We’ve all been there; you pull into the parking lot of a local business only to step out into an ankle-deep puddle, soaking your foot and ruining the rest of your day. Don’t let your commercial real estate fall victim to the same fate, plan ahead and implement commercial parking lot drainage systems.
When constructing a commercial building project, there can be a seemingly endless supply of details, decisions, and red tape. While these hurdles can be daunting, keeping components like commercial parking lot drainage systems at the front of your mind will save your future self a lot of headaches.
So what are the best commercial parking lot drainage systems and solutions? Keep reading to find out.
Catch Basins
The catch basin is one of the most common commercial parking lot drainage systems.
Typically made from plastic, a catch basin is an open-topped box installed just below grade with a grate for a lid that sits flush with the finished asphalt or concrete floor. The finished parking lot floor should be pitched toward the grate, to allow water to flow into the basin below and away from the parking lot through a series of drainage pipes.
Although catch basins are a very widely implemented commercial parking lot drainage system, they thrive in scenarios that do not see substantial rainfall or non revenue water runoff.
The limited size of a catch basin reduces its capacity to handle large volumes of water. They are notorious for becoming clogged with debris like sediment and leaves, and they require a lot of maintenance.
Concrete-Encased Drainage Basins
Concrete-encased drainage basins are constructed similarly to catch basins, but are built out of concrete.
The advantages of using concrete-encased catch basins are:
- Increased capacity to handle larger amounts of water
- More rugged and durable construction.
A commercial parking lot drainage system is a substantial improvement over a standard catch basin, but they still have clogging issues and the potential to be overpowered by large quantities of precipitation.
Trench Drains
Another popular commercial parking lot drainage system is the trench drain.
Trench drains are long, narrow plastic or metal catch systems installed below grade with a grate covering the top. The concrete or asphalt parking lot floor is pitched toward the trench, which pours water into your drainage system.
Trench drains can handle a larger volume of water than catch basins, but they often have similar clogging issues; if a trench drain becomes clogged, it is utterly useless.
French Drains
A french drain is a style of commercial parking lot drainage system that embeds a perforated pipe or tube beneath grade, that is typically covered with a permeable material like gravel or crushed stone.
A good french drain will cover the permeable pipe in a mesh sock or sleeve that helps to prevent sediment and other debris from clogging the drain. Unfortunately, the fabric itself can often become saturated with a fine layer of silt, which makes it impervious.
Permeable Pavers
Permeable pavers, like TRUEGRID PRO PLUS, are an incredible commercial parking lot drainage system that provides unmatched drainage while maintaining the compressive strength and durability required for a high-traffic parking area.
Unlike traditional parking lots made of concrete or asphalt, TRUEGRID PRO PLUS lets you use grass or gravel as your parking surface. These naturally porous surfaces create a parking lot that will drain naturally over its entire surface area without risk of clogs.
Grass
Creating a grass commercial parking lot makes a unique visual statement and a naturally draining, environmentally-friendly space among the sea of concrete. TRUEGRID PRO PLUS allows grass to grow and thrive, and protects its delicate roots from crushing with their 100% post-consumer recycled PPE, 100% Made in the USA plastic grid.
Gravel
Creating a commercial parking lot from TRUEGRID PRO PLUS and gravel provides a virtually maintenance-free parking lot.
Unlike typical gravel parking lots that suffer from rutting and spilling, the TRUEGRID PRO PLUS keeps gravel firmly in place and eliminates rutting. By creating an entire parking lot out of gravel, you can all but guarantee that you will not have any drainage issues because the whole lot is naturally permeable.
Solve Your Commercial Parking Lot Drainage Problems with TRUEGRID
Founded in 2013, TRUEGRID permeable pavers are 100% Made in the USA from 100% post-consumer recycled PPE. TRUEGRID permeable pavers have been installed across the world, to provide environmentally-friendly natural drainage for residential and commercial projects alike, in addition to preventing millions of pounds of plastic being dumped in landfills and oceans,
The TRUEGRID PRO PLUS is a permeable paver specifically developed to handle the unique rigors of commercial parking lots. The PRO PLUS is 100% permeable, easy to install, and virtually maintenance-free.
Boasting industry-leading strength, the PRO PLUS is engineered for heavy use providing H20, and HS20+ rated strength.
Contact TRUEGRID today, or get a free online quote for your project today, and find out how TRUEGRID is true to your project and true to the environment.
