative solutions are presented.

2.1. Informal Crossing

Ideas

Colouring and texturing resemblance to walkway
and carriage way shall only be the instruction of
informal crossing which can be greatly minimise
the conflict and enhance the calming effect.

- Can be created by careful selection of surfacing materials to indicate the crossing place which encourage the pedestrian and reduce the vehicle speed.
- Partial colour resemblances can be created in walkways and carriage way surfaces and
- same texture finish can be created in walkways and carriage way surfaces to convey the concept of informal crossing.
- (optional) introduce different surface texture at some particular strip to create a mild rumble effect which lowers the motorist speed remarkably and develop road creep in particular place.

Solutions for Implementation

- Because the idea is mainly focused to create the colour resemblance and texture finishes of carriage way similar to walkways, the same surfacing materials have to be used in both walkways and carriage ways to achieve the colour resemblance and same surface textures.

So the surfacing materials shall have ideal physical strength value for both walkway and carriage way applications. Surface texture shall be free from trip hazards but having sufficient wet skit resistance for pedestrian. If the optional idea is needed to implement, the texture can be able to create a mild rumble effect and road creep for cars.

- Thus it is clearly understood that currently using concrete paving slabs are not at all suitable. And the natural stone slabs cannot be ideally used but only setts can be used because of the dual surfacing application in footways and carriage way. However the setts are not performed as much as the slabs for walkways where the surfacing texture shall be free from trip hazards. Asphalt is not suitable for permanent colouring application. Natural slabs and setts are difficult to sourcing when repairing and matching of existing colours.

- So it is important to develop a new surfacing material which can able to perform with a specialities of natural stone slabs for walkways and setts for carriage ways. However the new surfacing material has to be overcome the drops of natural stones. It can be created by clubbing of the essential properties of specific colours, high quality of surface finish for aimed texture, excellent physical strength value for wear resistance, compressive strength for crack free surface, stain free nature in surfacing, long lasting quality with less maintenance and good appearance, suitable to pave in premier streets. It has to be act as a versatile tool for designers endless innovation for surfacing of streetscaping.

2.2. Shared Space : Shared Surface

Ideas

- Simplify the streets by de cluttering kerph, marking lines and traffic signals to create ambitious space for managing leisure sittings, pedestrian, cyclist and motorist.
- Create courtesy crossings at surface levels,
- Achieving lower the vehicle flow and speed by entry treatments.
- Resulted surfacing can able to create calming effect to users.

Solutions for Implementation

- Because the idea is mainly focused to convey the meaning of pedestrian dominance in shared space, the shared surface has to be innovatively created by handling of colours and textures to convey the principle of movements such as comfortable leisure sitting and free walking, safety from collision of pedestrian, cycles and motorist.

- Colouring of surfacing materials shall be matched with soft landscape

- To create calming effect to users by having stain free surface and smooth high quality texture finish having sufficient wet skit resistance and overcome of trip hazards.

- Because the shared surface is needed surfacing materials of having versatile performance suitable for pedestrian,cyclist and motorist, it is understood that currently using concrete paving slabs are not at all suitable. And the natural stone slabs such as York stone and granite slabs are giving rich look but finding any specific surface texture other than their regular finish is difficult. To create a common meaning with specific colour is not possible. Stain free nature of surfacing is difficult to achieve.

- Because the entry treatments and curtsey crossing at surface levels need to perform as walkways and carriage way application. However the setts are not performed as much as the slabs for walkways where the surfacing texture shall be free from trip hazards and comfortable to disabled persons crossing. Asphalt is not suitable for permanent colouring application. Re surfacing of asphalt create patches. Natural slabs and setts are difficult to sourcing when repairing and matching of existing colours.

- So it is important to develop a new surfacing material which can able to perform with a specialties of natural stone slabs for walkways and setts for carriage ways. However the new surfacing material has to be overcome the drops of natural stones. It can be created by clubbing of the essential properties of specific colours, high quality of surface finish for aimed texture, excellent physical strength value for wear resistance, compressive strength for crack free surface, stain free nature in surfacing, long lasting quality with less maintenance and good appearance, suitable to pave in premier streets. It has to be act as a versatile tool for designers endless innovation for surfacing of streets aping.

2.3. Zebra Crossing

Ideas

Surfacing colour and texture can only be
able to minimize the conflict in sharing of
crossing between pedestrian and cyclist.

- The potential for conflict in sharing of crossings between pedestrian and cyclists should be minimised.
- Periodical maintenance and resurfacing of road markings and crossing area should be minimized.

Solutions for Implementation

- Main focus of idea is creating a consisted road surface with permanent coloring surface and high quality finishing of surface texture. Thus it is able to segregate the pedestrian and cyclists by forcing them unconsciously to use their respective tracks by paving two different colours and surface textures of appropriate for pedestrian and cyclists.

- Because the surface treatments are done in a carriage way, the natural stone slabs cannot be used but only setts can be used. However the setts are not performed as much as the slabs for walkways where the surfacing texture shall be free from trip hazards and comfortable to disabled persons crossing. Also it is not suitable for cyclists crossing. Asphalt is not suitable for permanent colouring application. Periodical re marking of lines is un avoidable. Re surfacing of asphalt create patches. Natural slabs and setts are difficult to sourcing when repairing and matching of existing colours.

- So it is important to develop a new surfacing material which can able to perform with a specialties of natural stone slabs for walkways and setts for carriage ways. However the new surfacing material has to be overcome the drops of natural stones. It can be created by clubbing of the essential properties of specific colours, high quality of surface finish for aimed texture, excellent physical strength value for wear resistance, compressive strength for crack free surface, stain free nature in surfacing, long lasting quality with less maintenance and good appearance, suitable to pave in premier streets. It has to be act as a versatile tool for designers' endless innovation for surfacing of streetscaping.

2.4. Mini Roundabouts / Paving of Circular Pattern

Ideas

- Flexible alternative to priority junction by creating circular pattern in surfacing of carriage way.
- Convey the crossing system in shared surface of carriage way junction having maximum entries.

Solutions for Implementation

- Main focus of idea is describing the method of crossing, so we need to do surface treatments by colouring and texturing of circular pattern which legibly convey the crossing systems. To perform this treatment perfectly, need high class surfacing materials which able to create better colour visibility with high quality surface finishing and having long lasting quality to withstanding in the shared surface of carriage way movement wearing.

- So it is cleared that the natural stone slabs cannot be used but only setts can be used. However the setts are not performed, because the surfacing treatments are done in shared space of carriage way where the frequent movements of buses is permitted. Creating common colour option to convey the principle of concept is not possible, because of the difficulties in sourcing of same colour setts for all areas and various periods. Natural slabs and setts are difficult to sourcing when repairing and matching of existing colours.. Asphalt is not suitable for permanent colouring application

- So it is important to develop a new surfacing material which can able to perform with a specialties of natural stone slabs for walkways and setts for carriage ways. However the new surfacing material has to be overcome the drops of natural stones. It can be created by clubbing of the essential properties of specific colours, high quality of surface finish for aimed texture, excellent physical strength value for wear resistance, compressive strength for crack free surface, stain free nature in surfacing, long lasting quality with less maintenance and good appearance, suitable to pave in premier streets. It has to be act as a versatile tool for designers' endless innovation for surfacing of streetscaping.

2.5. Psychological Calming

Ideas

- Removal of unnecessary road markings
- Use of different materials with colours and textures
- Frequent formal and informal crossings for pedestrian
- Create the ambitious space for high levels of pedestrian activities.

Solutions for Implementation

- The main focus of idea is creating the pleasant calming appearance of surfacing by paving appropriate coloured with high quality texture finished surfacing materials. Different colours and textures of surfacing is created to indicate the various activities and place identifications like formal and informal crossings, space for leisure sittings etc. Different colours and textures of surfacing should be handled very carefully. Congested look of streets and congested feeling of users can be greatly alleviated by paving the right surfacing materials and its harmony effect.

- surfacing materials' colour and texture, paved in walk ways, is needed to pave in formal and informal crossing by which the pedestrian can have the calming effect. Because the same surfacing materials have to be used in both walkways and carriage ways, the surfacing materials shall have ideal physical strength value for both walkway and carriage way applications. Surface texture shall be free from trip hazards but having sufficient wet skit resistance for pedestrian. It is important that the surfacing material must have stain free nature of surface.

2.6. Cycle Path Surfacing

Ideas

Painting and bituminous colouring can not be
performed aesthetically and purposefully.

Cycle path surface should be a smooth riding surface, good drainage properties, long lasting durability in colouring and surfacing texture with zero maintenance cost and consistent. There is a need of various surfacing materials for the various locations of cycle track surfacing - steep hills, water logged grounds, poor sub grade locations and some sensitive area which has to be specially considered.

Defaulted cycle path surface of machine laid/hot rolled bituminous block top surface is not suitable for the contemporary views. So some special colouring bituminous surfaces are applied.

However These are faded over time because the colour coated aggregate and the colour pigment mixed clear binder bituminous concrete is worn out from riding surface in short periods of some years. Also the artificially colored aggregate may cost double the time of standard shading of aggregate.

High quality surface material - A'- slab, High quality
colour pigments of various ratio are mixed
in specially prepare concrete to get the fine
shades of colouring, can only be choice of
glowing the road with purpose.

So we recognize that there is need of best alternative high quality cycle path surface which has to be seen as far superior cycle path surfacing system in the world.

Solution for implementation

- Riding comfort and wet skit resistance

Can be created a well appropriate surface which coincides with cycle tyre treads design. Thus it is resulted smooth riding comfort, adequate road creep and wet skit resistance those make the riding confidently and safely. Unlike the bituminous surface of same texture in entire length, there are vast systems to craft the different alternative surfacing textures what is needed exactly to the environment. So with appropriate surfacing texture it is served as environmentally oriented cycle track with adequate riding comfort.

- Consistent surfacing

Frequent resurfacing due to worn out of surfacing, colour fading surfacing and unequally settled track surface resulted of ponding should be strictly avoided. All the flaws should be strictly overcome by paving of high quality surface materials and appropriate methodology of construction.

- Permanent colouring to convey the concept and to create calming effect

Presently used bituminous based surfacing is mainly depended on colouring of aggregate which artificially coated and got faded for time duration. To get the permanent colouring surface, specifically manufactured colour concrete will be the right choice, unlike the ordinary concrete, specifically prepared which has excellent properties of being coloured surface for long lasting. It is well known that specific quality of cement concrete is having more life span than bituminous materials.

- Surface treatments through various textures to get the cyclists understood the environments

If the cyclists are needed to instruct slow down their speed in particular locations, there are the possibilities that changing the surface texture to slow or gain the speed related to the environments. Creating sharp curve of humps does not actually do the job of slowing cyclists down anyway but to take the curve at speed. Can be created a better tactile paving surface than corduroy tactile paving which is not suitable for cycle wheels. Being the endless possibilities of surface treatments, the instructions can be effectively conveyed, like where to stop,go,slow down and speed up with safety.

- Drain facilities to avoid run flow of storm water and to avoid ponding which create the various problems

Unlike the bituminous surfacing, can be created a little various provisions like concave or any particular shape of treatment without disturbing cyclist to drain the water freely thus ponding will not be developed.

- Encourage the cycling for child and inexperience cyclists.

By creating some interesting colours to define the single track width within the overall width of path surface and conveying the instruction simply by using colours and textures the child and inexperience cyclists can be encouraged safely.

- Continuation of coloured track surfacing in junction crossings.

Discontinuing of track surfacing in controlled junction will create conflict to the cyclists so it is advised to continue the track surfacing to illustrate the possibilities of crossing. To overcome this issue the surfacing material should be capable of withstanding the carriage way application as well as retained its colour and surface texture from high wearing.

- Green method of track surfacing

Track is not constructed by bituminous concrete and hot rolled asphalt materials but it is made up of high quality colour concrete, named A' slab of size of 1000mm x 600mm. Joint free and jerk free.

- By analyzing the above facts it is cleared that a new innovative product which has the capable of permanent colouring, endless creation of surface texturing, possibilities of drain provisions, having illustrational behaviour to convey the message is needed to build the world class cycle track in urban roads.

So it is important to develop a new surfacing material by clubbing of the essential properties of specific colours, high quality of surface finish for aimed texture, excellent physical strength value for wear resistance, compressive strength for crack free surface, stain free nature in surfacing, long lasting quality with less maintenance and good appearance, suitable to pave in parallel to premier streets. It has to be act as a versatile tool for designer's endless innovation for surfacing of world best cycle path track.

3. CONCLUSION

While analyzing the solutions from the above discussed features of streetscaping, it is clearly understood that if we develop the appropriate surfacing materials of having above said versatile quality, the purpose and the concept of surfacing will be successfully achieved.

Thus it will be resulted that the street is as legible as it can be. Ideally, people should be able to tell where motor vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians are supposed to be without the need for conventional signage to explain the environment.

Painting and bituminous colouring can not be performed aesthetically and purposefully.

This can be achieved in subtle ways, through changes of conventional material and conveying signage within such high quality surfacing materials which are made up of high strength colour concrete. It is a newly developed innovative product named as 'A' Slab. It is designed and manufactured for serving as excellent surfacing materials in the world class streets. Its sizes, strengths, surfaces and properties are carefully designed for better outcome than concrete paving slab and natural stone slabs and setts.

3.1. Composition of A' Slab

It is consisting of two layers named as surfacing layer and body layer. However both layers are homogeneous.

Surfacing layer, made of high quality colour concrete, is designed for colouring application, high quality finishing of surface texture; stain free nature by specially prepared polymer skin and high wear resistance which resulted to have the purpose and high class appearance of surfacing.

Body layer is designed for required compressive, tensile and flexural strength, with or without Reinforcing materials of desired specification. Basically both layers are homogenous and prepared by high standards of mix design. By Such high strength concrete, the surfacing materials are having excellent properties to withstand the worst climate in the world.

3.2. Sizes of A' Slab

Considering the factors of onsite dressing and wastage which has to be minimized, sizes are carefully designed as maximum of 1000mm x 600mm and smaller as 900mm x 600mm and viz versa. Bespoke sizes are available based on the needs which is greatly reduce on site wastage and well articulate with paving dimensions.

3.3. Colouring and surface texture of A' Slab

Because the colouring and high quality texturing is playing an essential role in streetscaping features, careful efforts are made in surfacing layer to perform as superior material in the world.

High quality colour pigments of various ratio are mixed in specially prepared concrete to get the fine shades of permanent colouring.

Various hi tech machining systems are employed to create the particular textures in surfacing layer.

Colourless high quality polymer based protective skin is applied in surfacing layer to enhance the various properties of surfacing materials.

Based on the every careful efforts taken to develop such innovative product, it is evidenced that A' slab is a newly developed high quality surfacing material, It is created by clubbing of the essential properties of specific colours, high quality of surface finish for aimed texture, excellent physical strength value for wear resistance, compressive strength for crack free surface, stain free nature in surfacing, long lasting quality with less maintenance and good appearance, suitable to pave in premier streets. It has to be act as a versatile tool for designer's endless innovation for surfacing of streetscaping.

4. Reinforced heavy duty A'slab

Reinforced heavy duty A’Slab is developed for roads and yards of heavy duty applications. A’slab is well appropriate surface material for roads where the subgrade formations are done nominally.

The interlocking concrete paver blocks are normally designed as smaller units. They are casted by plain cement concrete. So various technical guideline papers are recommending the sizes of blocks which mainly recommends the smaller surface area of blocks. Based on the category of using, the thickness of blocks and grade of concrete are recommended.

Because the blocks are laying over sand / stone powder cushion bed instead of fixing over mortar bed, smaller surface area of blocks are recommended and it leads to limit the sizes as smaller.

However due to such smaller sizes, we have to compromise the quality and finishing of surfacing as,

~ the finished surface is resulted as slight undulations and maximum of joints which reduce the riding comfortability of vehicles and equipments. Also it is accepted in technical guidance papers,

~ if any shrinkage or unequal settlement is developed in sub base course, undulations in flooring surface, breakage of paver blocks and loosening of interlocking are resulted,

~ in due course, the flatness of flooring surface is unequally broken based on the smaller pointed undulations in sub grade formation,

To overcome and improve the above flaws, there is in need of bigger surface area products with good self weight. Since the bigger blocks are not laid over in mortar bed but in sand / stone powder cushion bed, the plain cement concrete is not suitable for heavy duty applications and it is needed to introduce reinforcement in bigger blocks.

Thus the bigger surface area of blocks with reinforcement, called A' Slab, reinforced paving slab, are being very suitable for heavy duty flooring applications with maximum advantages than all other types of outdoor floorings.

~ high compressive, flexural and tensile strengths are achieved,

~ bigger size results more self weight,

~ not affected for minor shrinkages developed in sub base,

~ covering of larger surface area results minimise the joints but with adequate joints for water percolation and maximum of flatness in flooring.

~ good riding comfortability for vehicles and equipments

~ result of perfect and consistent flooring.

Please see the video shows the high impact resistance of reinforced A' Slab. Which has been compared with regular A' Slab of made by plain cement concrete.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwESCgKwDBQ

5. Cover Block

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHcCFej5W0s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Z9ImlOCv3A

6.A’ slab- Gripped

~ A’ Slab designed with special surface texture for better road grip.

~ The surface textures are carefully designed for better road grip

as well as good riding comfortability of all vehicle.

~ Very appropriate for elevated hills road with short turning radius.

Available by both reinforced and non reinforced options.