Road paving slab with controlled fracture zone - has regular slots in slab surfaces offset to form dovetailed crack roots to prevent disintegration of structure

摘要

The paving slab, esp. of the concrete type, is for laying on roads and other traffic-bearing surfaces. It incorporates a predetermined fracture point zone, or more than one, to prevent uncontrolled fissure formation or the need to employ excessive slab thicknesses. While easily manufactured, it is designed to promote improved combined cohesive action on the part of adjacent units following a fracture. The predetermined fracture zone is divided lengthways into a number of individual fracture area sections, separated by intervening areas. These are inclined partly to one side and partly to the other, in relation to the upper side. The angle may be periodically varied, but with the maximum the same in both directions. The sections may be in dovetail form, as seen in plan, and the zones may form a fishbone pattern. Although readily breaking as required under heavy loading, the slabs are sufficiently fracture-resistant for safe transport and handling.