Curb and Gutter in Norfolk, VA

Line, grade and where the water goes

A gutter exists to move water to where it is supposed to go. That means the finished gutter line has to fall continuously toward an inlet, with no flat spot and no reverse anywhere along the run. A small error over a long run is enough to leave standing water.

The inlet elevations are the fixed points, and the run between them is set to fall evenly. Forms are set to those elevations rather than eyeballed off the pavement next to them, because existing pavement is often not where a drawing says it is.

Standing water in a gutter is more than a cosmetic problem. It holds debris, works at the joint between gutter and pavement, and adds to the damage in freezing weather. It is also the most visible defect on this kind of work, which is why grade gets so much attention.

Straight runs, radii and returns

A curb run is rarely all straight. Radii at corners, returns at entrances, transitions where curb height changes and connections to existing sections are all part of the scope, and they take most of the time.

Radii are formed to the radius on the drawing. A curve built from short straight forms looks faceted once poured and stays that way, so the forming decides whether a radius looks right.

Transitions are where full height curb steps down toward a drive entrance or a curb ramp at the sidewalk. The rate of that drop is usually specified, and it has to land at the right elevation where it meets the entrance. Those details belong on the drawing before the pour.

Forming and placing

Curb is formed to suit the run, the radius and the room the site allows. A long clean run is different work from a short section between two existing pieces on a tight site, and the approach follows the site.

Forms are braced to hold against the pressure of the pour. Curb puts a lot of concrete into a narrow section, and a form that moves during the pour leaves a bulge that stays.

Reinforcement goes in where the detail calls for it, and joints go in at the specified interval so the run cracks at the joints rather than between them. The NRMCA guide to cracking lists omitted contraction and isolation joints among the common causes of cracks in concrete. Finishing follows the profile on the detail, with the face, top and gutter pan tooled to shape and the edges rounded so they hold up to tires and foot traffic.

Tying into existing work

Most curb work connects at both ends to curb that is already there, and existing sections are rarely at the elevation the drawings assume. The connection is measured on site and the joint placed where it will not crack through.

Where an existing section has to come out first, it is cut to a clean line at a joint rather than broken to a ragged edge, and the ground underneath is corrected. Curb usually fails because of the ground beneath it, and a new section placed on that same ground tends to fail the same way. Removal and haul off is part of a replacement scope.

Driveway entrances are a common version of this. A length of existing curb comes out so a new drive can drop to the street, and the new curb has to meet the gutter line on both sides without changing how water flows past the entrance.

Curing and weather

Curb has a lot of exposed surface for the volume of concrete in it, so curing matters. The NRMCA curing guide describes curing as keeping moisture in and the temperature favorable so the concrete keeps gaining strength, typically for 3 to 7 days. In the cold, NRMCA notes that setting slows and fresh concrete has to be protected from freezing.

Curb and gutter is offered as a standalone scope or as part of a larger site package that can include slabs and pads and sidewalk. For bids, the commercial concrete page lists what a request should include. Work is based in Norfolk and taken across the Hampton Roads service area.