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From Ancient Rome to Victoria BC: The History of Interlocking Brick Paving Stones

Although concrete pavers are a relatively modern product, the concept is anything but new.

Segmental paving systems have been around since the Roman armies laid the first brick around 500 BC. Fed up with muddy, cumbersome roads that slowed down their troops, they devised a more efficient way of getting around.

Enter: paving stones.RomanRoad

The Romans were a clever bunch. They created deep roadbeds of crushed stone that allowed for proper drainage. On top of the most heavily travelled routes, they added six-sided paving stones that cut back on the dust and reduced drag from wheels. The result was an intricate system of roads that connected cities, major towns and military bases.

At the peak of Roman development, there over 400,000 km of roads, of which over 80,500 km were paved with stones. These roads were so well-designed and well-constructed that despite being neglected during medieval times, many are still in use today, thousands of years after they were first built.

One of the most famous Roman roads that exists today is the ***Appian Way***. It was the widest and largest road of its time, and stretched over 500 km from Rome to the port of Brindisi, on the Adriatic coast. Today, the road is remarkably well preserved. You can stroll along a 15-km stretch of paving stones, worn smooth by millennia of use, and marvel at the monumental feat of engineering that changed the face of roads forever.

This type of stone paving technique continued to be used throughout Europe, but it wasn’t until the 1950s that concrete units began to be produced.

Following WWII, there was a dire need for reconstruction. The Dutch needed to replace clay brick streets damaged by the war, so they started manufacturing dimensionally consistent, hand-sized concrete units. In the 1960s, the Germans jumped on board and developed high-efficiency machinery for the production of interlocking concrete pavers. The technology quickly spread throughout the rest of Europe, as well as Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Finally, in the 1970s, the popularity of paving stones reached the shores of Canada and spread to the United States. They were an immediate hit, and the paver industry boomed. According to the ICPI, it grew from 80 million square feet in 1980 to 755 million square feet in 2005.

Growth has skyrocketed in other parts of the world as well. Globally, there is at least one square foot produced for every person living on Earth. Every second,1000 pavers are made.

Technology has come a long way since Roman times, but the idea remains the same: Paving stones are beautiful, natural and durable, and are an affordable way to add style and class to any outdoor space.

If you’d like to see paving stones in a modern setting, check out the rest of our website.  And of course if you’d like to know more about bringing this time-honoured tradition to your own property, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Filed Under: Blog

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    Testimonials

    • Brian and Mandy Conrad – “Impressed With The Professionalism”

      This letter is to let you know how delighted we are with our new patio and front walkway.  These home improvements have enhanced our property and were done in such a timely fashion.

      From your initial visit and then the crew, Matt, Brad and Slade, we were impressed with the professionalism, creativity, friendliness, fast and efficient work ethic.

      We are happy to recommend Rooster Interlocking Brick to anyone who is thinking about upgrading any outside area of their home.

    • Lorna Wood – “Just How I Envisioned”

      Thank you to you and your crew - The patio looks great, just how I envisioned. Looking forward to sitting out there in the warmth, surrounded by our garden.

    • Mollie Kaye – “Brick wonderland”

      Wanted to also thank you for our new brick wonderland... the kids are enjoying it, it's creating a safe play space out of the street, we can finally park cars in the driveway, it looks fantastic, the neighbours all say it's lovely, and it made a great centre of operations for our wedding. It's the gift that keeps on giving. And we had some outrageously hard rain a few w eeks back, must have been a centimetre a minute! I poked my head out the window to see how the driveway was draining and there was my neighbour who had needed all of the reassurance, standing on her porch watching too. Well, it was a sight to behold. The water ran down to the street EXACTLY as you had described it would, and boy, was she impressed! I think I wouldn't have watched so closely had it not been for her concerns, as I didn't worry about it myself, but that was great to see. Thanks again. Every day we have more fun on our property that is made possible by the work you guys did. Hooray!!!

    • S. Pope – “Like being on the TV show Extreme Makeover”

      Coming home from work each day to see the transformation of our backyard was like being on the TV show Extreme Makeover.  Now the paver patio and new landscaping is done we are loving our summer at home. Thank you to the Rooster crew.

    • Jody Large – “It’s like driving up to a new home!”

      "IT'S LIKE DRIVING UP TO A NEW HOME" Rooster is a team that promise the best, and they more than deliver... If you are considering a driveway or patio for your home Rooster will not disappoint you.. I would like to thank Dallas and his crew for their professional and efficient service.

    • Stephanie Long – “Exceptional job”

      Dallas and his crew did an exceptional job and transformed our property into something spectacular.  I have received an overwhelming amount of compliments on my new driveway and landscaping.  I will continue to recommend Rooster Interlocking Brick to all of my friends and neighbors.

    • Geoff Richards – “Beyond our expectations”

      We were so impressed by work done on a neighbours driveway that we engaged "the Roosters" to do the same forus. This included a driveway and patio.
      Their leader, Dallas, promised the work would be completed in a week, which surprised us. It was, in fact, completed in 6 days by a team of conscientious, hard working, friendly workers with an attention to detail and excellence.
      The results were beyond our expectations.
      We are greatly impressed. I can recommend the "Roosters" for their outstanding excellence of work, very reasonable pricing and speed, without reservation.
      Come and have a look at 618 Oliver Street, Oak Bay, Victoria. A hat will be passed round!

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