Paving system with variable spacing between the pavers

Abstract

A paving system for paving a surface area with pavers such that there are different sized spaces between some of the adjacent pavers. The paving system ( 10 ) has a substrate ( 12 ) with regularly spaced connectors ( 22 ) for attaching pavers ( 14 ) to the substrate. The pavers are of varying sizes such that the spaces ( 38 f ) between relatively smaller pavers ( 14 f ) are larger than the spaces ( 38 a ) between relatively larger pavers ( 14 a ). This permits the construction of a paved surface ( 32 ) having different permeability to water in different parts thereof.

1 . A paving system comprising:
 a substrate and a plurality of pavers;   the substrate having a plurality of spaced-apart attachment means, each attachment means being adapted for attachment to a respective paver;   the plurality of pavers comprising some pavers having different top surface areas from other pavers, some top surface areas being smaller than other top surface areas;   the attachment means being arranged such that the pavers are attachable with spaces between adjacent pavers having smaller top surface areas being larger than the spaces between adjacent pavers having larger surface areas.   
     
     
         2 . A paving system according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of pavers comprises two or more sets of pavers, a first set comprising pavers having a first top surface area and a second set comprising pavers having a second top surface area, the second top surface area being smaller than the first top surface area. 
     
     
         3 . A paving system according to  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of pavers further comprises a third set of pavers having a third top surface area, the third top surface area being smaller than the second top surface area. 
     
     
         4 . A paving system according to  claim 1 , wherein the attachment means are arranged such that each attachment means is equidistant from the attachment means that are adjacent thereto. 
     
     
         5 . A paving system according to  claim 1 , wherein the paving system is arranged on a ground surface and the pavers are attached to the substrate with the spaces between adjacent pavers having smaller top surface areas being larger than the spaces between adjacent pavers having larger surface areas. 
     
     
         6 . A paving system according to  claim 1 , wherein each attachment means comprises a projection adapted to engage in a recess in a respective paver. 
     
     
         7 . A paving system according to  claim 1 , wherein each attachment means comprises two or more projections adapted to engage in recesses in a respective paver. 
     
     
         8 . A paving system according to  claim 1 , wherein each attachment means comprises one or more recesses adapted to receive one or more projecting members on a respective paver. 
     
     
         9 . A paving system according to  claim 1 , wherein each paver has one or more recesses for engagement with the attachment means. 
     
     
         10 . A paving system according to  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a porous flexible sheet. 
     
     
         11 . A paving system according to  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a geosynthetic. 
     
     
         12 . A paving system according to  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a geogrid. 
     
     
         13 . A paving system according to  claim 1 , wherein the pavers are of the same shape. 
     
     
         14 . A paving system according to  claim 13 , wherein the shape is one of round, hexagonal, octagonal, rectangular and square. 
     
     
         15 . A paving system according to  claim 1 , wherein the pavers comprise one of stone, concrete, brick, plastic, rubber and wood. 
     
     
         16 . A paving system according to  claim 5 , further comprising a water-permeable fill material in the spaces between the pavers. 
     
     
         17 . A paving system according to  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a flexible sheet. 
     
     
         18 .- 32 . (canceled)