GB2484541A - Shaftless stud for tactile paving - Google Patents

Abstract

A shaftless paving stud has a flat underside 12 and an edge 10 that slopes up towards the centre of the stud. The stud may have a plateau portion with a recess that contains an anti-slip resin 22. A method for installing a plurality of shaftless paving studs in a tactile paving arrangement comprises applying acrylic adhesive to localised areas of a flooring surface; and applying the plurality of shaftless paving studs within the localised areas. The adhesive may be in the form of tape or tape portions.

Description

Tactile Paving

Description

The present invention relates to tactile paving. In particular, the present invendon relates to a method for installing a plurality of tactile paving studs in a tactile paving arrangement, and to a tactile paving stud for using in tactile paving installations.

Tactile paving is the term used to describe any paving which has a raised surface profile which is designed to be detectable by both sighted and visually impaired individuals. Individuals notice a change in texture under foot when moving from a non-tactile paving area to a tactile paving area, or when moving from a tactile paving area having a first profile to an area having a different profile. Different profiles of tactile paving can be used to convey important information about the environment to visually impaired people. For example, different profiles may be used to denote a hazard warning, a directional guidance, or the presence of an amenity, such as a pedestrian crossing. Research has shown that visually impaired people can reliably detect, identify and remember a limited number of different tactile paving surfaces and the meaning associated with them. Providing this tactile warning or information for visually impaired individuals aids their independent mobility.

Figure la shows an example of a conventional tactile paving slab 1 also known as a blister tactile. As shown the blister tactile is a single paving slab with integrally formed raised fiat topped blisters 3 in a square formation. The blister tactile may be made from any matetial suitable for pedestrian pavements, for example concrete paving slabs, block paviours or natural stone.

These conventional tactile paving slabs may be used to replace existing paving, or may be applied directly over existing paving.

In order to provide detectable warnings to individuals who may be partially sighted, it is known to use tactile paving slabs of different colours to convey different warnings or information. It is understood that partially sighted people have sufficient residual vision to detect strong contrasts in colour and tone. For example, red blister tactiles may be used at controlled crossings and buff blister tactiles may be used at uncontrolled crossings.

The size and formation of the blisters may be designed to confer a particular meaning to the pedestrian. For example, off-set blister tactile pattern is typically used to warn visually impaired people that they are approaching an off-street railway platform. The off-set blister tactile pattern consists of rows 5 of fiat-topped domes/blisters3, in which adjacent rows of domes/blisters are transversally off-set from each other, as shown in Figure lb. A lozenge tactile pattern is another example of tactile paving. Lozenge in this sense means a rectangular shape with semicircular ends, like a racetrack. Lozenge tactile paving is often used to warn visually impaired people that they are approaching an on-street light rapid transit (LRT) platform.

A corduroy tactile pattern is another example of tactile paving. Corduroy tactile paving is often used to warn visually impaired people of the present of specific hazards, for examples steps, level crossings or the approach to on-street light rapid transit (ILRT) platforms. It is also used where a footway joins a shared route. The profile of the corduroy tactile pattern comprises rounded elongated bars which run transversally across the typical direction of travel.

The disadvantages of the conventional tactile paving slabs are that they are expensive and time consuming to install. In some cases it is necessary to remove existing tiles in order to lay new tactile paving slabs. This is means that public paths may be out of use for extended periods of time while the paving is being laid. In some cases it is possible to reduce the time required by laying new tactile paving slab over existing paving slabs. However, this is stifi costly and time consuming. Furthermore, when paving over existing slabs it is possible that the existing surface is not level or prepared properly for the application of the new tactile paving slabs. An uneven surface or incorrectly laid new slab could over time lead to weakness in the structural integrity of the new paving, and the slabs could crack and come away leaving a trip hazard.

Furthermore, the aesthetics of these conventional tactile paving slabs may prevent or deter them from being used in conservation areas or in the vicinity of listed buildings. This means that there is a limitation to the extent to which tactile paving may be adopted, and as such a limit to the aid which may be provided for visually impaired individuals.

To overcome the problems associated with the aesthetics of conventional tactile paving slabs, in-set brass/metal studs have been introduced.

These in-set brass/metal studs are installed in existing paving slabs by drilling holes. Typically, a pilot hole is first drilled into the slab in order to make it easier to drill a larger hole of the correct diameter into which the brass/metal stud is placed and fixed. In order to install these studs, two holes per stud must be drilled. In the example shown in Figure 1, 36 studs are inserted into each paving slab, meaning that 72 holes must be drilled in each slab. This is a very time consuming laborious task. A two part anchor resin is inserted into the drilled hole. The brass/metal stud is then inserted into the filled hole. The anchor resin is not adhesive, but rather expands in order to fill the space within the hole and grips a threaded shaft of the brass/metal studs. The anchor resin expands and sets very quickly in order to fix the brass/metal stud in place.

The drilling process is known to damage the structural integrity of the existing paving, particularly where there is an air pocket below the slab which has not been correctiy filled with concrete or sand when the paving slabs were being laid. As a result, the slab may become cracked and chipped, which can result in a potential trip risk.

Furthermore, it becomes more difficult and more time consuming to drill holes for either lozenge or corduroy tactile patterns. In particular, to install metal or brass bars to achieve the corduroy tactile patterns it is necessary that each bar has more than one shaft in order to secure the bar into the paving slab. Typically, at least three shafts are be required to secure a bar having a length similar to conventional corduroy tactile paving. In order to ensure that the bars are installed correctiy it is necessary to ensure that the holes are correctly aligned; otherwise, it is not possible to install the bars. This further adds to the complexity, time required and cost of installing this type of tactile paving.

There is a significant tisk in using brass, or other metal studs in that they could pose a significant slip risk in wet conditions. The slip resistance of a footing material is closely related to the level of surface roughness it possesses, and over time, metal studs have a tendency to wear smooth. This problem may be made worse with lozenge or corduroy tactile patterns as there is a larger surface area which may become smooth and slippery, particularly when wet. As such, brass studs or other metal studs may pose an unacceptable slip tisk in wet conditions meaning that they may not prove suitable for replacing conventional tactile paving slabs in conservation areas or near listed buildings.

It is an object of the present invention to alleviate or solve some of the above problems.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for installing a plurality of shaftiess paving studs in a tactile paving arrangement, the method comprising applying acrylic adhesive to localised areas of a flooring surface, and applying the plurality of shaftiess paving studs within the localised areas.

Advantageously, the method of the invention enables tactile paving to be adhered to existing paving without the need to drill any holes in the paving.

In a preferred embodiment the method further comprises applying a template to the paving slab in order to localise the application of the acrylic adhesive to a desired location.

Advantageously, the step of applying a template to assist in the positioning of the adhesive and studs speeds up the process of installing the tactile paving.

Optionally, the method further comptises applying ptimer to the flooring surface ptior to applying the acrylic adhesive. In addition, the method may also comptise applying primer to a base surface of the shaftiess paving stud.

In a preferred embodiment the acrylic adhesive is weld adhesive and the steps of applying the acrylic adhesive and applying the plurality of shaftless paving studs are two distinct steps.

In an alternative preferable embodiment the acrylic adhesive is tape adhesive and the plurality of shaftless paving studs are each prefabricated to comprise a section of tape adhesive, such that the step of applying the acrylic adhesive and applying each of the plurality of shaftless paving studs is achieved in one step.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a shaftiess paving stud for tactile paving installations, the paving stud comprising a substantially flat underside surface and an upper surface, wherein the upper surface slopes upwards from a distal edge of the stud toward the centre of the stud.

The shaftiess paving stud advantageously uses less raw material than an equivalent stud which has a shaft.

Preferably, the upper surface slopes upwards from the distal edge to a plateau portion.

Advantageously, this provides a profile which minimises the potential for the stud becoming a trip hazard.

In a preferred embodiment, the plateau portion has a rim defining a recess in a central portion of the upper surface of the stud, and wherein the recess contains an and-slip resin. And-slip resin is very durable and provides a sufficient surface roughness to minimise slippage over the stud.

Optionally, the recess comprises a substantially flat bottom surface having an outer edge, and a free edge of the rim extends over the outer edge of the substantially flat surface such that the and-slip resin is retained in place at least partially by the free edge of the rim. If over time, the adhesive bond between the resin and the recess of the stud degrades, the free edge of the rim retains the anti-slip resin in place such that it cannot fall out or become removed from the stud.

Preferably, the recess further comprises an anti-spin dimple in the substantially flat surface of the recess, offset from the centre of the recess, wherein the recess and anti-spin dimple both contain anti-slip resin such that the anti-spin dimple prevents any rotational spinning of the anti-slip resin.

Optionally, the stud has a circumferential shape selected from the group comptising: circular, ovular, ttiangular, rectangular, and elongated ovular.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a kit for installation of tactile paving comprising a plurality of shaftiess paving studs as herein described and a plurality of adhesive tape portions, wherein the adhesive tape portions are similar in shape to the shaftiess paving studs.

Preferably, the plurality of shaftiess paving studs in the kit are prefabricated to comprised one of the plurality of adhesive tape portions.

The kit advantageously enables the installation of tactile paving in smaller scale domestic environments, without requiring professional installation. The kit may be referred to as a do it yourself (DTY) kit, which is far quicker, cheaper and easier to install than existing tactile paving solutions.

In addition to providing tactile paving the shaftless paving studs of the present invention may also be installed primarily for their anti-slip capabilities, particularly where flooring surfaces have a degree of indllnation which could induce a sllp hazard.

Previously introduced drawings include Figure la (prior art) which is a plan and side elevation drawing of a conventional tactile paving slab showing the tactile paving domes/blisters in a square formation; and Figure lb (ptior art) is plan and side elevation drawing of a conventional tactile paving slab showing the tactile paving domes/blisters in an off-set formation.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the following drawings in which: Figure 2a is a top view of a shaftiess tactile paving stud; Figure 2b is a perspective view of the shaftless tactile paving stud of Figure 2a; Figure 3a a side view of a shaftless tactile paving stud comprising anti-slip resin; Figure 3b is a perspective view of the shaftless tactile paving stud of Figure 3a; Figure 4a a perspective view of a shaftiess tactile paving stud of Figure 3a without the anti-slip resin showing a recess; Figure 4b is a cross-section view of the shafdess tactile paving stud of Figure 4a; Figure 5a a plan view of a shaftiess tactile paving stud including an anti-spin dimple cavity; Figure 5b is a cross-section view of the shafdess tactile paving stud of Figure 5a; Figure 6 is a flowchart of the method of application steps for installing shaftless tactile paving studs; Figure 7 is a side view of a shaftless tactile paving stud which is prefabricated with a section of adhesive tape; Figure 8 is a flowchart of the method of application steps for installing the shaftiess tactile paving studs of Figure 7; Figure 9a is a perspective view of an elongated bar tactile paving stud; and Figure 9b is a perspective view the bar stud of Figure 9a including a recess.

Figures 2a and 2b show a shafdess tactile paving stud 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the stud 10 is circular in shape, has a substantially flat bottom surface/base 12 and a sloping upper surface 14 which truncates in a central portion defining a substantially flat top surface or plateau 16. The upper surface slopes upwards from a distal edge 18 of the stud toward the plateau 16.

The stud 10 may be manufactured from any suitable metal including stainless steel, carbon steel, brass, titanium, aluminium. In addition, the stud may be manufactured from any suitable coated metal, as well as any other durable and strong material. The stud may be manufactured by moulding or by milling processes.

Figures 3a and 3b show a shafdess tactile paving stud 20 according to another embodiment in which the substantially flat top surface or plateau 1 is replaced with an anti-slip resin 22.

The anti-slip resin 22 may be any suitable resin which can be applied to shafdess tactile paving studs to provide an upper surface area with a sufficiendy high surface roughness to prevent slippage. One example of a suitable resin is 7-A Small Area resin provided by 7-A ChemSystems TM The anti-slip resin of one embodiment has two charactetistics in that it is adhesive duting the application process such that it wifi adhere to and bond with the shaftiess tactile paving stud, and that the resin itself has a sufficient roughness to provide the necessary anti-slip quality. A person skilled in the art will appreciate that any similar two-part resin having similar properties to 7-A Small Area resin will be suitable for this purpose.

Figures 4a and 4b show the shaftiess stud 20 ptior to the application of the and-slip resin 22.

Similar to the shaftless stud 10 shown in Figures 2a and 2b, the upper surface of the stud slopes upwards from the distal edge 18 of the stud toward the plateau 16. In the present embodiment, as shown in Figures 4a and 4b, a recess 24 is formed within the plateau 16. As shown, the diameter of the recess is smaller than the plateau such that there is a rim 26 between the sloping upper surface 14 and the recess 26.

Figure 4b shows a cross-section through the stud. As shown, the recess 24 has a substantially flat bottom surface 28 defined by an outer edge 30. The top of the recess is defined by a free-edge 32 of the tim 26, which extends over the outer edge 30 of the substantially flat bottom surface 28. An inner sloping wall 34 reaches from the outer edge 30 of the sub standally fiat bottom surface 28 of the recess 24 to the free-edge 32 of the rim 26. The and-slip resin 22, when applied, is retained in place at least pardally by the free edge 32of the rim 26. This is advantageous because if over dme the applled and-slip resin no longer is adhesively attached to the stud 20, the free edge 30 of the rim will ensure that the and-slip resin 22 cannot fall out of, or become removed from the stud.

Figures Sa and 5b also show a shafdess stud 40 pdor to the applicadon of the and-slip resin 22 according to another embodiment of the present invendon. As shown by the cross-secdon drawing of Figure Sb, the bottom surface 28 of the recess 24 compdses an and-spin dimple cavity 42. The and-spin dimple cavity 42 may be formed by drilling a small distance into the bottom surface 28 of the recess 24. Typically, if the overall height of the stud 40 before resin is applied is 5mm, the dimple cavity 42 may be approximately 1mm deep, and if the overall diameter of the stud is 25mm, the diameter of the dimple cavity may be 5mm.

As shown in Figure Sa, the dimple cavity is offset from the centre of the recess. In use the recess 24 and and-spin dimple cavity 42 are filled with and-slip resin 22. Advantageously, if over dme the and-slip resin 22 is no longer adhesively attached to the stud 40, the resin 22 which is within the and-spin dimple cavity 42 provides an anchor for the remaining resin 22 such that the resin is prevented from spinning within the recess 24.

In order to apply the resin 22 to the studs 20, 40, the studs must be fully degreased, cleaned and dried. A plurality of studs 20, 40 are placed into a stud holder or jig, to be held in place. A template, for example a metal sheet with holes, is placed over the studs, such that the holes in the template match up with the recesses 24 in the plurality of studs 20, 40. The resin 22 is then applied over the top of each stud, and is levelled such that any excess material is removed. The template is then removed and the resin 22 is left to cure for the required length of dme. The cudng process may be quickened by using moderate heat for example, from a heat gun or any suitable convecdon headng means. Typically, if moderate heat is used to cure the resin, it will be regarded as sufficiendy cured to be trafficked approximately 20 minutes after applicadon.

Alternadvely, if curing the resin in ambient temperatures the curing process may take between 3 to 8 hours. The resin wifi condnue to cure and solidify and will reach final solidity after approximately 3 to 7 days.

The shafiless tactile paving studs 10, 20, 40 described above may be applied to any existing paving, roadway, or solid surface on which pedestrians walk or travel. Due to the nature of how and where these studs are used in public places, it is vital that studs themselves are safe to walk on. This is why the studs have a sloping surface in order to minimise any trip risk which they may pose. For safety reasons, in general use the studs must be rigidly fixed in position.

Existing studs each have a threaded shaft, which is set within a drilled hole in a conventional paving slab which is already laid. However, as above there are many problems associated with this system in that drilling the holes is time-consuming and cosily, and can cause structural damage to the paving slab resulting in a potential trip hazard.

The inventors of the present invention have appreciated that it is possible to provide a flexible method for installing tactile paving without replacing existing slabs and without dri]ling holes.

The present inventors have determined an adhesive application process which is suitable for the studs described above, and which ensures the studs are secured firmly in place. While there is a varied range of adhesives on the market, no adhesive has been known to take into account the unique environmental factors surrounding tactile paving. These environmental factors include all weather variants, a large variation in temperature including sub zero temperatures, and being subjected to persistent vibration, compression and impact forces due to large volumes of pedestrians and road users. Part of the inventors' contribution was in appreciating the environmental factors and identifying a solution which is suitable for tactile paving applications.

In particular, a major factor in determining how to adhesively bond the shaftiess studs described above to an existing surface is the relatively small surface area of a standard sized stud. Safety standards dictate the maximum size of the shafiless tactile studs. In line with such standards, a standard sized shafiless studs may have a diameter of approximately 2.5cm. As such, the surface area to be bonded is relatively small. In addition, due to the risk of tripping, the stud will have a maximum height restriction meaning that there will be limitations to the thickness or height of any adhesive layer.

Furthermore, the shafiless studs are to be fitted to existing paving surfaces, the type of which may vary substantially in terms of surface properties. The age, temperature, moisture content and oil content of the surface will be factors which impact on the shear and impact strengths of any adhesive bond.

-10 -The installation process for installing a plurality of shaftless tactile paving studs wifi now be described with reference to Figure 6. Prior to applying the studs, the surface is prepared, in Step 101, to be dry and free from dust. A stencil or template is applied, in Step 102, to the surface in order to mark out where the studs are to be applied. In one embodiment, the stencil is a die-cut stencil and is adhesively applied to the surface. In one embodiment, the surface of the stencil which contacts the surface has one or more areas of self-adhesive, which is sufficient to form a temporary adhesive bond with the surface, while the studs are being applied.

The stencil has a plurality of suitably sized holes through which the studs will be applied to the surface. As above, there are a plurality of different formations and patterns for the studs, and so a stencil having a suitable formation of holes will be selected to give the correct setting and spacing for the studs for the chosen tactile paving pattern.

After the stencil is applied, the surface may be further prepared, in Step 103, by applying a primer. Ptimers may be required for particular surfaces, for example natural stones and concrete substrates where the surface has an insufficiendy low surface roughness to ensure a sufficient adhesive bond with the weld adhesive.

When the surface is ready, the weld adhesive is applied, in Step 104, to the surface through the holes in the stencil. According to one embodiment the weld adhesive is one of three acrylic adhesives, DPSO7, DP812, and DP825, provided by 3MJM. These adhesives are known as toughened acrylic structural adhesives and are typically used to bond to metal, ceramics, wood and most plastics with minimal surface preparation.

The adhesive is typically a two-part adhesive which is mixed just before application. The act of mixing the adhesive may be achieved by hand or may be achieved using a dual cartridge within trigger device (i.e. caulking gun). The trigger is squeezed and the components are pushed towards the output of the dual cartridge, during which process the two-parts are automatically mixed and easily dispensed.

In one embodiment the weld adhesive is applied using a compressed air applicator to allow the correct dosage of adhesive for each stud. In one embodiment the correct dosage of adhesive is between approximately 0.O3ml/cm2 and lml/cm2. For example, a suitable dosage for attaching -11 -a circular stud having a diameter of approximately 2.5cm may be approximately 0.3lml. he actual dosage of adhesive required will vary depending on the porosity of the surface to which the shafdess stud is to be attached. A more porous substrate wifi require an increased volume of adhesive.

In one embodiment the weld adhesive is spread over the unmasked surface. In is preferable that the area to which the stud is applied has a thin coating of adhesive sub stantially covering the whole area.

The stud is then pressed, in Step 105, firmly into place. The required pressure may easily be achieved by hand. However, a person skilled in the art will appreciate that other means for applying pressure may be used.

After the studs are ali in place through the holes in the stencil, the stencil is removed, in Step 106. Typicaliy, it is necessary to remove the stencil before the adhesive forms an irreversible bond between the surface and the studs, since it wifi then become very difficult to remove the stencil. Typically, the stencil should be removed within approximately 5 to 10 minutes of application of the studs to the adhesive.

Removing the stencil after the studs have been applied removes any excess adhesive that may have leeched from under the studs during the application process.

The above embodiments have been described in relation to the professional installation of tactile paving, for example by skilled tradesmen having access to the tools and equipment necessary for installations of this type in a large scale. As such, the above embodiments may be regarded as being too cosdy, and the requirement for additional tools, i.e. the compressed air applicator or specialist skills may prejudice the above tactile paving from being used for installations on a smaller scale, in or around private property. However, there are many examples of where installations on a smaller scale would be particularly beneficial, for example, in or around the residential properties of visually impaired people. In one example, tactile paving may be desired to mark out hazards for visually impaired people such as ramp ways, staircases, and swimming pools. Therefore there is a requirement for a simplified, low cost embodiment of the shaftiess tactile paving which may be installed by lay persons in any suitable environment. The present embodiment may be referred to as a DIY or kit embodiment. Due -12 -to the safety concerns regarding potential trip hazards, it is still important that the studs are securely bonded to the surface to which they are applied.

Figures 7 show a shaftless tactile paving stud 50 according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the shafdess stud 50 is similar in appearance to that of Figures 2a and 2b, with an upper surface sloping upwards from the edge of the stud toward a plateau section. The stud 50 of the present embodiment may be identical to any of the studs 10, 20, 40 as described with reference to 2a to Sb. In addition, the stud is prefabricated with a section of acrylic tape adhesive 52.

One suitable tape adhesive is called Acrylic Foam Tape 4910F provided by 3MTM. Although other adhesive tapes demonstrating similar properties may be used. Previously this tape has been known for use in relation to sign manufacturing, and is typically used to assembling metal materials.

To install tactile paving using adhesive tape, a tactile paving kit comprising a plurality of shaftiess studs 50 is used. In one embodiment, each shaftiess stud is prefabricated with a section of adhesive tape 52, which is covered by a plastic backing film 54 during transport.

When it is desired to place the stud 50, the backing film 54 is removed and the stud 50 is placed firmly in place.

The section of adhesive tape 52 is die-cut to be a similar size and shape the shaftless stud to which the tape is to be attached.

In one embodiment, the adhesive tape 52 has a first (adhesive) surface which comprises acrylic adhesive for contacting and bonding with the surface to which the studs are to be applied. The adhesive has a second (non-adhesive) surface which is a membrane suitable for supporting the acrylic adhesive.

During the prefabrication manufacturing process the shaftless studs 50 are cleaned and primed prior to application of the sections of adhesive tape 52 to the base of the stud. In one embodiment, the non-adhesive surface of the tape is applied to the base of the stud using an acrylic weld adhesive as desctibed in relation to the earlier embodiments.

-13 -In one embodiment, the adhesive tape is adhesive on both its upper and lower planar surfaces (similar to double-sided tape) and has first and second plastic backing films on each surface.

In one embodiment, the studs with adhesive tape are prefabricated using double-sided adhesive tape. In this embodiment, the shaftless studs 50 are applied, as above, after removal of the backing film 54.

In an alternative embodiment, the instaliation of the shaftless tactile paving studs may be achieved using a double sided acrylic adhesive tape which is not attached to the studs prior to the instaliation process. In this embodiment, the first backing film is removed from a section of adhesive tape, which is placed with the adhesive side down on to the surface. Thereafter, the second backing film is removed and the shafdess stud is placed on top of the section of adhesive tape.

Regardless of the variations regarding how the sections of adhesive tape are applied to the shaftless studs, and how the studs are applied to the surface, the installation process is similar to the earlier embodiment described with reference to Figure 6. As shown in Figure 8 Steps 201 to 203 are the same as Steps 101 to 103 of Figure 6. However, in the present embodiment, the studs are applied using tape adhesive in a suitable manner desctibed above. In addition, there is no specific window of time in which to remove the stencil when using tape adhesive thereby giving greater flexibility to the installation process of the shaftiess tactile paving studs with tape adhesive.

A person skilled in the art will appreciate that the shear and peel strengths of tape adhesive are typically lower than those of weld adhesive. As such, it may be possible that over time any shafiless tactile paving studs installed using tape adhesive may become loose or removed from the surface. However, the safety ctitical nature of the studs in the environments where the tape adhesive studs are suitable is lower than that for the general public with a high volume of pedesttians. Therefore, a person skilled in the art will accept this limitation in terms of life of the product, while benefiting from the advantages of a simpler, quicker and cheaper installation of tactile paving. In the event that the product does become loose and fall off the LilY nature of the product means that any missing studs can easily be replaced.

The above embodiments of the invention have been desctibed with reference to the circular blisters/bumps used in the square tactile paving pattern and the off-set tactile paving pattern, -14-shown in Figures 1 a and ib, respectively. However, it is to be appreciated that both of the above embodiments relating to weld adhesive and tape adhesive may also be used in the application of a lozenge or corduroy tactile paving patterns.

Figure 9a shows a shaftiess rectangular bar tactile 60 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The bar tactile 60 may be manufactured in a similar manner to the aforementioned studs. The same reference numerals are used to depict the same features. As shown in Figure 9a, the bar tactile 60 is rectangular in shape with rounded edges and a bevelled/sloping upper surface 14. As before, this sloping upper surface 14 creates a profile for the bar tactile which minimises the potential for being a trip hazard.

As shown in Figure 9b, the bar tactile of one embodiment also has a recess 24 for receiving anti-slip resin 22. Similar to the circular studs a free edge 32 of a tim 26 surrounding the recess extends over an outer edge 30 of the bottom surface 28 of the recess 24. The free edge 30 of the tim is arranged to gtip the anti-slip resin to prevent it from coming loose, or fal]ing out of the bar tactile.

Advantageously, the resin 22 to be applied to any of the herein desctibed studs may be selected to have various colours. In some environments it is desirable to have tactile paving showing areas of different contrasting colours to convey additional information to visually impaired individuals. In the present invention, the main body of the studs can be manufactured in bulk, and the resin may be applied depending on the desired colour for a particular environment. In addition, the resin may be luminous such that the tactile paving has improved visibility in poor light conditions.

A person skilled in the art will appreciate that, the known limitations of adhesives have taught away from their use for tactile paving installations. Hence the requirement for drilling holes in existing methodologies. Yet, the inventors have identified an extreme few adhesives that would fulfil the requirements for the purpose of installing shaftless tactile paving studs. However, the present invention is not so limited to the examples given herein. It is to be appreciated that new adhesives may become available which would be suitable for this purpose, and so the invention should not be so limited to the

examples provided.

-15 -A person skilled in the art will appreciate that the term shaftless paving stud, shaftless tactile paving stud and bar tactile are interchangeable terms. In particular, the generic term shaftiess paving stud encompasses all variations of circular and bar tactile described herein.

Claims (14)

1. -16 -Claims 1. A method for installing a plurality of shaftless paving studs in a tactile paving arrangement, the method comprising: applying acrylic adhesive to localised areas of a flooring surface; and applying the plurality of shaftiess paving studs within the localised areas.
2. 2. The method of Claim 1, further comprising applying a template to the paving slab in order to localise the application of the acrylic adhesive to a desired location.
3. 3. The method of Claim 1 or Claim 2 further comprising applying primer to the flooring surface prior to applying the acrylic adhesive.
4. 4. The method of any preceding claim, further comprising applying primer to a base surface of the shaftiess paving stud.
5. 5. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the acrylic adhesive is weld adhesive and the steps of applying the acrylic adhesive and applying the plurality of shaftiess paving studs are two distinct steps.
6. 6. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the acrylic adhesive is tape adhesive and the plurality of shaftiess paving studs are each prefabricated to comprise a section of tape adhesive, such that the step of applying the acrylic adhesive and applying each of the plurality of shaftless paving studs is achieved in one step.
7. 7. A shaftiess paving stud for tactile paving instaliations, the stud comprising a substantially flat underside surface and an upper surface, wherein the upper surface slopes upwards from a distal edge of the stud toward the centre of the stud.
8. 8. The shaftiess paving stud as claimed in Claim 7, where the upper surface slopes upwards from the distal edge to a plateau portion.

   -17 -
9. 9. The shafdess paving stud as claimed in Claim 7 or Claim 8, wherein the plateau pordon has a rim defining a recess in a central pordon of the upper surface of the stud, and wherein the recess contains an and-slip resin.
10. 10. The shafdess paving stud as claimed in any one of Claims 7 to 9, wherein the recess comprises a sub standally fiat bottom surface having an outer edge, and a free edge of the rim extends over the outer edge of the sub standally fiat surface such that the and-slip resin is retained in place at least pardally by the free edge of the rim.
11. 11. The shafdess paving stud as claimed in any one of Claims 7 to 10, wherein the recess further comprises an and-spin dimple in the substandally fiat surface of the recess, offset from the centre of the recess, wherein the recess and and-spin dimple both contain and-slip resin such that the and-spin dimple prevents any rotadonai spinning of the and-slip resin.
12. 12. The shafdess paving stud as claimed in any one of Claims 7 to 11, wherein the stud has a circumferendal shape selected from the group comprising: circular, ovular, triangular, rectangular, and elongated ovular.
13. 13. A kit for installadon of tactile paving compdsing a plurality of shaftless paving studs as claimed in any one of Claims 7 to 12 and a plurality of adhesive tape pordons, wherein the adhesive tape portions are similar in shape to the shafdess paving studs.
14. 14. The kit as claimed in Claim 13, wherein the plurality of shaftless paving studs in the kit are prefabdcated to comprised one of the plurality of adhesive tape pordons.