An attractive brick-paved street intersection appears thoughtfully designed to be accessible. The sidewalk is sloped to the street and there is a detectable warning strip. A curb separates the sidewalk from the street. The biggest problem is tripping hazards and inaccessibility created by the curb and the warning strips. […]
Brick pavers are frequently used for crosswalks and pavement accents. Over time and traffic, we have seen pavers shift. The pavers in the photograph have been pushed in the direction of traffic (to the right). The center, herringbone pattern shifted causing the running bond border to become loose. There is […]
Thermoplastic crosswalks have good performance lives even in northern climates. The thick plastic sheet melted into the pavement surface typically has a durable bond. If the bond breaks, which can happen on an older surface; existing pavement markings; uneven compaction; or uneven infrared heating, the plastic can loosen. Flexing caused by vehicle tires […]
This is a “Zen Garden” impressed onto an asphalt pavement. Probably not a good idea to install at a shopping center parking lot and have customers navigating it. But it could add interest to a streetscape design away from the traffic-way. Photograph by Ennis-Flint.
In this post we will focus on StreetPrintXD, a durable faux brick crosswalk for streetscape projects provided by Ennis-Flint (ennisflintamericas.com). The process is simple; melting and pressing a plastic sheet into an asphalt concrete surface. A cross section of an installed pavement is shown below. The installation process begins by grinding off […]
I recently watched a very interesting webinar presentation about bollard crash rating developed by the US Department of State after 9/11. Reliance Foundry (https://www.reliance-foundry.com/bollard#gref) presented the webinar. Bollards are rated for their crash resistance at various speeds and how well they stop a semi-tractor with a trailer after possibly overrunning […]
We have mentioned in earlier posts that placing an interlocking or paver pavement is labor intensive. The preparation is similar to placing a flexible pavement. The subgrade has to be graded and compacted. An aggregate layer placed and compacted. The difference is an added 1-inch sand layer. Typically, pavers are hand-placed. There are two […]
Here is an attractive traffic calming installation using differing natural materials to make a visual barrier; create a rough texture with a slight hump; and increase road noise. This has a nicer appearance than a yellow speed bump or hump. A raised crosswalk is another calming technique. The raised sidewalk […]