How to Pave a Circle

Once you have one-half of the circle paved and a butt joint constructed at the base of the cul-de-sac, you simply repeat the process on the opposite side. Return the paver to the top where you began your starter mat, face it in the other direction, and pull another starter mat to the opening of the cul-de-sac.

Just as in the first half you have measured and marked the pavement passes, and once those are placed and compacted you should have one last pull (Figure 3) to make from the top of the cul-de-sac out. Remember, this paving pass should be equal to half the width of the roadway.

It’s best for drainage if this very last path is paved straight out from the center of the circle all the way out of the circle and down the road. This maintains the integrity of the drainage within the cul-de-sac and on the road.

Using this “best practices” approach you end up with only two cold joints on the job – the butt joint, which was unavoidable as you construct the “pie” to fill in, and a joint right down the middle of the job where it would normally be anyway. As you reach the end of the cul-de-sac and continue paving into the road you are essentially beginning what is a standard road paving job. The tough stuff is behind you.

Tom Travers is sales and marketing manager for Carlson Paving Products, Tacoma, WA; www.carlsonpavingproducts.com. He will present “Commercial Paving ‘Tough Jobs’ and How to Solve Them” at National Pavement Expo, Jan. 23-26, 2013 in Nashville. For more information visit www.nationalpavementexpo.com.