Clinker pavers, or paving bricks - environmentally friendly, aesthetic, durable material for arranging pedestrian sidewalks, paving the carriageway. The first production was opened in the 17th century in Holland, where during the firing of ceramics, the properties of some types of clay were discovered, which after processing became very strong. By our time, the quality of pavers has improved, several types have appeared for different areas of coatings.
The main stages of production
The raw materials for the production of clinker pavers are refractory types of clay, usually several varieties. The extracted raw materials in the production are mixed in proportions according to the recipe, the main requirement is the melting point. For the production of several grades of clay are mixed, undergo preparatory stages, which include moisturizing, extrusion, drying and firing. At the final stage, the clay should melt and “sinter”, but at the same time, the formation of glass-like material should not be allowed. The temperature in the furnace for the production of clinker cladding is 1350-1580 degrees Celsius.
Clinker pavers have a palette of natural colors. In the production of clinker types of finishing materials, dyes are not used. Color is achieved using a combination of clay, temperature, or the length of time in the furnace during firing. It is for this reason that it is rarely possible to find a batch of pavers consisting of an absolutely identical color of bricks. The color scheme will vary by a tone or two tones in the total mass of the party.
Appointment
Clinker pavers have several types, each of them is used in its own environment of operation.
- Paving clinker pavers. The thickness of the tile is about 4.2 cm. It is used for laying sidewalk pedestrian zones, paths of personal plots, as a blind area around buildings for private or administrative purposes.
- Paving roads. The thickness of the tiles for load-bearing coatings is from 4.2 cm to 5.2 cm. This type of pavers can be used for roads laid inside the quarters of residential buildings, in parking lots and parking lots.
- Clinker brick. Following from the name, it is used for arrangement of lawns. The structure has holes through which the grass grows. Most often used for grass parkings.
- Clinker brick with through holes or aqua transit clinker. Convenient type of paving stones for sidewalks with the ability to quickly drain water from the pedestrian zone.
- Clinker pavers are tactile. This type of paving stone is distinguished by its textured surface and is laid on the edge of the sidewalk to indicate the end of the pedestrian zone, and is convenient for people with low vision.
Types of pavers
Clinker paving stones have several sizes, with a certain thickness and purpose of use.
Clinker pavers size chart
| Name | Clinker pavers sizes, cm | Thickness cm |
| Rectangular | 20x10x4 20x10x4.5 20105,2 20x11.5x5.2 | 1.8 - 7.1 |
| Square | 10x10 15x15 20x20 24x24 30x30 | 1.8 - 7.1 |
| Mosaic | 0.6x0.6cm | 0.5 - 0.6 |
| Crossbar (popular view) | 21.2x0.7x5.2 29.2x0.7x5.2 29.2x7.1x7.1 | 4,5-5,2 |
| Shaped | Round, diamond-shaped or other complex shape. It does not have generally accepted standards. |
Clinker tile advantages
Clinker pavers have practically no drawbacks. Environmentally friendly material does not contaminate the environment, even if the paving stones are damaged and remain without dismantling in place, it will not harm nature and humans.
The high strength of high-quality paving stones can withstand operational loads of up to 2000 kilograms per square centimeter. The low rate of water absorption allows this type of pavement to have a high level of frost resistance. Water practically does not penetrate into the pores of the material, which is very convenient for latitudes with different temperature conditions, because the service life is significantly extended. Paving stones are also resistant to the absorption of oils, acids and other aggressive reagents.
Material flaws
The main disadvantage is the cost. It is due to the process, raw materials and delivery. Clinker paving stones are heterogeneous in color. Each batch will contain samples of different colors close to the main one, but sometimes this is also an advantage if you are a supporter of eco-design.
Laying clinker pavers
Paving clinker tiles involves the installation of several preparatory technological layers. The lowest layer is a lined compacted natural soil, the next layer consists of sand or screenings, on which clinker pavers are laid. The distance between the individual bricks / tiles is covered with stone chips and fixed with bitumen with thermoplastic mixtures. Clinker tiles are laid in a simple form or according to a design drawing, which gives the space an individuality and style.
Availability
The main producers of clinker pavers, tiles and bricks are German industry leaders. In Russia, the production of clinker pavers began development relatively recently. Domestic analogues are not inferior in quality to European ones, but so far they have a limited range.
Clinker paving of Russian production compares favorably with the cost, since the production facilities are located in the Russian Federation, logistics costs are insignificant in comparison with delivery from the EU, and the quality meets international standards. Clinker tiles of Russian manufacturers can be purchased anywhere in the country thanks to the established distribution. Today, two major players are represented on the Russian market, which means that the clinker production market is practically free.