Glimpse of Paver Block Industry
Our glorious and colourful childhood, when our rivers and ponds were full and flowing even in the peak of summers, bring nostalgia to the mind. Today, the rivers are dying and what we can see are only small rivulets in barren sand dunes. When dried up rivers, ponds and other water-bodies resemble land-tracts in the sweltering sun, the era when water was plentiful, lingers like a dream.
The sight of children playing frolic in ponds in their summer holidays, and the flora and fauna in the farms and fields rejuvenating themselves with the ground water, were sights to behold. Today, these are only dreams for people who are thirsty for even safe drinking water?
Our country, where nature has bestowed its bounty with two monsoons and numerous of rivers, is facing recurring drought and water scarcity? This is despite having floods during the monsoons. Ii is not only the erratic monsoon or the vagaries of God or nature alone to be blamed for this transformation.
.“As you sow, so shall you reap” seems exceedingly pertinent in this context. We hate waterlogging and dirt in our courtyards, streets and roads, and these are not. We have made the roads “clean” and “beautiful” by concreting and laying paver tiles and paver blocks on the courtyards and parking lots. Our roads were flanked by large trees giving protection from heat. Under the garbs of development, urbanisation and beautification, we have successfully cut the trees and made concrete footpaths and roads. We have also ensured the reduced life of these natural umbrellas by preventing the rainwater from reaching the groundwater reservoir, thus reducing its replenishment. This has led to unwarranted flooding on one side, and water scarcity on the other.
The thought as to how we can create avenues for ground water replenishment without compromising on the development and aesthetics of our courtyards, germinates from these harsh and stark realties.
It is not just Charity that begins at home. Let water conservation, and footsteps for a water-rich future begin from our own homes, streets and neighbourhood.
It is only natural that we yearn for a beautiful home with a pretty frontyard to match it. However, let us do it by keeping the nature in mind and without preventing the passage of rain water into the soil.
The various types of interlocking paving tiles and paver blocks available today are environment-friendly and help in a major way in achieving this objective. Instead of fixing on an impermeable concrete layer, these tiles are laid on a layer of sand. The gaps between these interlocking tiles ensure that the rainwater seeps into the soil. This feature makes interlocking tiling an ideal practice in consonance with nature and environment.
Depending on different regions across the country, the manufacture of interlocking tiles and paver blocks are done in different methods. The process undergoes different stages to ensure quality and correctness. One manufacturing process is given below:
Usually, two mixing units and two vibrating tables are used in the process. In addition to the raw materials such as white cement, grey cement, pigments, sand (quarry dust), small aggregates & water, D254 Paver Admix from reputed construction chemical manufacturer DURABUILD are also used in the manufacturing process.
The manufacturing is done in two stages: the base layer and the top layer.
White cement, sand, aggregates, pigments and D254 Paver Admix are mixed in a mixer machine in a specific proportion. This mix is poured as a thin layer in moulds of varying designs. These moulds are then passed over a table towards another mixer. Here, grey cement, aggregates, sand and D254 Paver Admix are mixed in a specified proportion. This is used as the base layer which is normally a thicker layer. The remaining portion of the moulds is filled with the base layer. The fully filled moulds are let to pass over a second vibrating table for a specific distance. The moulds are then taken out and stacked. After a few hours, the blocks/tiles are de-moulded from the moulds. Pigments are coated on the cured blocks to achieve glossy finish.
This is the normal practice. Depending on the local availability and variations in the raw materials such as aggregates, sand and quarry dust, etc., the admixture used may also be altered accordingly.
Now let us see how these tiles are laid. First, the surface is levelled. Then a thick layer of sand is prepared and the tiles are laid. These are fixed using a vibrator machine.
Rain and rivers are nature’s gifts to mankind. When we ensure that the rainwater which we receive in our courtyard is returned to the earth, we will be securing our water security for the future.