ᐅ Removing and Reinstalling Curb Stones (Kerbstones)

Dear forum members, the street in front of our house is currently being dug up to lay new utility lines. Due to space constraints, the excavation extends slightly into our property, where there was a paved walkway and an edging for a flower bed... or rather, where they used to be before the construction work.

The construction company has been subcontracted to restore everything to its original condition afterward. The curb stones of the walkway and the natural stone edging of the flower bed were each set in a standard concrete footing.

Now, more stones have been removed than were necessary for the excavation. The stones are gone, but the concrete footing is still present in those areas. How should this be properly restored so that it is durable in the long term? I am not a professional, but I assume one cannot simply reset stones into an existing footing after they have been broken out? Would it be sufficient to remove the top part of the footing (with which tool? Demolition hammer?) and then reset the stones using new concrete? Or should it be done differently?

Thank you in advance for your answers and input!

I would be surprised if there is a proper foundation (40-80cm deep) there. Edging stones, especially for walkways and flower beds, are usually secured only with a back support (concrete wedge). The concrete then extends 10, maybe 20cm (4-8 inches) into the ground. So it’s not really a problem if they break it up and then fix it again with a new wedge.

Thank you for your response. Under the stones, there is about 30 cm (12 inches), plus additional material for back support. So, it's not exactly something you can easily remove with a pickaxe (?)... How much of it should be removed before resetting the stones? Is it best to remove all of it? Or just the top 10 cm (4 inches)?

I would say that 20 cm (8 inches) should be enough, but since the company is doing the work, I would insist that everything is redone. They probably have proper equipment and not just a pickaxe.