I declared dislike for concrete pavement. So what was I to do with the concrete pavement that already existed, such as the parkway path? Rip it up and replace it with something that has a better longevity and is more artistic?
That was a very tempting thought, but it came up against my practical inclinations. The best time to replace things is when they start falling apart. The existing parkway path was not at that point – yet.
That left me with the question about what to do with this monolithic gray mass.
How about the “putting lipstick on a pig” approach? I could frame the concrete path with a row of salvaged, old Chicago street pavers, transforming it from monolithic to something the eye can manage.
Unlike the parkway path with the pavers, the monolithic concrete slab did not need a structural constraint around the edges. It was both, constraint and pavement. That allowed me to place the framing pavers on a simple gravel base, instead of a concrete bed.
The pavers will get almost no traffic, and with that almost no stress. People prefer to walk along the centerline of the path, i.e. on the concrete slab. Rarely will anyone need to step on the pavers.
My last thought on this subject went toward deconstruction. At one point, I would like to replace the concrete slab. Removing the paver edge and concrete slab will be a easier with the pavers just sitting on gravel.