bestraten

Bestraten is a Dutch verb meaning to pave or to lay paving on a surface, typically streets, squares, and sidewalks. It is used in civil engineering, urban planning, and everyday speech to describe the construction or refurbishment of paved surfaces. The related noun bestrating refers to the paved surface itself, as in de bestrating is vernieuwd.

Etymology and language context: The verb bestraten derives from the noun straat (street) with the prefix be-, a productive prefix in Dutch that forms verbs denoting action performed on or for the object. The term is used in both the Netherlands and Flanders.

Usage and methods: Bestraten covers the installation of various paving materials, including asphalt, concrete slabs, bricks, and natural stones such as cobbles. The process typically includes site preparation, laying a sub-base and drainage layer, and placing the wearing course. Depending on material, joints and compaction are addressed to ensure stability and drainage. In historical contexts, bestraten can refer to laying brick or cobble paving, common in older city cores.

Historical and contemporary context: In the 19th and 20th centuries, many Dutch towns and cities underwent large-scale bestrating as part of modernizing infrastructure. In contemporary practice, asphalt or concrete is common for new roads, while historic cores may retain brick or cobble schemes.

See also: paving, asphalt paving, brick paving, cobblestone paving, road construction.