Large areas of the Netherlands were destroyed during the War and, because clay bricks were in short supply and what was available was being used to rebuild housing, concrete blocks were introduced as an alternative.

The research carried out in the late ’70s and early ’80s still remains the most comprehensive yet conducted into the performance of concrete block paving.

A hierarchy of block shapes was developed. The existing design curves were examined and the role of the bedding, the jointing sands was investigated in earnest and various base and sub-base materials were tested. Most of the research was carried out at the CSIR in South Africa. This has resulted in South Africa being recognized as a world leader in concrete paving.