We must not take the aesthetic advantages and superior durability of ArmorTec for granted. The more the added value of the advanced ArmorTec technology is emphasized, the more of your customers will insist on Cambridge Pavingstones. Together we can establish Cambridge as the No. 1 brand of both professionals and homeowners.

A great way for Cambridge Distributors to educate customers about ArmorTec is to host a full schedule of Contractor and Do-It-Yourself Clinics. Also encourage your contractor-customers to attend our Contractor Symposium at Cambridge Center in New Jersey. This year, it is combined with an ICPI Certification Course. The dual program will take place on March 6 and 7. The deadline for reservations is February 21. (top)

Cambridge Earns NYDOT Supply Certification

For precast concrete pavers used on New York State Department of Transportation projects, the Cambridge Program of Supply has changed from “DOT Inspection” to “DOT Certification”. This addition appears in the Approved List on www.dotstate.ny.us under the heading "Approved List of Materials". Also refer to "Approved List" published by NYDOT, Pg. 790-1, Precast Concrete Pavers (704-13).

CD-ROM Presentations Available To Cambridge Distributors

Two informative PowerPoint presentations — “Product Knowledge” And “Welcome To Our Contractor Clinic” — inform about Cambridge products and also promote proper installation procedures. For Cambridge Distributors, these presentations are ideal training aids and quick refresher courses for inside and outside sales personnel. They are also an integral part of D.I.Y. and Contractor Clinics that should be scheduled now. (top)

Shown: 6 x 9 in Ruby/Onyx from The Renaissance Collection

Popular Ruby/Onyx Blend Now Offered In The Renaissance Collection

Due largely to input from Cambridge Distributors as well as its existing popularity in the Cambridge color spectrum, Ruby/Onyx Blend is being introduced into The Renaissance Collection for 2003. The color is available in all of the shapes in the Renaissance Collection as well as in Circle and Random Design Kits.

You will find that Ruby/Onyx Blend works particularly well in a tumbled paver. The color further enhances the desired aged appearance of a finished Cambridge Pavingstone System incorporating The Renaissance Collection.

Type I and II Adhesives

Two adhesives from Cambridge, sold at retail in 10 oz. tubes, are field-proven solutions for specific aspects of concrete paver and wall unit installations.

Type I provides flexible adhesion and is recommended for uses where freeze/thaw conditions exist and where the bonded materials may
be subjected to stress or
heavy loads.

Type II is commonly used for pool coping, stair treads, veneering pavers to existing concrete, bordering a stoop landing, and adhering caps to retaining wall systems. (top)

Cambridge Project Planner Software: A Working Tool

Now in its forth year of availability, the Cambridge Project Planner CD-ROM has a new easier to use interface. It has become a popular tool for pavingstone contractors and for good reason.

1. IT’S A READY-REFERENCE. Information on every Cambridge Pavingstone is easy to access. When a shape is selected, a photo of it appears on the screen along with specifications and color availability. And all standard colors are visually displayed.
2. IT’S A CREATIVE RESOURCE. Find many popular laying patterns, too.
3. IT’S A PAVINGSTONE CALCULATOR. By entering the size, shape, color and pattern requirements of a project, the software will automatically calculate the total number of each shape needed. Estimating and ordering becomes easy and accurate.

ASK YOUR AUTHORIZED CAMBRIDGE DISTRIBUTOR FOR A FREE CD. (top)

CUTTING TEMPLATES AID IN THE CREATION OF FAN PATTERNS

A fan design, created from the six paver shapes included in the Cambridge Circle Design Kit, can be a dramatic addition to almost any interlocking pavement system. Four fans consisting of a center paver and six rings can be created from each Circle Design Kit for placement in a field of Cambridge Pavingstones. Each fan will measure 65”w x 37”d. One Circle Design Kit will also accommodate two half-radius patterns that are necessary to complete the design. However, to achieve a proper fit where one fan meets another, four of the shapes in the Circle Design Kit will require precision cuts (See diagram). It will also be necessary to cut six additional Circle VI paver shapes (two for the fourth fan and two for each half radius).

To facilitate accurate cutting, Cambridge makes available five cutting templates on a single sheet along with step-by-step instructions. The installer simply marks the prescribed cuts after positioning specific templates on top of the shapes as noted in the instructions. Instructions also include proper laying procedures to maintain symmetry of the bond lines throughout the pattern. (top)

Comparing Concrete Pavers To Clay Pavers

Higher compressive strengths correlate with chip resistance. The minimum average compressive strength for 2 3/8” concrete paver units is 8,000 psi, which is adequate for vehicular applications. Cambridge Pavingstones have an average psi of 10,000. Very high strengths on clay pavers can make them brittle and more apt to chip and crack during installation. Although ASTM C 936 does not have a maximum chipping requirement, the presence of a chipping allowance in the ASTM specification provides advocates of clay pavers with an excuse for forcing end users to accept chipped pavers because the installation technically still conforms to ASTM standards. Unlike clay pavers that are subject to damage from plowing, concrete pavers are made with chamfered (beveled or rolled) edges and spacer bars for added protection against chipping and spalling.

Unlike clay pavers, concrete pavers do not warp. Consequently, there is no warpage requirement for concrete pavers in ASTM C 936 standards.

Lower absorption helps assure greater resistance to freeze and thaw as well as damage from deicing salts. The maximum average absorption for concrete pavers is 5% versus 6% for clay pavers. Also, under the ASTM standard for clay pavers, a 5% loss of material after only 50 freeze-thaw cycles is tolerable. Cambridge Pavingstones experience 0% loss.

High cement content, compressive strength, density and low absorption equate to high abrasion resistance. In abrasion testing, concrete pavers experience a substantially lower loss of material (0.3 versus 1.7 cm3/cm2 with clay pavers) contributing to a substantially lower loss of material.

Concrete pavers are easier and faster to install. Concrete pavers have higher dimensional tolerances than clay pavers. Built-in spacer bars ensure a minimum spacing for sand to enter the joints. As a result, straight joint lines, required in the specification, are easier to maintain making the finished surface sharper and more stable. (top)

Keeping Contractor-Customers Well-Equipped Pays Off

Statistics from the Authorized Cambridge Distributor Network show that purchases of Cambridge Pavingstones by professional installers represent an impressive 75% of their total sales. Our corporate goal is to be viewed by the professional contractor as a valuable partner by offering technical assistance whenever and wherever it is needed. At an average of one site visit per day, your Cambridge Sales Specialist is meeting with more contractors at their project sites than ever before. During a visit, he also distributes the valuable “Cambridge Pavingstone Contractor Handbook” and the “Cambridge Project Planner CD” (See “Contractor’s Corner” in this issue). Cambridge has specially developed this material for the contractor.

Your role is equally important. The first step is to show your contractor-customers that their business is important to you. One sure way is to stock the shapes and colors that your contractor-customers regularly purchase. You should also make sure that they have received the “Contractor Handbook” and “Project Planner CD”.

When contractors associate quality and outstanding customer service with the Cambridge brand and its representatives, repeat business for all of us is bound to happen. (top)

Patio Dining At Liberty House Restaurant In Jersey City

With New York City as a backdrop at this waterfront restaurant in New Jersey, Cambridge Pavingstones with ArmorTec™ provide carefree riverside walkways and a patio for alfresco dining. Chosen by proprietors Frank and Jeanne Cretella as a pavement for all seasons, the Cambridge Interlocking System also serves well inside a heated banquet tent used for outside events all year long.

Contractor:
Frank and Jeanne Cretella, Owners/Operators

Installation Details:
Quarry Process, C-33 Washed Concrete Sand and Pavers

Cambridge Pavingstones:
Cobble III in Salmon from The Excalibur Collection, 4 x 4 and 12 x 12 in Natural
from The KingsCourt Collection (top)