How Are Road Kerbs Laid? A Guide to Safe and Efficient Kerb Laying
Kerb laying is a fundamental part of highway construction. However, accurate road kerb installation involves far more than placing precast units in a line. Kerbs help establish carriageway layouts, support pavement edges and manage surface water. They also create a clear boundary between vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists.
Watching the Team Lay Kerbs by Hand at Heath Farm, Norwich
In one of our most-watched videos, the Danaher & Walsh team lays kerbs by hand at Heath Farm in Norwich. An assisting machine lifts and lowers each unit, while the team completes the installation by hand. The lifting aid carries much of the weight, while experienced operatives guide, position and align the kerbs.
How a Lifting Aid Supports Kerb Laying
The video demonstrates how a lifting aid can support operatives during kerb laying. The machine assists with lifting and lowering the heavy kerb units. The team still lays each kerb by hand and controls its final position. This can range from a simple manual kerb lifter through to a more advanced suction lift unit. Either way, the machine only takes out the manual handling. The real skill sits with the operative laying the kerb and their accuracy against the engineered line and level.
Correct setting out, ground preparation, bedding, alignment and quality checks remain essential throughout the operation.
Lifting and Positioning the Kerbs
Kerb units can be heavy, and repeatedly handling them creates a significant risk to operatives. A suitable lifting aid can carry the weight of each unit and help lower it towards the prepared concrete bed.
Operatives then guide the kerb into position by hand. They control its final placement and check it against the required line, level, upstand and joint spacing. This approach reduces the amount of heavy lifting required without removing the skill and judgement of the kerb-laying team.
Why Use an Assisting Machine When Laying Kerbs?
The machine in our video does not lay the kerbs independently. Instead, it assists the operatives by lifting and supporting the units while they complete the installation by hand. That machine can be a simple manual kerb lifter or a more advanced suction lift unit. Either way, its job is the same: it removes the manual handling. The operative still lays the kerb and is responsible for its accuracy against the engineered line and level.
Key Benefits of Using a Lifting Aid
- Reduced manual handling – Using a suitable lifting aid reduces the amount of heavy manual handling required. The HSE provides specific guidance on the safe handling of kerbs and paving. This includes the use of lifting equipment wherever practicable.
- Greater control – Operatives can guide the supported kerb into position and make the adjustments needed to achieve the correct line and level.
- Improved productivity – The machine helps move and lower kerbs efficiently, allowing the team to maintain progress along longer kerb runs.
- Consistent installation – The machine supports the weight. This lets operatives concentrate on alignment, joint spacing, upstand and the overall quality of the finished kerb line. The equipment must still suit the site conditions, kerb type and available working space. Sites also require trained operatives, suitable lifting arrangements and safe working controls.
Kerb Laying as Part of Wider Highway Schemes
Experienced highway and kerbing contractors Danaher & Walsh deliver kerbing as part of coordinated highway and Section 278 works. This also includes infrastructure and public realm works.
Our teams work across the Midlands and East of England. Packages can include drainage, ducting, kerbing, footways, crossings, surfacing, road markings and traffic management. If you are planning a highway improvement, development access or public realm scheme, contact our team. We can discuss your project requirements.
FAQ’s:
Are road kerbs laid by hand?
Yes. In the method shown in our video, the operatives lay and position the kerbs by hand. An assisting machine, whether a manual kerb lifter or a suction lift unit, lifts and supports each unit, reducing heavy manual handling while allowing the team to control its final alignment and level.
Are road kerbs laid on concrete?
Precast road kerbs are commonly laid on a specified concrete bed and supported by concrete haunching. However, the exact detail depends on the kerb type, loading, ground conditions and project specification.
What is kerb haunching?
Kerb haunching is the concrete support placed behind an installed kerb. It provides lateral restraint and helps prevent the kerb from being pushed out of alignment.
