Universities tend to be some of the most forward-thinking places on Earth. Especially when it comes to environmental awareness, they’re always looking for the latest and greatest technology to help reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainability.
Impermeable pavement like concrete and asphalt is one of the largest producers of carbon emissions that we have, which makes it crucial to implement eco-friendly alternatives wherever possible.
Concrete and asphalt are inferior paving materials because of the amount of maintenance they require, the additional drainage systems needed, the installation times, and overall cost.
One alternative to these harmful materials has been taking the world by storm. TRUEGRID permeable pavement is the number one paving solution for businesses and universities alike.
In case you weren’t aware why TRUEGRID has been gaining steam with the environmentally-conscious lately, let’s take a look at its many benefits, as well as a case study at a certain university.
How Do TRUEGRID Pavers Work?
Made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic, TRUEGRID PRO PLUS pavers are snapped together over an excavated area that has been filled with compacted aggregate. The pavers are then filled with more aggregate which is pressed into the empty cells of the pavers, creating a super strong, durable surface that also drains and detains stormwater. Cars, trucks, bicycles, or pedestrians are all compatible with TRUEGRID.
The pavers are almost effectively 100% permeable, allowing rainwater, pollutants, and more to drain directly through them into the soil below, where it can be naturally filtered, as nature intended.
The advantages that TRUEGRID pavers have over other pavement options are many. First, they require almost no maintenance throughout their lifetime. A parking lot built with TRUEGRID pavers can last up to 60 years with very minimal maintenance required.
They are weather-resistant, UV-resistant, and durable enough to handle the weight of a falling monster truck without breaking. They’re also sleek and aesthetically pleasing, making them superior to concrete and asphalt pavement in just about every way.
UC Santa Cruz Case Study
As a college located right on the northern coastline of California, UC Santa Cruz had some special requirements when it came to installing new parking lots.
Not only did they need something that was aesthetically pleasing, they needed pavement that could safely and effectively handle the runoff, oil and gas drippings, phosphorus, nitrogen, and other auto pollutants that are commonly leaked in most parking lots.
Being next to the coastline, they could not afford these liquids getting into the ocean without being properly filtered. So, they used TRUEGRID in 6 new parking lots, all built with TRUEGRID PRO PLUS pavers. They used clean stone for the infill and base, which naturally filters the rainwater through a bioremediation process as it is entering the soil.
TRUEGRID was also used to build one of the 6 parking lots with additional filtration by directing the already-filtered water from the TRUEGRID lot into a secondary vegetated swale area that further filtered the runoff water before it eventually made its way to the ocean.
TRUEGRID Pavers are Perfect for Universities
UC Santa Cruz was very pleased with the effectiveness of the filtration system that TRUEGRID PRO PLUS pavers provide, but also with how TRUEGRID was used to design the parking lots in a way that complemented their aesthetic. It’s safe to say that this project was a massive success, and other universities would do well to follow in the footsteps of UC Santa Cruz.
If you want pavement that is made from eco-friendly material, and also helps preserve the local water table and prevents pollutants from contaminating nearby oceans, lakes, and storm systems, don’t hesitate to get in touch with a pavement professional from TRUEGRID today for a quote.
