A tread (1) for civil engineering tires, said tread comprising blocks (3) in a central part and edge ribs (2, 4), each block in the central row having a width Ltb measured in a direction parallel to the transversal peaks and a width Lcb measured in the circumferential direction, the tread (1) according to the invention being characterized in that each edge rib (2, 4) comprises a plurality of notches (21, 41), forming recesses, of transversal width Lte and circumferential length Lce, each notch being delimited along its entire height He by transversally oriented walls and one circumferentially oriented wall, each notch (21, 41) being geometrically appropriate to accommodate at least one end part of a block of the central region, leaving a circumferential clearance Ac (measured in the circumferential direction) and a transversal clearance At (measured in the transversal or axial direction); said clearances Ac and At being determined so as to ensure, under the normal driving conditions of the tire with said tread, at least partial contact by the end part of said block of the central region with at least one of the transversally oriented walls of each notch (21, 41), thereby preventing each of the blocks (3), having its ends fixed in place within said notches, from coming into contact with the neighboring blocks of the central row.