Paving Job at Arthur Circus

Over two days I helped pave a council path at Arthur Circus in Battery Point. This was paid casual work for Botanic Resources.

The existing sandstone pavers were deemed a safety issue for pedestrians given that they were old, cracked, uneven and slippery when wet. These existing pavers were broken up into smaller pieces with a jackhammer and were collected as landfill for another of Botanic Resource's clients. Some of the larger pieces were set aside for other landscaping jobs.

Once all the rubble was collected, the path was excavated to a depth to accomodate the layers needed under the paving (FCR and coarse sand) and to allow the pavers to be slightly above ground level at all points to prevent water pooling on them. Drainage needs to be adequate and usually it is recommended to have a slope or fall away from structures of about 1cm per metre. Stakes with string lines can be useful to ensure there is the correct fall.

The base is laid with FCR and then compacted with a plate compactor.

Prior to operating, it is important to check fuel tank is full, engine oil is at correct level, that there are no loose nuts, bolts or screws, ensure that there are no foreign objects buried shallow in the FCR. Whilst operating this piece of machinery it is important to use protective eye wear and ear muffs, steel cap boots, gloves and full sleeve shirt and long pants. Use two hands to operate compactor and ensure hands, feet and loose clothing are kept clear from moving parts of compactor. Ensure the work area is clear of any obstacles.

It is essential that the base is well-compacted and so the process is repeated until the correct depth is achieved (take measurements from string lines to base). Laying the FCR base outside the boundaries of the project will make it more stable.

Next, a layer of sand is put down. The sand is the glue that holds the pavers in place. The sand is screed smooth to a uniform depth.

Conduit laid down can help to work to desired level and help to screed sand in small sections.

The pipes can be removed, filled in with sand and leveled with a hand held tamper.

The pavers are ready to lay. These pavers were quite heavy and it was important to lift them by bending knees and not taking any strain into back. Each new paver was held at an angle against the edge of a laid paver and gently allowed to slide into place.

Pavers are cut to fit the edges.

The plate compactor may be used again to tamp the paver into the sand. More coarse sand or slightly finer sand can be swept into the joints to lock the pavers. For added durability and lower maintenance, a sealing product can be used, which will keep the sand between the joints in place and help prevent weed growth. A concrete toe is used to hold the two edges of the path together as a restraint.

During the excavation process, one of the lines of the subsurface irrigation system was punctured. A hole was dug to expose the damaged polyethylene (poly) pipe. Items needed for a basic repair are new fittings and/or heads, clamps, a pipe cutter (in this case a hand saw), pliers. Insert fittings tend to make a better connection and in some cases they are the only option for the site because of all the different sizes of poly pipe and configurations that they are available in.

Clear space around all sides of the damaged poly pipe and ensure no rocks or dirt enter the lines. The new fitting is held up to the damaged pipe to measure how much pipe needs to be removed. When bending the pipe to attach the fittings, be careful not to kink the pipe by bending it too much which will significantly reduce its integrity.