C.E.L. Paving Products is a Cape Town based concrete paving manufacturer. A huge focus of what we do is the manufacture of premium quality exposed aggregate paving bricks, blocks, cobbles and other products.
Our primary objective is to make paving of the highest quality and our drive has certainly paid off as we were the recipients of the regional, national, and premier trophy awards at the 2010 Concrete Manufacturers Association Awards for Excellence competition.
Our method of constructing our paving products (outlined below) forms a large part of ensuring a quality end-product to our customers.
Concrete Pavers’ Compressive Strength in Relation to Durability
In the Western Cape, the majority of concrete pavers have been manufactured using a “single concrete” method. What this simply means, is that the paving block is made up of one type of mix design.
An alternative method of manufacture, in use worldwide, is a paving block manufactured with a topping or face mix.
This paving block has a structurally sound concrete “base mix” with a topping mix comprising of a high cement content, carefully selected high quality aggregates, and pigment (if a coloured paving block is required).
The advantage of this method of manufacture, is that the base mix can be designed for what it is intended for: to be a structurally sound base having adequate mechanical strength.
The aesthetics do not matter since the base will never be seen. The face mix is consistent in texture and colour, which is also designed to have a high durability or abrasion resistance factor.
The end result will be a functionally and aesthetically superior paving block.
To summarise, a 25mpa paving block having an adequate abrasion resistance factor, can be used in most heavy duty applications.
Where exceptionally high point loads are expected (container depots, warehouses to store heavy steel sections etc) a specifier may wish to install a 35 mpa paving block.
Insisting on a higher strength block will only add to the cost of the job without increasing performance.
From an Environmental Perspective:
In the production of aesthetic concrete pavers, pigments and premium aggregates are very often used.
Most of C.E.L.’s premium aggregates come from further away than standard aggregate sources. For many of C.E.L.’s range of special products, we utilize aggregates from Vredendal, Worcester, Saldanha and soon, from as far as Namibia.
Chinese manufacturers supply most pigments, used for colouring concrete in South Africa. Colouring a paver’s base also serves no purpose.
Simply from an energy perspective, it makes very little sense to waste valuable resources for the structure, which will never be seen.
A cross section of a C E L concrete paver clearly showing the topping layer.
