The days of automatically paving your commercial parking lots with asphalt are coming to an end. For smart business owners who want to maximize the value of their investments and minimize long-term expenditures wherever possible, asphalt is now in many cases not the best choice. For a multitude of reasons- cost, maintenance, land use, flood protection, environmental concerns, code restrictions-, there are new paving alternatives that are better.
The overall cost, waste, and durability issues with asphalt paving have left room for much more efficient asphalt alternatives to take its place. In case you’re a business owner and you want to implement the most effective alternative to pavement, here’s a breakdown of some of the best you can find.
TRUEGRID Permeable Paving
Permeable paving isn’t exactly a new invention, but TRUEGRID has taken it to the next level. The permeable pavers they offer are one of the best asphalt alternatives for parking lots that you can find.
There are numerous ways in which TRUEGRID pavers outperform similar paving alternatives to asphalt. While outperforming asphalt when it comes to drainage, durability, and length-of-life, the commercial permeable pavers offered by TRUEGRID in some applications can be less expensive than the installation and continual repaving of asphalt.
When is TRUEGRID cheaper than asphalt? First, when there is drainage or detention requirements from the use of an impervious material such as asphalt. TRUEGRID is 100 % permeable and can also provide detention under the surface. If a stabilized surface is needed for an undeveloped parking area, sometimes the TRUEGRID PRO LITE can be used without a base. This is the cheapest paving option possible and requires the least amount of site preparation.
In addition to the extremely low cost of installation and maintenance, permeable commercial pavers from TRUEGRID are also 100% permeable. This means unlike other alternatives to asphalt, you’ll never have to deal with mud zones, wash-outs, or puddling.
Even if you have varying permeability needs based on your location and precipitation, the stormwater detention capacity of your commercial TRUEGRID pavers can be adjusted by changing the fill depth and type of substrate used in them. This allows you to easily meet any local code requirements as well as make better use of your land by having a detention or retention structure built right into the sub-base of your pavement.
Commercial Business Require Commercial Paving
While TRUEGRID offers residential paving solutions as well, their commercial pavers are built differently to handle the loads of everyday commercial use. Once filled with gravel, your commercial pavers will be able to handle 1 million lbs per square foot loads of weight at a time. Large, heavy 18 wheelers with full loads are no problem. The weather in your area will have no effect on your pavers’ ability to bear loads, making it the perfect choice for parking lots of all types.
Another great thing about the TRUEGRID paving alternative is that it puts much less strain on the tires of vehicles that drive on it. The friction between gravel-filled permeable pavers and vehicle tires is much less than that of asphalt and tires. Over time, this will translate into a greatly reduced need for vehicle maintenance.
Summertime heat is also no longer an issue for commercial business owners who use TRUEGRID permeable pavers. The average asphalt parking lot will absorb a lot of heat, becoming scorching hot to the touch and even slightly sticky. The heat can cause the asphalt to become soft and get torn up by truck traffic or turning. Commercial pavers from TRUEGRID are made from 100% recycled plastic that can withstand temperatures from -58F to 194 F so the heat has no effect on them whatsoever. Freeze/thaw cycles are also a non-factor for this very reason. The paving system works in all climates and soils.
Alternative paving materials like webbing often fail to prevent the unwanted movement of gravel, but TRUEGRID pavers keep the gravel firmly in place and prevent any rutting from occurring. They also minimize dust. Also, because of the increased amount of traction they create, these commercial pavers are much safer and allow for much less skidding than other alternative paving solutions.
You will never need to repaint lines or restripe your parking lot if you have commercial permeable pavers from TRUEGRID in place. Instead, you’ll have plastic, colored lane markers that lock right into place in the pavers themselves. Not only will these have a life 4 to 5 times painted stripes, they can be repositioned if needed. This is not the case for painted striping used with other alternative paving ideas like porous concrete, for example.
You Don’t Need to Sacrifice Beauty for Performance in Your Parking Lots
While the permeable commercial pavers from TRUEGRID outperform asphalt as well as other pavement alternatives on a functional level, they don’t leave a lot to be desired in the way of aesthetic beauty either. A well-laid permeable paver parking lot will look just as, if not more, beautiful than an asphalt parking lot.
If you’re looking for alternatives to paving that can lower your overall costs in the short-term as well as long-term, look no further than permeable commercial pavers from TRUEGRID. This type of parking lot will last anywhere from 25 to 60 years, and never needs to be repainted or repaved. It provides a natural outlet for water drainage, does less damage to vehicles, is more environmentally-friendly, and more cost-effective as well.
It might sound like an exaggeration to say that asphalt is being phased out of use, but when you add up all the benefits of permeable pavers like those offered by TRUEGRID, it’s not hard to see why more and more commercial business owners are making the switch every day.
