I set the monuments today. After establishing their locations, I tied them out using a 4-foot aluminum rule, duct tape and a pen. (I wanted to get the ties well clear of the paver being drilled in case of localized movement, and figured 2 feet was enough.) The rule allowed me to mark distance and line at the same time. Next I used a 2" core bit in a rotohammer to produce the hole, then drove a 5/8" x 24" rebar nearly flush. I used a 1-1/2" diameter aluminum cap to top off the rebar, tapping it down until slightly below the paver surface. I used the rule again to establish the corner point on the cap, then punched the cap. I finished it off with some course sand in the hole. They turned out pretty well.
The photo below shows an overview of the operation in progress. You can see the duct tape where the ties are marked, as well as the assorted tools used.
The next photo (which is slightly out of focus) shows one of the tie marks. I just ran the pen around the edge of the rule.
Here's a shot of a corner point being tied back in to the cap:
And a photo of the installed marker, minus only the sand. (The red pencil in the scribe marks were used to mark the points originally. I also used them as a reference while driving the rebar to make sure I was keeping it close to the corner point.)
The whole operation took more time that I had allowed, but I'm happy with the results. Next time I'll make sure what kind of pavement I'll be dealing with before committing to a fixed fee!
Well done, an elegant solution to a difficult situation.
We (my company) deal in concrete sidewalks, and many have these paver areas (at or near crosswalks, handicap ramps...etc).
Most are laid on top of a concrete subgrade, so support might not be an issue.
The pavers themselves are easy to trim into any shape, so you could easily make your monuments flush with the top of the pavers.
We sub out the actual placement of the pavers, but they have some sort of industrial Dremel to make the cuts to fit around signs and other obstacles.
> Most are laid on top of a concrete subgrade, so support might not be an issue.
These were laid on a gravel base, so I didn't have to drill through anything but the 3-inch-thick paver itself.
> they have some sort of industrial Dremel to make the cuts to fit around signs and other obstacles.
I'm sure there's a way to remove a paver that's already installed, though these appeared to fit pretty tightly. However, since I was going to have to drill it anyway I figured it'd be better to do it in place. That way I didn't have to try to refit the paver back into its opening and get it flush after disturbing the gravel base by driving a rebar into it.
Thanks for posting this follow up.
Nice work.
And A Cautionary Note
I'd not used a core bit before, and found out the hard way that they present a much greater risk of binding in the hole due to the amount of contact surface area. After one such bind spun the rotohammer around 180° -- taking my arms with it and whacking my knee in the process -- I advise taking smaller bites, frequently unloading the bit, and gripping both handles in such a way that you can let go immediately if the tool starts to spin.
I got away with only a sore elbow, a sore wrist and a bruised knee, but a broken bone would have been a very plausible outcome. As someone quoted here recently, "Let's be careful out there!"
