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Grafton St. repaving

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Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 2,630 ✭✭✭Plowman


    This post has been deleted.


  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 14,071 Mod ✭✭✭✭monument


    Most of the time while on Grafton Street there's so many people you can't see much of the ground because there's so much people on the street!


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,129 ✭✭✭Wild Bill


    Typewriter wrote: »
    Put them together (quite crudely) and I got this...

    picture.php?albumid=378&pictureid=12151


    Looks a bit bland to me. The place will totally lose its character IMO.

    Looks infinitely better to me than the current ugh!

    Doctors differ I guess......maybe if being "different" is the goal we could make it bright yellow...like the street in the Wizard of Oz? :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,235 ✭✭✭lucernarian


    Seems most people here are very much against greyscale paving such as what's infested DCC's street renewals (Drumcondra, Pearse St, Rathmines etc) and other places (Drogheda's main street is a particularly unfortunate example).

    I for one am inclined to agree!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,735 ✭✭✭Irish and Proud


    I don't think the grey paving would suit Grafton Street - if the whole thing needs redoing, maybe a slightly softer version of whats currently there - that way Grafton Street would be updated, but would still retain its character IMO - in short, the current bay layout should stay - there's absolutely nothing wrong with that aspect as far as I'm concerned. Also, given the importance of the street to Dublin's identity, the ordinary people should be consulted before any work is done!

    Regards!


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  • Registered Users Posts: 9,474 ✭✭✭John_Rambo


    I know I'm in the minority here, but I like the granite! Specially when it gets wet. It's a natural product with natural faults and patterns rather than the typical red brick UK style pedestrian zone. I think it's a good call, it would be nice if they could do something creative with the seating, bins, pink walkway... etc.

    Does anyone know where the granite comes from?


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,129 ✭✭✭Wild Bill


    John_Rambo wrote: »
    I know I'm in the minority here, but I like the granite! Specially when it gets wet. It's a natural product with natural faults and patterns rather than the typical red brick UK style pedestrian zone. I think it's a good call, it would be nice if they could do something creative with the seating, bins, pink walkway... etc.

    Does anyone know where the granite comes from?

    Wicklow? :confused:


  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 14,071 Mod ✭✭✭✭monument


    John_Rambo wrote: »
    Does anyone know where the granite comes from?

    For such projects, the stone mostly comes pre-cut and surfaced from China or India, more likely the former.

    Irish granite would cost a lot more mine, and to cut and shape.


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,474 ✭✭✭John_Rambo


    monument wrote: »
    For such projects comes mostly comes pre-cut and surfaced from China or India, more likely the former.

    Irish granite would cost a lot more mine, and to cut and shape.

    Ah, you're kidding me? I really think it should be indigenous stuff. It will cost more, but it would be better for obvious reasons. What's wrong with Liscannor stone? Is it too brittle?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 560 ✭✭✭Jehuty42


    John_Rambo wrote: »
    for obvious reasons

    Enlighten us, I don't see what's so obvious about it.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 9,474 ✭✭✭John_Rambo


    Jehuty42 wrote: »
    Enlighten us, I don't see what's so obvious about it.

    Us? Are speaking on behalf of everyone on the thread? I just thought native rock would be nice, I particularly like Liscannor rock... The mining, cutting and whatever other processes that go into this type of thing would be advantageous to keep within the country, enhancing employment, skills, revenue etc.

    But, if it makes better ecanomic sense to ship it in... So be it, I havent crunched the numbers.


  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 14,071 Mod ✭✭✭✭monument


    John_Rambo wrote: »
    Ah, you're kidding me? I really think it should be indigenous stuff. It will cost more, but it would be better for obvious reasons. What's wrong with Liscannor stone? Is it too brittle?

    No, I'm not kidding.

    Cost wise alone, it would be madness trying to source the finish product stone for a large scale project in Ireland.


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,474 ✭✭✭John_Rambo


    monument wrote: »
    No, I'm not kidding.

    Cost wise alone, it would be madness trying to source the finish product stone for a large scale project in Ireland.

    Ok. I'm no expert. I was just wondering...


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 267 ✭✭OssianSmyth


    Lisbon has a fine tradition of "Calçada" street paving:

    4176464002_96dc651104_z.jpg

    5885749135_e831149e15_z.jpg

    5885744559_211a60a0a7_z.jpg


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,129 ✭✭✭Wild Bill


    Lisbon has a fine tradition of "Calçada" street paving:



    5885749135_e831149e15_z.jpg

    Now that's better than the ugly red rubbish that "adorns" Grafton Street! :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,630 ✭✭✭Plowman


    This post has been deleted.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 12,455 ✭✭✭✭Monty Burnz


    Plowman wrote: »
    This post has been deleted.
    Downward incline? I thought it had an upward incline?

    I guess you learn something new everyday.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,630 ✭✭✭Plowman


    This post has been deleted.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 267 ✭✭OssianSmyth


    The existing surface is completely worn out, broken and dangerous The white tiles were 'born slippy'.

    GraftonStreetBrokenPaving3.jpg
    photo courtesy of GrahamH/archiseek


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,129 ✭✭✭Wild Bill


    The existing surface is completely worn out, broken and dangerous The white tiles were 'born slippy'.

    GraftonStreetBrokenPaving3.jpg

    More trippy than slippy at this stage! :D


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  • Registered Users Posts: 179 ✭✭Rock of Gibraltar


    The thing I don't understand about the current Grafton Street paving is why has it been allowed to disintegrate so quickly?
    Surely the whole point of brick paving is that it can be taken up and put back down with minimal fuss, that damaged bricks can be replaced easily and that it can generally age well.

    There is clinker brick paving outside my house here in Holland, yesterday some lads from the city can by and removed it as they needed to get at some wire underneath it. They had the bricks up, repaired the wire and down again in 4 hours. It looks exactly the same as it did before the works, if I hadn't seen the workers do the work I wouldn't have known any work was done.
    There are areas of the city here that have had clinker brick paving for well over 100 years and they look fantastic, aged really beautifully.

    So why oh why are we so incapable of proper maintenance in Dublin City, as far as I can see unless we can learn to properly maintain our streets we're going to have this same discussion about how knackered grafton street is in 30 years.

    Like we've all seen it, DCC idea of maintenance is lobbing down a bit of crappy tarmac instead of doing proper repairs, O'Neills corner on Suffolk st and the Nassau and Kildare st junction spring to mind (granted that was because of buses but its indicative of the attitude).


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,230 ✭✭✭sdanseo


    I'm pissed off about the same paving as Henry Street. Always thought the Northside's apparent lack of any character whatsoever was personified by the overuse of Grey in O'Connell St and Henry St.

    The southside shopping areas, on the other hand, aside from any perception of added wealth and less junkies, has always had more character and the red brick has an awful lot to do with it.


  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 14,071 Mod ✭✭✭✭monument


    The thing I don't understand about the current Grafton Street paving is why has it been allowed to disintegrate so quickly?
    Surely the whole point of brick paving is that it can be taken up and put back down with minimal fuss, that damaged bricks can be replaced easily and that it can generally age well.

    There is clinker brick paving outside my house here in Holland, yesterday some lads from the city can by and removed it as they needed to get at some wire underneath it. They had the bricks up, repaired the wire and down again in 4 hours. It looks exactly the same as it did before the works, if I hadn't seen the workers do the work I wouldn't have known any work was done.
    There are areas of the city here that have had clinker brick paving for well over 100 years and they look fantastic, aged really beautifully.

    So why oh why are we so incapable of proper maintenance in Dublin City, as far as I can see unless we can learn to properly maintain our streets we're going to have this same discussion about how knackered grafton street is in 30 years.

    Like we've all seen it, DCC idea of maintenance is lobbing down a bit of crappy tarmac instead of doing proper repairs, O'Neills corner on Suffolk st and the Nassau and Kildare st junction spring to mind (granted that was because of buses but its indicative of the attitude).

    Because the abuse the surface gets from heavy trucks and large vans which it seems the paving on Grafton Street was not designed for, and maybe also a maintance regime which did not or could not keep up with the abuse. The council wants to work with retail and distribution companies to limit the amount of larger trucks or vans over the new surface.

    I'm gussing the surface outside your house in the Netherlands mostly gets cars and bicycles over it?


  • Registered Users Posts: 179 ✭✭Rock of Gibraltar


    monument wrote: »
    Because the abuse the surface gets from heavy trucks and large vans which it seems the paving on Grafton Street was not designed for, and maybe also a maintance regime which did not or could not keep up with the abuse. The council wants to work with retail and distribution companies to limit the amount of larger trucks or vans over the new surface.

    I'm gussing the surface outside your house in the Netherlands mostly gets cars and bicycles over it?

    Yeah outside my place it's mostly bikes and the occasional car but in other places in the city with older bricks they'd get a similar amount, as Grafton, of large trucks and vans for deliveries or whatever.
    The difference being there are no cheapo white tiles or thin granite slats to break under the pressure just bricks.
    Its the tiles and granite that are the real problem on Grafton, I reckon if they were replaced with something better you'd get far more life out of the rest of the surface.


  • Registered Users Posts: 444 ✭✭Ernest


    Like we've all seen it, DCC idea of maintenance is lobbing down a bit of crappy tarmac instead of doing proper repairs, O'Neills corner on Suffolk st and the Nassau and Kildare st junction spring to mind (granted that was because of buses but its indicative of the attitude).

    The same applies to the multitude of speed bumps that now pollute nearly every street in the suburbs. They begin as red mounds (designed to shake up drivers and passengers and patients in ambulances and damage suspension of cars) but they are not properly installed with appropriate materials and soon they begin to break up. So what do the idiots in Dublin City Council do about it? Sue the contractors ? No - they put down clumsy "crappy bits of " BLACK TARMACADAM patches over the red.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,671 ✭✭✭AngryLips


    Lisbon has a fine tradition of "Calçada" street paving:
    5885749135_e831149e15_z.jpg

    I like it and DCC should take inspiration from it, but to lift something like this from a city with a tradition of it to a city with no history of such street paving would only give it a pastiche look on Grafton Street. I think something a bit more contemporary but just as decorative could work though.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,129 ✭✭✭Wild Bill


    AngryLips wrote: »
    I like it and DCC should take inspiration from it, but to lift something like this from a city with a tradition of it to a city with no history of such street paving would only give it a pastiche look on Grafton Street. I think something a bit more contemporary but just as decorative could work though.

    "pastiche" is an overworked word!

    The Custom House is pastiche.

    There is no "indigenous" paving style in Dublin; even the Georgian architecture and Victorian cobbles are/were copies, albeit contemporaneous.

    The nearest thing in Ireland we have to an indigenous style is probably the 1970s bungalow; combining a blend of the best of Californian, Spanish and native styles :D

    So let's copy the prettiest solutions and f*** the pretence.


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