The Best Eco-Friendly Paving for Universities
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.
If you own a commercial business, you want your exterior paving to look as nice as possible. Having a beautiful exterior hardscape design for your business sends a message to everyone who visits.
It leaves an impression and helps to better represent your company. Plain concrete walkways are boring. If you really want to make an impact with your hardscape, you need to get creative and experiment with new commercial hardscape ideas.
Hardscape Design Ideas
There are plenty of ways to do so nowadays, so let’s take a look at 7 commercial hardscape design ideas you can use to make your place of business stand out from the rest.
1. Terraced Slope with Water Features
If you’ve got a sloping hill to work with, having it terraced is the perfect way to make the most of it. By cutting terraces into your sloping land, you can use them to install greenery, flowers, shrubs, or any other feature you’d like. You can also have steps built into it, and even place a water feature like a fountain or lazy river at the bottom.
2. Natural Wood
Natural wood is incredibly versatile and looks good anywhere. If there’s a man-made creek or flowing water of any kind near your business, you can use natural wood to build a beautiful bridge over it.
You can also construct walkways, cable railings, and other features that work well to compliment the nature around them, as opposed to concrete or asphalt which gives off an industrial vibe.
3. Pergolas
Pergolas are perfect as landscaping for commercial businesses because they mostly serve as style pieces. They can provide a bit of shade or an area to sit down under but there is so much stylistic diversity with pergolas that they work best as an aesthetic addition to a hardscaping project.
You can choose from plain white stone pergolas, wooden pergolas, Roman-style pergolas with drapes, vines, and lattices, or any other design you can think up. Pergolas are some of the most versatile hardscaping accessories available.
4. TRUEGRID Permeable Pavers
Plastic permeable pavers from TRUEGRID can be filled with any type of aggregate you choose, and they are the perfect way to implement an eco-friendly design into your hardscaping. They look clean-cut and sleek, and are perfect for building parking lots, walkways, outdoor lounge areas, and more. They can be filled with any color aggregate to compliment your business aesthetic.
TRUEGRID PRO PLUS pavers are durable, low-maintenance, and provide the perfect foundation for adding more features like landscaping, benches, statues, sculptures, and much more.
5. Paver Art
If you’ve got a company brand or logo you want front and center, there’s no better way to display it than by having it implemented in your commercial hardscape design. Permeable stone pavers tend to work well for this type of design because they prevent water from running over the design and help keep it looking fresh.
6. Shade
If you expect plenty of sun as many businesses do, it’s never a bad idea to incorporate some shade into your commercial hardscape design. You can mix and match some of the aforementioned elements such as natural wood and TRUEGRID pavers as pavement.
For the actual shade, you could opt for patio-like structures, basic canvas shading, a pavilion, or anything that’s going to provide enough shade to get comfortable under. It doesn’t hurt to mix in a water feature and center all your seating and shading around that, either.
7. TRUEGRID ROOT Pavers
If you want to transform your grass into hardscaping without actually turning it into hard pavement, you’re in luck. TRUEGRID ROOT pavers are made from 100% recycled plastic and can be installed right over the top of your grass. The grass will grow up through them and can be kept at your desired height.
You could keep it somewhat short to show the pavers beneath or let it grow high enough that it hides the hardscaping. These pavers are durable enough to park and drive on and will prevent your grass from being rutted, torn up, or matted down.
You don’t even need a permit to install these, and much like TRUEGRID PRO PLUS pavers, the installation can be completed in under a day.
Let Your Hardscaping Speak for Itself with TRUEGRID
If you want to make a great first impression, optimizing your commercial hardscape design is crucial. There’s no excuse to have boring concrete walkways and monotone color schemes all around your building when there are so many creative hardscaping designs to choose from.
You don’t have to pick just one, either. Many of the commercial hardscape ideas listed here complement each other nicely, and can work together to create an overall theme or aesthetic that impresses everyone who sees it. TRUEGRID pavers, especially, go well with almost anything.
Whether you want to display your company logo, offer some shading, make use of a slope, incorporate natural wood, or achieve some other effect, any of the ideas listed here would be a great place to start.
If you’re interested in incorporating TRUEGRID pavers in the mix, be sure to contact one of our pavement professionals today for an estimate.
Concrete is one of the most harmful construction materials on the planet when it comes to measuring its environmental impact. The process by which concrete is made releases tons of CO2 into the atmosphere and accounts for about 8% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions while consuming nearly 3% of its energy supply.
However, since concrete is unlikely to be phased completely out of use anytime soon, we can reduce the amount we use wherever possible. One of the ways to lower our concrete carbon footprint is by using alternative paving materials. There are plenty of options with a lower carbon footprint than concrete that work just as well for paving surfaces.
If you’re looking to lay new pavement down for any reason, let’s take a look at some much healthier options that will work just as good, if not better than concrete.
1. Porous Asphalt
Porous asphalt is more environmentally-friendly than concrete for a number of reasons. First, it produces much less runoff, which lessens the burden on local storm systems. It also requires much less energy to make and puts less carbon dioxide in the air. It also doesn’t require as much maintenance as concrete if it’s properly maintained.
Although porous asphalt isn’t entirely permeable, it does allow enough stormwater to pass through it that it lessens the need for additional drainage systems and storage basins.
Porous asphalt is able to handle most general traffic, but is weak and doesn’t whereas well as traditional asphalt. Alos, to stay pervious it needs frequent cleaning or power washing. It is a viable option to be considered a choice for residential homeowners in need of a new driveway to commercial business owners looking to install a parking lot.
2. Grid-Supported Grass
Grid-supported grass is one of the environmentally-friendly pavement options available. There are many types of grids designed to stabilize and support grass for handling light to moderate traffic. The most eco-friendly version of these is plastic.
Recycled plastic grids can be laid down over the top of grass, allowing the grass to grow up and through the holes in the grids. These grids have a tiny carbon footprint as they’re produced with recycled materials.
They are also almost entirely permeable and allow for the natural flow of water directly through them and into the soil below. They are not suitable for heavy, repeated traffic from industrial vehicles, but they work perfectly well for commercial and residential usage.
You can also use them to turn grass areas into parking spaces without having to obtain any permits, as you would with porous asphalt, concrete, or any other material that requires excavation.
3. Slag/Gravel
Slag and gravel are similar materials that also work quite well as pavement. Slag is best used in residential driveways and works best when stabilized with plastic pavers.
Gravel can also be used in a similar fashion, and it works much better when stabilized. If you want to use gravel for commercial purposes or you just want to prevent it from spreading, permeable plastic grid pavers can be used to stabilize it.
TRUEGRID PRO PAVERS are an example of a superior paving product that can stabilize gravel and make it suitable for supporting heavy traffic for many years. Suitable for both commercial and residential use, these pavers are made from 100% recycled plastic and help prevent tons of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere each year.
You can use TRUEGRID pavers to construct a durable, clean-cut driveway or parking lot that never spreads, and is almost fully permeable as well. The eco-friendly effect of these pavers is also felt in the long-term, as they can last up to 50 years with very little maintenance required.
TRUEGRID pavers provide the best of both worlds when it comes to environmentally-friendly pavement. They are much more durable than the average grass-grids, more permeable than porous asphalt, and the installation can be completed in as little as one day.
To provide drainage, detention, and structural strength to handle cars and truck traffic, simply excavate the desired paving area to a depth of about 8 to 12 inches depending on the site specifics, lay a fabric at the bottom, fill the pit with gravel, compact it, snap the interlocking pavers into place over the top of the gravel, pour more gravel into the surface of the pavers, and compact it into the empty cells with a heavy vehicle or roller.
TRUEGRID is On An Eco-Friendly Mission to Reduce Our Carbon Footprint
In order to help win the ever-important battle against global warming, reducing our concrete carbon footprint is a must. Concrete is one of the most harmful materials to make when it comes to releasing emissions into the air, so we must replace it wherever possible.
TRUEGRID permeable pavers are the best solution to our alternative paving needs. They are just as durable as any other paving material, yet permeable, long-lasting, low-maintenance, and incredibly eco-friendly.
If you want to do your part to reduce our concrete carbon footprint, get in touch with a pavement specialist at TRUEGRID today.
With more trucks on the road than ever before, the need for overnight truck parking is at an all-time high. Businesses of all shapes and sizes are now shipping products across the country and the primary way those products get from point A to point B is via truck drivers.
However, there are time and safety restrictions which mean that drivers can’t quite work the long, overnight hours that they used to. In order to cut down on accidents and health concerns, truck drivers are often required to pull over and park for a certain amount of time before getting back on the road.
Big trucks can’t just park anywhere. Often, the only places they can park are designated industrial zones within towns and cities. Regular asphalt parking lots aren’t meant to handle traffic from big heavy trucks on a consistent basis, though, and will quickly break down under the weight and pressure of large vehicles.
There are plenty of opportunities for independent parties to build their own trucking lots and make money, but the right materials are needed for the job. If you’re interested in building a new overnight truck parking lot for drivers or updating your current one, let’s take a look at the best product for the job:
Asphalt and Concrete Can’t Handle Big Trucks
The weight of the average shipping truck is far greater than that of your average pickup truck, minivan, or car. Semi-trucks wreak havoc on regular asphalt or concrete lots, quickly breaking them down and leading to the need for costly repairs on a far-too-frequent basis if they lack an effective telematics system. The only way to build a durable, long-lasting, and low-maintenance lot for overnight truck parking is to use permeable pavement.
TRUEGRID Permeable Pavement is the Solution to Overnight Truck Parking
TRUEGRID makes the highest quality permeable pavement products on the planet. Their pavers are UV-resistant, weather-resistant, and durable enough to handle the weight of daily 18 wheeler traffic.
They are made from 100% recycled plastic and filled with hard gravel, so they will not break down easily like asphalt and concrete. A TRUEGRID Pro Plus paver parking lot will last anywhere from 25 to 60 years, much longer than asphalt and concrete. TRUEGRID pavers also require almost zero maintenance.
Another reason why TRUEGRID permeable pavers are the go-to product for truck parking is that they act as their own drainage system. Stormwater drains directly through them and into the soil below, instead of pooling or being diverted into a drainage system. Installing a drainage system for an impermeable lot is an extra cost out of your pocket, and it cuts down on the amount of land you can use for actual parking.
Permeable pavers eliminate the need for a detention pond and other drainage features. This is substantial because overnight parking lots need to be large in order to accommodate the wide turning lanes and dimensions of shipping trucks, so the more land you can utilize, the better.
TRUEGRID pavers are also far more eco-friendly than asphalt and concrete and have a significantly positive impact on the local environment, in comparison. The installation process is also incredibly fast and, depending on the size of your lot, can be completed in as little as one or two days.
First, the area is excavated to the required depth, with a cloth barrier laid at the bottom. Then, gravel or another type of aggregate is used to fill the excavated area, then compacted to lock the angular gravel base. Next, the interlocking permeable pavers are snapped into place like puzzle pieces over the top of the aggregate base.
Afterward, more aggregate is spread into the top of the pavers and can be compacted into the empty cells with a heavy roller or vehicle. Once this is done, the lot is complete and ready to drive on. There’s no need to wait for materials to dry, and almost no special equipment required.
Large 18-wheelers can drive on a gravel filled grid permeable paver lot without displacing the aggregate. This is not the case with asphalt, as it can unravel even under the weight of large non-commercial use vehicles.
The lot lines in a TRUEGRID permeable paver lot will never fade, either. Instead of using regular paint, TRUEGRID makes special plastic markers of different colors that are snapped easily into place in the pavers. They will stay bright and visible even in snowy conditions or fog.
Overnight Truck Parking is in High Demand
The need for overnight truck parking lots cannot be overstated. Lack of truck parking is a huge problem in the industry and can lead to a plethora of negative consequences. By building your overnight parking lot with TRUEGRID permeable pavers, you can guarantee that you’re offering the highest quality parking experience for big trucks, and save money and maximize land use.
Not only will you save money on drainage and maintenance, your lot will provide truckers with everything they need to safely and securely park their big rigs while they get their much-needed rest overnight. If you want to build a superior-quality overnight parking lot for big trucks, don’t hesitate to get in touch with a pavement professional at TRUEGRID today.
