3 Insights for Installing Concrete Kerbs in a Commercial Parking Area

Installing kerbs in a commercial car parking facility not only improves the appearance of the area, but it also helps to control traffic into and out of the parking lot. Kerbs are installed on one or several sides of a parking lot to protect landscaped areas, pedestrian walkways, and other non-motorable spaces from encroachment. Notably, commercial property owners must note a few things, such as acquiring the necessary planning permission for laying kerbs on impermeable surfacing. Therefore, property owners need to check with the local authority for appropriate permits before commencing any kerb laying project. This article provides insight when installing concrete kerbs in a commercial parking area.

Drainage -- All impervious surfaces such as parking lots require drainage. Laying kerbs in parking areas can significantly restrict the free flow of storm water. Therefore, commercial property owners must ensure that adequate drainage is provided to prevent flooded parking spaces and resultant effects such as damage to vehicles and other property. If there is a soft landscaping area adjacent to the parking area such as a grassed area or flowerbed, then during kerbing, a longitudinal or cross fall can be installed to channel storm-water runoff into these areas. In some cases, there might not be any soft landscaping near a building, so property owners must think about developing a proper drainage system. One way of ensuring that no future drainage problems arise is to lay kerb products a few inches below a building's damp-proof course level.

Excavation and Compaction -- Laying new commercial kerbing in a parking area requires some amount of digging. Factors to be considered when determining the depth of excavating include kerb height (height from the top of the kerb to the paved surface). During excavation, remember to free the area of organic material such as roots, weeds and grass because they will eventually rot. Rotting of organic material beneath a newly laid kerb can have undesirable effects like the potential settlement of the entire surface at a later date. Most importantly, after you have attained the required height, you have to compact the soil to prevent settlement.

KerbTolerances -- Like all concrete products manufactured by different suppliers, kerbs come in different shapes and slight tolerances regarding size/height. Such height tolerances can affect the visual appeal and aesthetics of a parking space if the kerbs are not laid properly. Therefore, bedding the kerbs onto mortar enables the small variations in size to be tolerated because larger products can be embedded deep into the mortar compared to small kerbs.