When you have an opening spanned by an arch or lintel of any sort you need to ensure that there is a safe and appropriate distribution of the weight borne by the blockwork at either side of the opening. For this we recommend Padstones from KPC – UK.
Precast Concrete Padstones
The earliest Precast Concrete Padstones were simply flat stones used to support the timber posts of a wooden framed structure. Beyond archaeological circles Padstones are far from being the best known component in building construction, but they do have a specific and very significant role to play. Under normal circumstances the load transferred to the blockwork on either side of an opening spanned by a lintel or arch could be enough to cause damage to the blockwork. Obviously, this kind of damage is not only undesirable but is also dangerous and would lead to and unstable structure.
Precast Concrete Padstones from KPC are made from precast concrete to a density that is several times that of standard concrete blocks.
This allows the Padstone to bear the weight transferred through whatever is placed above it and distribute it over a greater area.
This ability to bear and distribute a concentrated weight means that Padstones are also ideal for supporting RSJs. Depending on the weight carried by the RSJ, a normal concrete block could suffer a crushing transfer of weight but the superior density of the precast concrete Padstone will carry the load.
Contact our team at KPC to see how our Padstones can provide safe and appropriate distribution of load to suit your project specifications. Click here for our Padstones page.
Contact us by phone or email and see how we can meet your needs for construction materials. We think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. See our Contact Us page for contact information.
