ICPI Training Course!

Some knowledge we’ve gained from industry experts.

April 11th, 2018

This past Monday and Tuesday (April 9th/10th), Matt and Andy attended the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute’s concrete paver installer course! We saw this as an opportunity to further our knowledge in hardscaping through formal certification. It was surprising how many things about the industry there was beyond our knowledge! For example, learning about the process and quality control methods Expocrete uses in the manufacturing of products we install. This is invaluable knowledge for helping us offer the best service possible as landscape contractors! I’ll go into a little more detail about some aspects of the certification course that will help us better serve you – the client:

The Selection of Pavers and Impact on Application

The course gave us a greater understanding of how the pattern and brick dimensions can impact a concrete paver’s ability to interlock. In vehicular applications, a herringbone or staggered running bond pattern is ideal. However, this is not the only consideration in this application! A paver must be 80 mm to maximize interlock and duribility. While it must also not have a length to width ratio great than 4:1 to maintain load distribution spread through the concrete pavers and into the base and sub base. All of this knowledge is key in communicating product and aesthetic possibilities in any given job!

The Benefits and Applications of Geotextiles

Geotextiles are to be installed in between the sub grade and the aggregate material. There is no direct way to measure how this product can save your aggregate base, other than to say it’ll prevent settling and rutting over time. I’ll do my best to explain. One of the benefits to applying Geotextiles in a pavement job is the time and material saved in the first compaction of the sub grade and first lift of aggregate. During the first compaction without Geotextiles, we typically experienced issues in material loss and clays/silts rising to the surface. With Geotextiles on the surface of the sub base it can prevent material from combining, and wasting hours packing the first lift due to moisture and clay contents that make it difficult to compact. Additionally, when working with raised patios and anything against a settling surface like concrete curbs, and new house foundations, Geogrids and textiles can solve a lot of problems associated with that application. A lot of very valuable knowledge.

Base Material Testing and Best Practice

Selecting base materials has always seemed simple for us in Regina. The industry standard in this city has always been Crusher Dust. Through the course we learned a lot about soil characteristics as well as quantities of gravel, fine gravels, coarse sand, sand, silts, and clays that make for ideal sub terrain and aggregate base. All of this will determine how any given base will perform under a paved surface. The biggest thing this has made us consider is how communication with quarries and suppliers can benefit the industry in Regina, and help push it to a higher standard. We also gained new methods for testing soils upon arrival to the job site. Some of these are simple tests to see whether Geotextiles are beneficial, or even whether it’s beneficial add moisture to soils assisting in compaction.

Conclusion

Altogether this course was very educational. Our instructor had over 30 years of installation experience, and provided very tangible and in-depth examples. There are certain things only experience can teach, especially when it comes to landscaping where every job comes with it’s own challenges. However, being armed with this additional knowledge, we’re excited to begin installing this summer with a new level of efficiency, and a standard that will push the quality of our work to new heights!