Extrudakerb have for over 50 years dominated this established sector so much so that asphalt kerb is often referred to as “extrud a kerb”
Extruded asphalt kerb is the most prolific machine laid drainage system found on the UK’s highway network. Extruded asphalt kerb is detailed within the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges; specifically Highway Construction Details and Specification for Highway Works, Series 1100 and BS5931
Extrudakerb offer a complete design, installation and maintenance service of its extruded asphalt kerb.
Extrudakerb holds a number of UK and World patents for equipment operated by the group. This equipment is not offered for sale or operated by any other contractor.
Kerb extrusion machines have always been designed and manufactured in house.
To compliment the kerb extrusion machines, Extrudakerb has developed a high capacity feeding system mounted to a telehandler. This machine receives asphalt from standard tipper lorries and facilitates a wholly mechanised construction process free from manual handling.
Initial installation costs are extremely competitive with a basic kerb costing around 25% of the cost of a standard precast kerb.
Productivity is unsurpassed in any machine laid drainage system. Typically 350 linear metres of kerb per hour are extruded and, where lengths permit, a single gang can construct over 3,500 metres in a 10 hour working window.
Quality control is largely regulated by automated circuitry within the sophisticated kerb extrusion machine.
Extruded asphalt kerb is also prolifically adopted for use in commercial car parking areas, as a traffic calming measure in town centres and residential areas and to delineate cycle routes from adjacent traffic.
Developed as a speedy, low cost, low maintenance kerbing system for the highway market the benefits of extruded asphalt kerb were quickly realised by road builders in the 1970s.
Extruded asphalt kerb is detailed within the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges; specifically Highway Construction Details and Specification for Highway Works, Series 1100 and BS5931
Extrudakerb asphalt kerb is the prevalent kerb detail along all UK motorways.
The specialist kerb asphalt mix is extruded under high pressure by a rotating auger through a bespoke mould. The kerb is laid directly upon the pavement surface with a combination of heat and pressure achieving a mechanical and thermal bond with the foundation surface.
There are over 100 custom moulds producing kerbs of various profiles, widths and heights. Commonly a 150mm wide 45 degree splay kerb is adopted for highways.
Setting out is simple with a string-line laid upon the highway surface providing machine alignment.
The asphalt kerb tarmacadam is very similar in make ups to a Hot Rolled surface course and as such provides similar resilience to trafficking and design life.
Outfalls are easily accommodated and can be either in line with kerb waterline or offset into the verge.
In the event of a repair being needed pre-cut lengths are available to order from stock. These lengths can be simply fixed to the road surface avoiding the need for a full kerbing gang mobilisation.
Think asphalt kerb, think Extrudakerb!
For over 40 years, Extrudakerb have been the market leader in asphalt kerb installation.
Extruded asphalt kerb is the most widespread type of machine laid drainage system in the UK. For more than 4 decades extruded asphalt kerb has been the most prolific type of kerb along the UK’s motorway and trunk road network. Virtually maintenance-free, it is the kerb system of choice for many of our principal national clients, designers and contractors.
However, the use of asphalt kerb is not limited to the motorway and trunk road network. Asphalt kerb can be utilised for many applications, such as car parks and most recently cycleway delineation.
Cycle Superhighway 7 (CS7), in the London Borough of Merton, is a “blue paint” superhighway on the A3 from Elephant & Castle, down the A24 to Colliers Wood. “Blue paint” superhighways can be found on seriously busy roads where the cycle route is painted blue and given over to cyclists.
Following the outbreak of COVID-19, the subsequent lockdown, and the countries emergence from lockdown, it was essential that the Government and Transport for London (TFL) reviewed transportation around the capital to ensure everyone could stay safe. It was clear that they needed to help people walk and cycle more often, to reduce the demand for public and private transport to essential trips only.
Time was of the essence and whilst upgrades would need to be made, some upgrades may only need to be temporary, until such time as social distancing is a thing of the past. The upgrades include sections of bus lane being removed to provide additional cycling facilities and the introduction of bus stop islands which keep the cycle superhighway clear at all times and provide more space on the existing footways for pedestrians.
TFL were faced with the question, “so how do you create temporary bus stop islands, quickly and cost effectively?” The answer, asphalt kerb.
Asphalt kerb installation costs are extremely competitive with a basic kerb costing significantly less than the cost of a standard precast kerb, the installation time is also unsurpassed. Another benefit is both the installation and removal are far less intrusive to the existing carriageway resulting in significantly lower removal costs when the temporary bus stop island is no longer required.
When Extrudakerb were approached by TFL, we welcomed the opportunity to be involved in a project which would present different challenges to that of our typical day to day asphalt kerb installation.
Each temporary bus stop has a different size, shape, and even some with various changes in direction to suit existing footpath kerb lines and the geometry of the A3 and A24.
The success of the upgrades to CS7 has other London Boroughs taking note and it is anticipated that these type of cycleway upgrades could be implemented in and around London and other major towns and cities very soon.
The benefits of extruded asphalt kerb on the UK’s major road network was soon identified and expanded into commercial car parks. The system has been used at shopping centres, including Sheffields Meadowhall complex, Toyota’s Honda car plant at Derby and Heathrow airport.
The kerb can be directly extruded on top of existing surface course allowing the pavement contractors open access to the site and avoiding the need to work within lines of pre-set concrete kerbs.
Extruded asphalt kerb can be provided to extremely tight radii, as small as 500mm.
Extruded asphalt kerb is resilient to normal vehicle impact.