When it comes to heavy-duty traffic, salvage yards get quite a bit of use. From broken-down vehicles to big rigs, tractors, and other huge vehicles, salvage yards are home to some pretty big, heavy pieces of machinery.
Most salvage yards aren’t exactly paved from head to toe, so it wouldn’t hurt the average yard to upgrade its pavement. Pavement can play a huge role in the overall impact that a salvage yard has on the land and water around it.
It can also save you money over the long haul, depending on what type you implement. So, if you want to outfit your salvage yard with the best pavement possible, let’s take a look at the pros and cons of some of the most popular types of pavement.
What is a Salvage Yard?
A salvage yard, otherwise known as a junkyard, is a place for machinery to be taken apart. When a car breaks down and no longer runs, many choose to take it to a salvage yard. At the salvage yard, they’ll buy your vehicle wholesale and salvage what parts they can from it in order to turn a profit.
This means you’ll see a whole lot of vehicles, auto parts, and machinery at an auto yard. Heavy vehicles used for transporting broken-down vehicles from one spot to another are abundant. Tow trucks, for example, are a staple of any salvage yard.
Do Salvage Yards Need Pavement?
Most salvage yards don’t use very much pavement at all. The average salvage yard pavement will consist of a dirt lot, interspersed with grass here and there. This is, of course, a bottom-of-the-barrel approach to running a salvage yard.
Most salvage yard parking will be non-existent and tacky, likely taking the form of a rutted dirt road or driveway. Cars and machinery will be scattered all around the plot of land, leaving it looking like every stereotypical junkyard you’ve ever seen.
If you want to run a salvage yard that’s even halfway respectable, however, you need pavement. When it comes to junkyard paving there are 4 main types: loose gravel, asphalt, concrete, and permeable paving.
Loose gravel is better than parking everything on bare grass because it does at least provide a buffer between the sharp metal parts and your topsoil. It can provide some amount of traction to drive on as well. That is, before it inevitably spreads.
The biggest downside to using loose gravel in a junkyard is that it spreads quickly. This leads to you having to pour more gravel constantly to replace what has spread out. It can also grind down into dust and become muddy when it rains.
Asphalt is another popular choice for salvage yard pavement. It provides excellent traction for vehicles and can help prevent them from tearing upr soft grass or dirt. Asphalt isn’t durable over the long term, though, requiring resealing every 5 years and resurfacing every 10. This maintenance is not cheap. Asphalt also gets sticky in extremely hot weather.
Concrete works just as well as asphalt for salvage yard parking and costs about the same to maintain over its lifespan. It gets brittle in cold temperatures, though, and requires the same level of maintenance that asphalt does, which isn’t cheap. Concrete takes a long time to install as well.
Permeable Pavers Are the Best Choice for Any Salvage Yard
The best salvage yard pavement material is permeable plastic pavement, hands down. Unlike asphalt and concrete, permeable plastic pavers like the kind made by TRUEGRID require almost zero maintenance throughout their 60-year lifespan. This is a great way to cut costs while achieving all the benefits of asphalt or concrete.
TRUEGRID PRO PLUS, especially, is perfect for handling the rigors of junkyard duty. They are made from 100%-recycled plastic and are durable enough to handle the weight of the heaviest vehicles and machinery. They can also be installed in a fraction of the time it takes for concrete and asphalt.
The best part is, these pavers have a 100%-permeability which means they will let fluids drain directly into the soil and be filtered the way nature intended, as opposed to being directed into a local storm sewer to pollute the water supply.
Trust in TRUEGRID for the Best Permeable Paver Parking Solution for Salvage Yards
TRUEGRID PRO LITE and TRUEGRID PRO PLUS pavers are perfect for salvage yard pavement because they ecapsulate gravel in the empty cells on their surface to create a level, sturdy surface to drive and park on. With a 8-inch sub-base of gravel, a TRUEGRID permeable paved area can handle intense rain flow without flooding, which is perfect for many salvage yards that have low points, hills, and slopes that are prone to washing out. Often TRUEGRID can be installed on existing compacted aggregate with minimal prep eliminating the need for additional base aggregate.
All in all, it’s hard to debate the efficacy of TRUEGRID permeable pavers as the perfect paving material for salvage yard parking. If you want to reap the benefits of durability, fast installation, low maintenance, and 100%-permeability, don’t hesitate to call TRUEGRID today.
