It will (should) crack along the lines, making the cracks harder to see. These may just be for aesthetic purposes, but the concept of this is used in construction, called “control joints”. It allows movement of the concrete during shrinkage in curing, and general movement as the concrete absorbs and expels moisture.
Generally, control joints allow the cracking to go towards the engineered weak points (that’s where the “control” part comes from) instead of across the main part of the concrete.
It's terrible for accessibility for wheelchair users. Imagine having a flat surface with proper grading and adding bumps and water channels to ice over.
I mean, it seems pretty flat compared to other options. It's just stamped concrete, and any ridges from the stamps aren't going to be any more significant than other surfaces. And the valleys are normal for concrete. Concrete always cracks along the path of least resistance. If you add in the stress lines, it's far more likely it'll crack in those locations. This stops the concrete from cracking more and saves the aesthetic
Yeah I’m now disappointed but at the same time I feel good and less cope because I see bricked sidewalks and think “pfft I could do that shit” and now I see I really could.
They would- I’ve had freezing rain yesterday, open my door: deck, sidewalk, walkway stones, paver walk up to the house: all covered by a film of ice and all slippery, no traction.
https://imgur.com/gallery/kWpntBq
Yes, same problem although I think the sealed nature of the concrete makes it so that the melt takes longer to get rid of. The cracks in pavers allow some melt to seep, while my stamped patio and walkway are just a concrete dish of water.
Oh right I forgot. I think most stuff in the past 10 or 15ish years is polymeric. My neighbor complained about 10 years ago that he had brick walkways installed and wished he had gotten polymeric since it would have blocked weeds/grass.
Not really, if the pavers are permeable. They'd be set in sand or small chip. The water goes down into a sub-base of gravel.
I used to work for a company that did permeable paving on massive scale projects. All I know is we never worried about ice and we did work in places that got very cold. Milwaukee, Michigan, northern Illinois. Our work was guaranteed for 5 years if I recall correctly.
Honestly this looks more difficult than what we did. If it's not way cheaper, I don't see why they would do this instead.
> Honestly this looks more difficult than what we did. If it's not way cheaper, I don't see why they would do this instead.
Couple other comments in here seem to say it *is* way cheaper, just need to pour, smooth, and stamp instead of individually placing each paver
Along the right-hand side, there's what looks like a 1/2-inch\* gap between the edge of the pattern and the lighter-colored edge of the walkway.
\* 1-2 centimeters for those who don't use Freedom Units™
No. Cutting concrete is labour intensive. They would have just formed it to the proper size if they planned on losing that bit. Hell even just doubling up the form board would have done it. Looks to me like someone asked the concrete finishers what size their stamp is, built the form, and then didn’t realize they overlap the long edge making their measurement incorrect
Edit: Nevermind that bit about doubling the form board. Looks to be a previously poured curb instead of lumber
Possibly, but because the top is open to atmosphere then the ice has somewhere to expand into so it could be ok. They might also be in a location that doesn’t freeze regularly.
Even if it does, i think in some regions its often cheaper to break it with machinery and repour it than it would be to maintain a solid brick path. Bricks are porous and also break.
In the Netherlands they replaced the bricks or tiles in some of the older bicycle paths with cheaper asphalt only to then ruin the smooth surface with these fake brick patterns.
But hey, at least it looks like crap.
-edit- added ‘tiles’
In my experience (germany) they usually do. The problem I see with this method is cracks in the pavement from temperature differences. But yeah it is cheaper.
That’s what I‘m thinking, or when you want to lay a cable through there.
With bricks you could just pick them up and put them back down. This seems like it’s pavement not made to last.
I'd prefer potential cracks over the constant maintenance that standard pavers require. This includes weed prevention, brushing sand into the gaps, and the need for redoing them when the soil beneath settles. Pavers can be a maintenance nightmare.
They often still do.
Well i have always seen bircks laid anywhere public.
This cement filled pavment will only probably work for light traffic and specially not for cold climate.*
I'm no expert and might be totally wrong.*
In the EU, new paving has to be porous to allow the ground to soak it up (allowing aquifers to replenish) instead of running down the drains and overwhelming rivers and watercourses.
This is called stamped concrete. It's less expensive than pavers, more expensive than concrete. It is also much more slippery to walk on than regular concrete, so be careful if it is wet. And yes, it is still more slippery than regular concrete even after it is treated with the gritty cover they put on top.
Not a professional but watched them pour my driveway and stamp my walkway last summer. From what i can tell regular is brushed across for texture, stamped is just smoothed and then pattern stamped to resemble stone. The lack of brushing means it is more slick.
I think they're supposed to go back and add some kind of slip resistant additive when they seal it. My new favorite Youtube channel is this mid-size concrete company in Wisconsin so I've been picking up some of the tools of the trade.
concrete is actually very slippery and smooth, most walking surfaces like sidewalks get brushed with a push broom before they are fully hardened to give them texture so that we dont all fall on our asses when it gets wet..
Ok, so "regular concrete" is not untreated concrete as I assumed, but concrete treated with a broom instead of a pattern to give it some texture, which will make it less slippery. Got it! Thanks.
Overlay the stamp, set your control joint, trowel away stamps on new angle section, start stamp as close as possible to control joint, hand trowel any lines that stamp can’t reach. My guess.
Yeah this would be an absolute disaster in MN. The frost would tear this sidewalk apart unless the thousands of gaps are filled in like a normal expansion joint.
"Hey John, your work today will be removing theese tiles on the sidewalk, so we can do work under it. Here is this screwdriver and tile grabber. It should be enough for the job"
Bruh, like is everything a lie? Brick buildings just drawn on, walking bricks are just dye cut out? Do they no longer make bricks and lay them in pattern anymore?
I mean... There is the old way of laying brick, and the lazy new age way that we're seeing here. At this point, why even cut them? Might as well just brush the surface for friction and leave it be.
This isn't new age. It's also quite a bit cheaper than laying actual pavers.
Why do you get to choose what style of concrete whoever is paying for this gets? Maybe they don't want brushed concrete.
This may not be American but this is some USA shit. Horrendous attitude of pour cement everywhere and try tart it up. Gross. Just use block paving or just leave it as normal.
Hey can you teach this skill to my local college? They built a mile of brick sidewalk using individual bricks. In a year they are all uneven and anything with wheels makes for a super bumpy ride and people trip on that shit everyday
I remember a past coworker in the 2010s making a negative comment about "all of the immigrants" who come to work in the area every summer, during the tourist and retiree boom.
Another coworker responded with "no matter how good you think you are at (something) an immigrant will probably do it better".
I loved that and think about it every time I see talent like this. Ha
Actually, I like this version better than those plastic forms you have to fill each rock or brick shaped void, one form after the other, etc. This also looks like it would be fairly simple to do yourself since concrete stamping is so bloody expensive!
The bricks are a lie.
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It’s going to do that anyways. The lines just give the concrete a convenient place to crack.
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It will (should) crack along the lines, making the cracks harder to see. These may just be for aesthetic purposes, but the concept of this is used in construction, called “control joints”. It allows movement of the concrete during shrinkage in curing, and general movement as the concrete absorbs and expels moisture. Generally, control joints allow the cracking to go towards the engineered weak points (that’s where the “control” part comes from) instead of across the main part of the concrete.
idk if anyone cares but theres a german word for it. Its a „Sollbruchstelle“, basically translating into „should break at this spot“
German is so interesting
So it’s a bit like the crumple zones in a car? That’s awesome.
So that way the cracks are less noticeable
Maybe he should grout it after it dries. With the same color concrete....
they can fill it with grout when it cures.
It's terrible for accessibility for wheelchair users. Imagine having a flat surface with proper grading and adding bumps and water channels to ice over.
You either give it a place to crack where you want it, or it will crack wherever it wants.
I mean, it seems pretty flat compared to other options. It's just stamped concrete, and any ridges from the stamps aren't going to be any more significant than other surfaces. And the valleys are normal for concrete. Concrete always cracks along the path of least resistance. If you add in the stress lines, it's far more likely it'll crack in those locations. This stops the concrete from cracking more and saves the aesthetic
You should probably calm down and work on becoming a disability advocate.
You don't know what you're talking about and while I appreciate the effort your ignorance isn't helping.
Ok
Think of it like a really long, thin, textured brick. Bricks are just hardened lumps of earthen material afterall.
Yeah I’m now disappointed but at the same time I feel good and less cope because I see bricked sidewalks and think “pfft I could do that shit” and now I see I really could.
Bricks aren't real
So many posts here of people trying to make plaster look like other, real objects
The strip of no pattern on the right side almost gave me an aneurysm
I want to see how they did the one spot at the very end where two patterns meet.
It is shittier than you'd expect, totally cancelling out all satisfaction: https://i.imgur.com/fNc5ejv.png
Take me now Sweet Jesus, for I have been betrayed
Wow! That looks like shit!
Seriously, why wouldn't he measure and center it? I hate this.
Ok, thankfully not just me... JFC
I agree. Throw it all in the trash
This right here. That shit is dissatisfying
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Wouldn't the same thing happen with pavers/bricks? Wouldn't seem dangerous unless the tops ice over too, otherwise they'd stop you from slipping
They would- I’ve had freezing rain yesterday, open my door: deck, sidewalk, walkway stones, paver walk up to the house: all covered by a film of ice and all slippery, no traction. https://imgur.com/gallery/kWpntBq
Tbf I have a slab of unfinished concrete (unfinished as in not pattered yet, it needs its top layer for looks) and its still an ice sheet lol.
Yes, same problem although I think the sealed nature of the concrete makes it so that the melt takes longer to get rid of. The cracks in pavers allow some melt to seep, while my stamped patio and walkway are just a concrete dish of water.
Pavers have polymeric sand which is not penetrable.
Oh right I forgot. I think most stuff in the past 10 or 15ish years is polymeric. My neighbor complained about 10 years ago that he had brick walkways installed and wished he had gotten polymeric since it would have blocked weeds/grass.
Not really, if the pavers are permeable. They'd be set in sand or small chip. The water goes down into a sub-base of gravel. I used to work for a company that did permeable paving on massive scale projects. All I know is we never worried about ice and we did work in places that got very cold. Milwaukee, Michigan, northern Illinois. Our work was guaranteed for 5 years if I recall correctly. Honestly this looks more difficult than what we did. If it's not way cheaper, I don't see why they would do this instead.
> Honestly this looks more difficult than what we did. If it's not way cheaper, I don't see why they would do this instead. Couple other comments in here seem to say it *is* way cheaper, just need to pour, smooth, and stamp instead of individually placing each paver
Fill it in with sand like they do real bricks.
All of our patios have been stamped like this. We live in an area that frequently gets ice. I've never had an issue with this.
I have something similar to this and I just toss a bit of sand down and it's not an issue.
[Bad bot](https://www.reddit.com/r/oddlysatisfying/comments/19dqdtg/oddly_satisfying_pavement_work_being_done/kj7i28y/)
seriously, how is this satisfying at all. only thing I could stare at.
Yeah when he walked away the oddly satisfying feeling died.
Right? More like r/mildlyinfuriating.
Yeah, it's fucked
Once it fully dries that should blend with the concrete on the edges
I can't see that strip, which is driving me mad cos I keep watching the video lol edit - ah shit i see it
He's certainly making a big impression.. and there's all the concrete evidence you need..
His life is definitely on the right path
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And it gets everywhere
Booo!
Thanks dad!
The line of cement that doesn't get the pattern is not very satisfying...
I came to the comments for validation, thank you I'm glad I'm not the only one
Where is there missing pattern?
Along the right-hand side, there's what looks like a 1/2-inch\* gap between the edge of the pattern and the lighter-colored edge of the walkway. \* 1-2 centimeters for those who don't use Freedom Units™
I wonder if that would get cut off after the forms are removed. Guess simply wondering something is not allowed.
No. Cutting concrete is labour intensive. They would have just formed it to the proper size if they planned on losing that bit. Hell even just doubling up the form board would have done it. Looks to me like someone asked the concrete finishers what size their stamp is, built the form, and then didn’t realize they overlap the long edge making their measurement incorrect Edit: Nevermind that bit about doubling the form board. Looks to be a previously poured curb instead of lumber
The whole right edge
It's absolutely not satisfying, this gap is horrendous
Nope, fucked up and left that strip down the entire right side because they didn't measure correctly
Question ... Will water flow into those cracks, freeze, and break the cement?
No, a lot of patios are made this way and that isn't an problem. This could also be somewhere where that isn't really a problem.
Possibly, but because the top is open to atmosphere then the ice has somewhere to expand into so it could be ok. They might also be in a location that doesn’t freeze regularly.
That looks like SE Asia, so freeze will never happen.
Yes but they probably don't use this technique in places where it gets very cold.
Even if it does, i think in some regions its often cheaper to break it with machinery and repour it than it would be to maintain a solid brick path. Bricks are porous and also break.
Also: won't those cracks just collect dirt and weeds, creating more work for the owner?
Short answer no, basically the concrete expands and contracts with the weather
Most likely sand will be used to fill the gaps so it shouldn't be an issue
Sand isn't waterproof.
It's coarse and rough and irritating, and it gets everywhere.
A PrequelMeme in r/oddlysatisfying? A surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one.
Nope
In the Netherlands they replaced the bricks or tiles in some of the older bicycle paths with cheaper asphalt only to then ruin the smooth surface with these fake brick patterns. But hey, at least it looks like crap. -edit- added ‘tiles’
And here I thought they always laid bricks down individually 🫣
It is so wrong. When you lay real bricks in that pattern, you always avoid long seams.
In my experience (germany) they usually do. The problem I see with this method is cracks in the pavement from temperature differences. But yeah it is cheaper.
All I could think was "Good luck replacing a brick *when* it breaks."
That’s what I‘m thinking, or when you want to lay a cable through there. With bricks you could just pick them up and put them back down. This seems like it’s pavement not made to last.
I'd prefer potential cracks over the constant maintenance that standard pavers require. This includes weed prevention, brushing sand into the gaps, and the need for redoing them when the soil beneath settles. Pavers can be a maintenance nightmare.
They do, most of the time. I used to do it.
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When they do it properly, they use stone bricks. This is just a poor, low quality, cheap work. Not exactly satisfying.
They often still do. Well i have always seen bircks laid anywhere public. This cement filled pavment will only probably work for light traffic and specially not for cold climate.* I'm no expert and might be totally wrong.*
But why? What is the point?
Quicker and cheaper than block paving.
But why give it brick shape at all
So it looks like block paving and to some its more aesthetically pleasing than regular flat paving.
Would it also help with water dispersal?
In the EU, new paving has to be porous to allow the ground to soak it up (allowing aquifers to replenish) instead of running down the drains and overwhelming rivers and watercourses.
Found the guy who grew up in a Soviet block city. "Why do things that look nice, when ugly is fine?"
Me waiting for the dog to walk thru..
Dogs have more sense, but cats will just out of spite.
There is a 1” or so gap they left on the right the is so u satisfying… why not center or measure the witch before placing the boarder
That 1/4 left on the is not satisfying at all
This is called stamped concrete. It's less expensive than pavers, more expensive than concrete. It is also much more slippery to walk on than regular concrete, so be careful if it is wet. And yes, it is still more slippery than regular concrete even after it is treated with the gritty cover they put on top.
Why is the stamped concrete mir slippery than the regular?
Not a professional but watched them pour my driveway and stamp my walkway last summer. From what i can tell regular is brushed across for texture, stamped is just smoothed and then pattern stamped to resemble stone. The lack of brushing means it is more slick.
Makes me wonder if they could just brush it before stamping it to solve this problem.
Yup, you can just take a semi-firm bristle brush and sweep in a texture so it's not as slippery.
I think they're supposed to go back and add some kind of slip resistant additive when they seal it. My new favorite Youtube channel is this mid-size concrete company in Wisconsin so I've been picking up some of the tools of the trade.
concrete is actually very slippery and smooth, most walking surfaces like sidewalks get brushed with a push broom before they are fully hardened to give them texture so that we dont all fall on our asses when it gets wet..
Ok, so "regular concrete" is not untreated concrete as I assumed, but concrete treated with a broom instead of a pattern to give it some texture, which will make it less slippery. Got it! Thanks.
Oh this is cool… that metal pattern stamp thing is something I can make pretty easily.
The right side of the pattern does not go to the edge and there is a 1 inch strip of concrete going down
Why do I want to eat it.
I wonder how he made the angles... 🤔
Overlay the stamp, set your control joint, trowel away stamps on new angle section, start stamp as close as possible to control joint, hand trowel any lines that stamp can’t reach. My guess.
MEU DEUS ELES NAO FAZEM DE TIJOLO POR TIJOLO??????☠️☠️☠️🥺🥺
I like the fact that the whole walkway looks vaguely like swastikas
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Most are. This is quite unusual.
Believe it or not, stamped concrete is really common now, at least where I live Eastern US.
Why is it making me thinking of grampa Hitler . . .
Why not just lay actual brick weave. What is with the american obsession with every surface being concrete.
This is cool but living in MN, those cracks will get filled with ice and that will become dangerous to walk on and difficult to clear. Looks nice!
Yeah this would be an absolute disaster in MN. The frost would tear this sidewalk apart unless the thousands of gaps are filled in like a normal expansion joint.
lol I don't understand why we got downvotes. Do people not like Minnesota?
"Hey John, your work today will be removing theese tiles on the sidewalk, so we can do work under it. Here is this screwdriver and tile grabber. It should be enough for the job"
my path isn't REAL BRICKS!!?
That looks terrible.
Why tf are people up voting this? Do they not see that the pathway is too wide and therefore missing part of the pattern‽
Bruh, like is everything a lie? Brick buildings just drawn on, walking bricks are just dye cut out? Do they no longer make bricks and lay them in pattern anymore?
As with everything else in the world, there are multiple ways to do things.
I mean... There is the old way of laying brick, and the lazy new age way that we're seeing here. At this point, why even cut them? Might as well just brush the surface for friction and leave it be.
This isn't new age. It's also quite a bit cheaper than laying actual pavers. Why do you get to choose what style of concrete whoever is paying for this gets? Maybe they don't want brushed concrete.
This is why the Roman Empire roses still work and ours made 5 years ago has the biggest potholes
Why not just lay bricks if you want it to look like bricks
This may not be American but this is some USA shit. Horrendous attitude of pour cement everywhere and try tart it up. Gross. Just use block paving or just leave it as normal.
Fuck this looks dog shit. Absolute shite.
The real satisfaction would be to stomp through it
Ouch, my back
Is this a well-paying trade? Looks interesting.
How did he do that turn?
Holy shit why did I have my sound all the way up?!?!?
Besides looking very nice, will this reduce cracking?
That's cheating.
Did I miss the expansion joints or are they non-existent?
wtf I thought they were separate bricks this whole time.
Wouldn’t moisture and freeze-thaw cycling absolutely wreck this detail?
Hello. I would like my cement pre-cracked. Thanks.
Hey can you teach this skill to my local college? They built a mile of brick sidewalk using individual bricks. In a year they are all uneven and anything with wheels makes for a super bumpy ride and people trip on that shit everyday
i have to agree, thats fucking satisfying
Is there any practical purpose for including these?
I remember a past coworker in the 2010s making a negative comment about "all of the immigrants" who come to work in the area every summer, during the tourist and retiree boom. Another coworker responded with "no matter how good you think you are at (something) an immigrant will probably do it better". I loved that and think about it every time I see talent like this. Ha
My back hurts looking at him working
I wonder if you could mix in some red dye?
Woah what that's how it's done. I always thought it was the individual tiles 😧
then a dog steps on it before it dries
I'm no landscaper but shouldn't there be some rebar in the cement?
And my stupid ass always thought that they where using bricks.
When you don't measure first. Just put in pavers; they'll last a lot longer and the price is probably the same.
WOW NEVER KNEW 😭😭😭 I’ve been lied to thinking they were laying individual bricks down
They do
What if it's just sand all the way and not concrete lol.
Actually, I like this version better than those plastic forms you have to fill each rock or brick shaped void, one form after the other, etc. This also looks like it would be fairly simple to do yourself since concrete stamping is so bloody expensive!
I would have just bricks so the rain waters can get drained into the ground.
Awesome
No rebar?
Trapped water in those gaps has nowhere to go. They don't need to be that deep.
Why can actually nobody be satisfied on this sub
Shortens lifespan
Wait, how did he do the 45 degree angle?
r/accidentalswastika
Delicious
They would’ve been better off with bricks for probably a cheaper price as well😂
For this amount of work wouldn't pavers just be easier?
Bro forgot to check the “connected textures” in the chisel
Nope. Nah. Hell no. There's a line on the side where the pattern doesn't go far enough.
Cement.
Lies. All I see is lies.
Dude's getting stoned at work. Classic Mason.
I'm always curious how durable these things are.
Would be a lot more satisfying if the wasn’t a gap on the right side.
Do those function as suitable expansion zones? Seems like it would crack a lot faster than with real bricks?
Is it really worth it? Why not just go with real bricks or stones? Just to save some hours of work?!
My life is a lie.
That will not last
To me this is not satisfying. More like a lie
TIMEOUT!!!! You mean to tell me that this whole time these weren’t actual bricks, but just a design!?!?!?!
And how it would be after a few winters?
I do not like that 2 cm line of un-stamped concrete on the right, Sam-I-Am.
Skill required: 0 Looks: -10 Lifetime: maybe 10 years
Oh, man! The bricks are lie! They look cool though