Pavingexpert.com WWW
	Tactile Paving

Introduction   Types   Examples  - Blister    - Surface Mounted  - Offset Blister  - Hazard  - Directional  - Cycleway  - Lozenge   Further Info

Concrete Flags   Conc. Block Paving   Clay Brick Paving   Special Use Paving     Surface Mounted Tactiles   - a product study

 

Introduction 'Tactile' is the term given to the range of paving units that bear a distinctive, raised surface profile that can be detected by both sighted and visually impaired pedestrians . The most common example to be seen on the streets of Britain and Ireland are the Tactile pavings used at Pedestrian crossings.
Types As the implementation of tactile paving has progressed, new forms have been made available. When they were first introduced, back in the 1980s, the only readily available form was the 450x450mm pre-cast concrete flag, but they are now available as clays pavers and natural stone, as well as in bespoke formats, such as the units with steel or brass 'blisters'. Further, many of the 'concrete flag' forms, are now manufactured as 400x400mm units (F50s and F65s) rather than 450mm (E50 and E65) units. The units are generally laid in the same manner as standard pre-cast concrete flags or block pavers, although many are now being laid on a full concrete bed to ensure accidental trafficking by cars, vans and lorries doesn't result in expensive breakages. The key element with tactile paving is that different surface profiles are intended to denote different hazards, and these are outlined below.
	There are two types of Blister paving: the most common type features 6mm high 'blisters' in a square pattern and these are used to indicate pedestrian crossings with dropped kerbs. Normally, the red-coloured units are used with light-controlled crossings, and buff for those crossings with no traffic lights. However, when natural stone units are used, this colour-coding is disregarded.
The Offset Blister units are used to indicate the edge of the platform at Rail and Tram stations, also referred to as off-street applications. Note that the orientation of the offset blister units is critical - the rows of blisters MUST be parallel to the platform edge, and they are generally placed approximately 500mm back from the edge.

Hazard Warning units use continuous half-rods, raised 6mm higher than the surface of the paving, to denote a hazard, such as the top/bottom of a flight of steps. Again, the rods should be parallel to the edge of the hazard. Cycleway paving uses continuous flat bars to indicate a cycle lane. The bars run parallel to the direction of travel so as not to impede cycles. Where a cycleway and a footpath are adjacent, these pavings may also be used for the pedestrian section, with the bars running transversely, and a demarcation strip between the two.

Directional or Guidance paving is used to indicate the safest direction of travel for the visually impaired. The raised flat bars have rounded ends. Lozenge paving is used as a platform edge warning for on-street applications. As towns and cities rediscover the advantages of trams and Light Rail Transport (LRT), this type of paving will become more common.

 

Examples Tactile paving can be found in more and more places on the streets of Britain and Ireland, in a seemingly bewildering array of layouts. We're not sure all the applications we've seen are strictly in accordance with the official guidance, but what follows is a general guide to possible uses, and is factually correct, to the best of our knowledge. Blister Paving For controlled crossings, the blister paving should span the full width of the crossing, from the the dropper kerb on the right-hand side, to the dropper on the left-hand side (or as near as dammit without needing to cut the units). This strip of blister paving is normally 800-1000mm wide.

Where the footpath is wider than the 800-1000mm wide blister strip parallel to the roadway, two or three courses of the paving are extended to the back edge of the footpath so that the location of the crossing can be detected by all users.

---

....in concrete
Red Blister paving (Marshalls) on a light-controlled crossing	Yellow Blister paving on a non-controlled crossing
Blister paving in 'Natural' grey on a non-controlled crossing	For the concrete flag versions of the blister paving, the red, buff and 'Natural' grey are the three usual colours. The guidance that recommends red units for light-controlled crossings and buff or grey for other crossing can sometimes be over-ruled when there would be an aesthetic clash of materials or colours.

---

....in stone
Blister paving in York Stone. Note the scoring marks left when the stone is tooled to shape.	Granite Blister paving - best used in conjunction with other granite pavings.

The 'Blisters' can be retro-fitted, as in this example spotted in Buckingham. The flags are laid as per usual, and then the blisters are epoxy-fixed into the paving on completion. Fitting the blisters after installation of the paving allows a wider variety of paving to be used, as the blisters can be fitted to almost any paving.

---

....in clay
Buff blister pavers	Blue-black for a conservation area	The essential red
Laid to a radius	The clay blister pavers offer great versatility. The most popular size measures 200x133x65mm with 6 blisters, although at least one manufacturer produces an 8-blister 200x100mm unit. There is a good range of complimentary units, such as half-blocks and they can all be laid in a range of patterns. Where there are abrupt or significant changes in surface levels, they offer all the flexibility of block pavers in being able to roll and fold, whereas the large concrete and stone units often need to be mitre cut, which isn't the prettiest of treatments. They can also be laid to radial patterns, as shown opposite, although there remains a question concerning the alignment of the blisters in such a layout.

 

---

....there's even 'falsies'!
These 'stick-on' tiles have been used in some of our towns and cities where retro-fitting of concrete, clay or stone tactile units to a crossing point is deemed impractical for whatever reason. Originally, they were often used as 'temporary' tactiles, on crossings where the local Highways Department hoped to effect a more permanent tactile pavement at some point in the future, but their performance has surpassed expectations and they are now commonly fitted as permanent fixtures.
The correct name for these units is "Surface Mounted Tactile Paving", reflecting the fact that they are fixed (or "mounted") over an existing surface. They are epoxy glued into place over the top of the existing paving, making installation simple, quick and cost effective, as it eliminates excavation and the footpath can be re-opened in as little as two hours.

Read a Pavingexpert.com product study for Apollo Tactiles, following the installation of a surface mounted tactile crossing to a public footpath in Wigan, Lancashire.

 

---

Offset Blister Although there are clay paver units available for this type of tactile paving, they are rarely used, as the regular, standardised layout of rail station platforms makes the use of the 400x400mm or 450x450mm pre-cast concrete units much simpler. The flags are normally laid 500mm or so back from the platform edge, and, as mentioned above, the rows of blisters should be parallel to the rail track.

 

---

Hazard Warning This type of tactile paving is also known as Corduroy paving, and features a rounded or rod-like surface protrusion which distinguishes it from the flat, bar-like protrusions of the directional guidance paving. It is intended to be used as a hazard warning, most notably for flights of steps. They are readily available in pre-cast concrete, in a range of colours as clay pavers, and in natural stone by special order.
At top of steps Brown clay paver	In Yorkstone Special Order Units	Buff paver laid to a curve	Note different profile of tactile units

 

---

Cycleway Paving Flat bars run longitudinally with direction of travel. These units tend to be used in those projects where there is no kerb or other stromng demarcation between a footpath and the cycleway. In many towns and cities where cycle lanes are delineated by means of a kerb or similar, the bicycle-only lanes are now being identified by using a red or green surface dressing or bitmac to give a strong visual indicator.

Note that the tactile paving is aligned longitudinally for the cycleway section (right-hand side) and transversely for the pedestrian section (left-hand side).

 

---

Directional or Guidance Paving
This tactile paving is intended to act as a guide across large paved spaces, with the bars lying parallel to the direction of travel. Where a turn is encountered, the alignment of the paving should reflect the change of direction. Pre-cast concrete and clay units are available from various manufacturers.	Blue Clay Paver used as a directional unit	PCC Directional/Guidance units

 

---

Lozenge Paving Used for rail, tram and, increasingly, bus stops in non-station applications, ie, on the open street. With the on-going redevelopment of bus stops to make them more disabled-friendly, this type of paving is becoming more common.

Lozenge paving used at a bus stop

 

Further sources of information on Tactile paving: TRL - Tactile markings for the guidance of visually handicapped pedestrians. Institute of Highways & Transportation - Guidelines for reducing mobility handicaps towards a barrier-free environment Disability Unit - Circular 1/91 on the use of dropped kerbs and tactile surfaces. Building Regs 1991 - Document M - Access and facilities for disabled people. DETR - Guidance on the use of Tactile Paving Surfcaes BS 7263: Part 1 BS 7533: Part 4