Caithness Slabs Optical Illusion Trialled On Union Street, Aberdeen

1st October 2013

Asphalt is to be dressed up as Caithness slabs as part of a new operation to improve the south pedestrian area on Union Bridge.

The existing concrete slabs are thin and frequently damaged. The Caithness slabs, which are used elsewhere on Union Street are too thick to use on Union Bridge due to the limited depth available between bridge deck and footpath.

Aberdeen City Council, in order to solve both problems, is trialling the use of a new operation called StreetPrint, which mimics the visual effect of the Caithness slabs in asphalt.

The asphalt surface on the south pavement of Union Bridge is the first phase of the replacement operation. It will be followed by an imprinting process, which will involve pressing a metal template into the asphalt pavement to replicate, in relief, the grout depressions common to the Caithness slabs. The imprinted asphalt pavement surface will then be painted in a colour similar to the existing Caithness slabs.

This coating can only be applied when the air temperature is 10°C and rising and conditions are dry. The south pavement of the bridge will be closed during the imprinting and painting works. Dates have not yet been set for these phases of the project.

PHOTO
Union Street, Aberdeen
Lyn McLeod via Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:UnionStreet-287149-Lyn_Mcleod.jpg