Durakerb wins site-team approval on Suffolk highways schemes
Following the successful completion three schemes in Clare and Worlingworth and Sapiston, Suffolk County Council’s site teams had one question about Durakerb: “Why haven’t we been using it for years?”
The teams found that Durakerb offered the familiar appearance and installation method of traditional concrete kerbing, while making the work quicker, safer and easier. Site staff responded so positively to the product that they asked whether it could be used across further schemes.
Its BBA HAPAS approval also gave the project team confidence that, despite being much lighter than concrete, Durakerb could provide the performance required for highways applications.
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Safer and simpler to handle
The difference is weight had an immediate impact during the Suffolk installations. Each Durakerb unit weighted approximately 6kg, compared with around 70kg for a traditional concrete kerb. This allowed the teams to unload, carry and position the units by hand, without relying on mechanical lifting equipment. If a unit needed to be repositioned, it could also be lifted out and re-laid easily.
For those working directly with the product, this made Durakerb safer and more straightforward to handle throughout the installation process.
Up to four times faster to install
Durakerb was laid on the same concrete bed and backing used for traditional kerbing, so the Suffolk teams could follow an installation process they already knew.
However, the lightweight units allowed the work to progress much more quickly. One operative could unload and position the kerbs while other members of the gang prepared the concrete bed and completed the backing. For a three-person gang, installation was estimated to be three to four times faster than with traditional concrete kerbs.
Where units needed to be cut, the teams could use a hand saw rather than a mechanical disc cutter. This made cutting simpler while reducing the noise and dust generated on site.
The interlocking nibs also helped the teams achieve accurate alignment, while Durakerb’s matching profile allowed the new units to tie into existing concrete kerb lines. Once installed, the finished kerbing had the same appearance as concrete
A practical use for recycled plastic
Alongside the benefits experienced by the site teams, Durakerb provides a more sustainable alternative to concrete kerbing. The units are manufactured using recycled polymer from sources such as plastic bottles. It is estimated that every 100 metres of Durakeb installed uses approximately 0.5 tonnes of plastic that might otherwise have been sent to landfill.
At around 10% of the weight of a comparable concrete kerb, the units also reduced the loads transported to Suffolk sites, helping to support improved transport efficiency and reduce associated fuel use.
Across the three schemes, Durakerb demonstrated that a recycled polymer kerbing system could fit readily into existing highways installation methods while delivering measurable benefits in installation speed, manual handling and site safety. The strongest endorsement came from the site teams themselves, who asked why they had not been using it for years.
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