10.1 Footway & highway design
The footway should be designed to withstand heavy vehicles.
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10.2 Footway paving. Maintenance
Traditional paving slabs in better quality urban streets were
often a lime stone, such as York stone.
If this is considered too expensive, a similar large scale can
be achieved by using concrete slabs.
They are usually laid on a sand base, which is satisfactory
for foot traffic. But if heavy vehicles drive over the pavement,
the sand base, especially if it has washed away, does not give
the slabs sufficient support and so the slabs break.
To prevent this, bollards are sometimes put along the pavement
edge to protect it. But the bollards reduce the width of the
pavement.
Concrete strips can withstand the extra weight, but break up
the visual continuity of the pavement.
A strengthened base of concrete, under the vulnerable slabs,
give the slabs better support.
Alternatively, steel reinforced slabs can be used at the edge
of the pavement, continuing the layout pattern of the other slabs,
to give the appearance of a uniform neat surface.
Traditional York stone pavement
Large concrete slabs
Bollards at pavement edge
Concrete base under edge slabs
Strengthened slabs continuing layout pattern benefit
from a concrete strip at pavement edge
Special sites will suit other surface materials
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10.3 Lighting
& security cameras
Public lighting can be considered from two view points.
1. The appearance of the lighting equipment.
2. The standard and quality
of the light that is emitted.
Historic styles of lighting equipment, such as lamp posts should
ideally resemble as closely as possible the design that would
have been contemporary with adjacent historic buildings and street
furniture.
Modern and elegant lighting is suitable to be placed near modern
buildings.
Street lights can be fixed to buildings to reduce
clutter on the pavement. Each light fitting should be positioned
exactly so that it respects the style of the architecture of
the building or its symmetry. Cable ducts and equipment should
be out of sight.
New street lighting on highways is usually designed and installed
to the current British Standard European Norm (ESEN) for each
category of road. Though there is some flexibility in their use
and they may need to be varied if there is an environmental justification.
Lighting types:
Low pressure (SOX) has a yellow colour
High pressure sodium (SON) and
Ceramic discharge metal halide (CDM) a white colour
Less common
are:
Gas and incandescent electric, in some historic locations
Fluorescent and more recently Light Emitting Diode (LED)
Street security cameras
Security cameras are now extremely common. The free standing
systems often cause obstructions on pavements and of course clutter.
Cameras should ideally be fixed unobtrusively to buildings or
existing structures, with their cables and control equipment
located out of sight.
Speed cameras are more difficult to hide as some highway authorities
feel that they should be easily seen.
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10.4 Local materials
Traditionally all paving materials would have been sourced locally,
usually at the local quarry.
This would have given each locality a distinct and almost unique
character which reflected the huge variety in the geology across
the country.
Today most paving materials are sourced from large national
deposits and increasingly from abroad. Thus if a local character
is to be retained it has to be carried out by carefully selecting
a very limited range of materials that would emulate what was
the local material, even if in fact the source was not local.
However the quality and style of applying materials
can reflect local traditions. Specifications for workmanship
and detail need to refer to existing historic examples in the
locality.
| Some authorities concentrate
on creating an image of quality by restricting the range
of materials to be used and by insisting on high standards
of workmanship. |
The “Westminster Way”
street design guide, by Westminster
City Council. |
|
Certain materials are not
used because they are considered visually inappropriate:
Concrete paving of a strong colour, 100mm x 200mm chamfered
edge concrete “bricks”, 400mm x 400mm concrete
slabs in “stack” bond.
Materials that are to
be used are: 600mm x 750mm and 600mm x 600mm concrete slabs
laid exactly at right angles to the kerb in stretcher bond,
with a flush finished pointed joint between the slabs of
some 6 to 8mm.
Where there is a likelihood of overrun damage steel reinforced
concrete slabs are used, within the overall bond of the remaining
slabs. |
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10.5 Cyclists
Cycling is seen as a flexible, sustainable and healthy alternative
to cars for shorter journeys and attracts national funding and
local authority concern.
It therefore often has separate allocated funds for improvement
projects, which need to be carefully integrated into the overall
scene. Though it seldom done successfully.
A cycle is legally considered to be a vehicle with an on road
design speed of some 15mph. It has the size and flexibility of
movement similar to a pedestrian and as such cyclists benefit
from a people oriented environment.
| The need for lots of “special cycle” facilities
is questioned as a good use of time and budget, Cycling
England. The best facility on a road for cyclists would
be a general speed limit of 20mph or lower. This gives
cyclists complete freedom of movement. Some authorities
allow cyclists to cycle past a no entry sign. The sign
has an additional “except cycles” plate. |
 |
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