Making Streets Better: The Joy of Kerbs

Kerbs were used in Roman Pompeii some 2,000 years ago to create footways raised from the city's trackways which were often covered in filth. There were even stepping stones in the trackways so the citizens didn't get their feet dirty. The Romans often used large stones as kerbs to provide lateral restraint to road surfacing and the technique was rediscovered by the engineers of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.

Today, kerbs are one of the most ubiquitous civil engineering element, yet we barely give them a moment's notice. They are available in a bewildering array of sizes, materials and configurations and so it is easy to get lost in trying to find the right kerb for the right job.

This guide gives you the essential background to kerbs, their use and versatility.