#Concrete parking blocks how to

The loads are mostly static (or low speed), so flatness and smoothness are not as critical as for streets and highways. When comparing parking lots to other concrete applications, they are obviously subjected to higher loads than floors. The pavement designer can use this nomograph and an iterative technique to come up with the pavement thickness based on the subbase strength and the anticipated loads. According to Pool, ambient air temperatures above a concrete parking lot can be as much as 10° cooler than an asphalt lot. The lighter color also results in a lower temperature for the parking area during the summer, reducing the heat-island effect and lowering cooling costs for adjacent buildings.This creates a safer parking lot and also reduces energy costs. Concrete surfaces are much lighter colored, meaning that lighting costs can be reduced-you can eliminate 3 of 10 light fixtures and still have the same level of lighting, according to Vance Pool of the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association.Asphalt parking lots need to be coated with liquid asphalt every few years and be completely resurfaced every 10 years or less, causing interruptions of use of the parking lot for the business. Maintenance costs for concrete are nearly zero-only some joint sealing and annual cleaning.Improvements in refining techniques have led to asphalt shortages. Liquid asphalt is a residue left over from refining crude oil to make gasoline.

Asphalt is similar to concrete except that it uses liquid asphalt as the binder rather than portland cement.Here are a few of the reasons why a building owner should pave his parking lots with concrete: Over its lifetime, the most expensive pavement is a typical asphalt pavement which is cheaper to build initially, but is under-designed in load-carrying capacity and ends up with high maintenance costs. When these factors are considered, concrete wins the race.Įven structurally equivalent asphalt pavement that is designed to have the same load-carrying capacity as concrete and has an initial cost that is comparable to concrete, will still need to be resealed and resurfaced. For years, contractors have emphasized concrete’s lower life-cycle costs based on its longer life span and lower maintenance needs. While the initial cost of installing asphalt is still less than that of concrete, rising asphalt prices have narrowed the gap some. Contractors need to understand the advantages of concrete parking lots in order to clearly justify them to their customers.

#Concrete parking blocks how to

Let's look at how to design and build concrete parking lots and also why concrete parking lots are preferable to asphalt. Wisconsin Ready Mixed Concrete Association WHY CONCRETE PARKING LOTS MAKE SENSE

Concrete parking lots make sense for many applications.