Grass Paving: A Truly Green Alternative to Traditional Outdoor Construction
[Posted on September 5 2014 by: Barry Stiles]
Exemplifying the very essence of eco-friendliness, grass paving is growing in popularity as an ideally ‘green’ option for alternative parking construction. It may sound like little more than a double entendre, but using grass as a surface material over permeable pavement structures gives outdoor spaces a uniquely natural look and feel while still effectively serving their purpose. Parking lots and outdoor structures paved with TRUEGRID’s unique, hi-impact recycled polymer design are engineered to withstand up to 8020 psi, after being filled and covered with grass-making TRUEGRID-paved surfaces the strongest in the world, even with the appearance of a soft and fluffy exterior.
How TRUEGRID-Fortified Grass Paving Compares to Traditional Materials
TRUEGRID’s patented paving system pairs a matchless geometric design with s-flex joints, a three-point locking tab and one-of-a-kind x-anchor to create the world’s strongest permeable paver-effectively surpassing traditional pavers in not only strength but also cost-effectiveness. TRUEGRID is faster and less expensive than concrete to install and requires a fraction of the maintenance required by traditional materials as well.
Even asphalt, while potentially saving on initial installation costs, cannot compare to the fully permeable alternative in the long run. Many of the expenses associated with the use of traditional materials for parking and road construction-including the costs of building underground drainage pipes and conventional stormwater systems beneath concrete- or asphalt-paved structures-are essentially eliminated with the use of permeable pavers covered by grass or gravel.
Evaluating the Environmental Impact of Grass Paving vs. Traditional Methods
Now-with the logistics already covered-let’s look at the large-scale, global advantages of choosing grass pavers for commercial and industrial outdoor construction.
Impervious paving surfaces have been identified as one of the planet’s chief environmental threats, causing particular concern in urban areas, where they are often predominant. Responsible for a myriad of eco-threats-including groundwater contamination and sewerage overflows-traditional, impervious surfaces are being recognized in major U.S. metropolitan areas, including Houston, as a targeted construction concern.
As an alternative, grass-or gravel-covered TRUEGRID permeable pavers effectively eliminate virtually every damaging effect associated with traditional pavement materials. By reducing stormwater runoff and filtering pollutants naturally, through the substrata layers found below the surface of unblocked soil, TRUEGRID keeps toxins out of the environment-while simultaneously increasing land utilization, preventing dangerous heat islands and the resultant emission of greenhouse gases and even saving trees by allowing the required root zones they need to thrive.