Parking Lot Paving
Charlotte NC Paving company builds large or small parking lots for commercial clients. People don't want to be stressed with trying to find parking every time they visit a place of business or service provider. Any type of long term success will elude a business without convenient parking. We build parking lots with the goal to provide a safe environment for the public in which they can drive, park and walk in relative safety to the building.
Planing A New Parking Lot
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If you’re not 100% satisfied with our assistance, be sure to let us know! We guarantee our services. |
Drainage
Drainage must be designed to sweep rain water away from the parking lot surface even in the event of a heavy rain. Drainage can take the form of underground catch basins, drainage ponds with fencing or culverts running along the edges. There is also Bioretention a technique to catch and treat parking lot runoff with the use of landscape islands. The islands work best when installed below the parking lot level in order to catch and treat the rain water runoff. The island contains a pond about 6 to 8 inched deep with an overflow outlet to drain excess water in case of very heavy rain. Storm water is absorbed by the island soil which filters and cleans it before it becomes part of the ground water.
Drainage must be designed to sweep rain water away from the parking lot surface even in the event of a heavy rain. Drainage can take the form of underground catch basins, drainage ponds with fencing or culverts running along the edges. There is also Bioretention a technique to catch and treat parking lot runoff with the use of landscape islands. The islands work best when installed below the parking lot level in order to catch and treat the rain water runoff. The island contains a pond about 6 to 8 inched deep with an overflow outlet to drain excess water in case of very heavy rain. Storm water is absorbed by the island soil which filters and cleans it before it becomes part of the ground water.
A Bioretention Island
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Drainage Culvert That Has Been Planted
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Underground Drainage
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Traffic Load
Parking lots will often have to carry traffic loads equivalent to those on the streets because they service busy primary commercial facilities, such as shopping centers, medical centers, office buildings and others… The importance of traffic load in their design is sometimes overlooked in comparison to the building design. When the asphalt pavement is too thin to carry the loads, it’s being subject to, it will quickly breakup in those areas of heavy traffic. Keep in mind that most, if not all, parking lots are subject to some heavy truck traffic, such as garbage trucks and delivery trucks- pretty much a fact of the modern world we live in. It would be a wise decision to build a parking lot with sufficient pavement thickness to handle these heavy vehicles where they use the pavement.
Special Needs
Parking lots are designed to meet the needs of its users, when they visit either a shopping center, business office complex, residential facility, medical complex or commuter lot. Each type of lot will have specific user needs. For example, a medical complex may require more handicap spaces with van accessible signs, a home improvement store will require truck lanes, and a bank will require a drive through lane.
The handicap accessible requirements in North Carolina are:
Large parking lots with more than 1000 parking spaces require 20 handicap accessible spaces plus 1 more for each additional 100 spaces.
Small parking lots require 1 handicap accessible space for every 25 to 50 spaces.
Additionally, out of every 8 handicap accessible spaces 1 must be a Van accessible space with the requirement that it is 132 inches wide with a 60-inch access aisle.
Parking lots are designed to meet the needs of its users, when they visit either a shopping center, business office complex, residential facility, medical complex or commuter lot. Each type of lot will have specific user needs. For example, a medical complex may require more handicap spaces with van accessible signs, a home improvement store will require truck lanes, and a bank will require a drive through lane.
The handicap accessible requirements in North Carolina are:
Large parking lots with more than 1000 parking spaces require 20 handicap accessible spaces plus 1 more for each additional 100 spaces.
Small parking lots require 1 handicap accessible space for every 25 to 50 spaces.
Additionally, out of every 8 handicap accessible spaces 1 must be a Van accessible space with the requirement that it is 132 inches wide with a 60-inch access aisle.
Really Can't Use the Handicap Space
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Parking Space With Poles
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Poorly Designed Parking Lots
Poorly designed parking lots are difficult or even scary to navigate- think of poor lighting, uneven pavement, and unclear directions. Another issue, are narrow parking spaces that get worse as a row fills in (not every motorist will park evenly within a space). Frustrated motorists will soon look for a better avenue for what they need or desire.
Before You Hire That Asphalt Paver/Contractor
You should get at least 3 quotes for your asphalt paving project to get a good understanding of the costs involved. Make sure the services they are quoting are equivalent- same inches of compacted subgrade, asphalt base, asphalt surface, and type of asphalt mix. If you receive a very low quote, you should wonder why. Where are the corners being cut? Are they using inferior material, less asphalt laid down, no preparation of the subbase and inadequate compaction?
Questions to ask that will guard against hiring inferior Asphalt Paving Contractors:
Ask for references- then call them.
Are their employees full time or do they hire day laborers or subcontractors?
Does the company have liability insurance and workman's compensation insurance? Ask to see proof- check number of employees insured and if low number, ask why?
Do they warranty their work?
Do they preform regular maintenance on their equipment?
Does the salesperson communicate well, and explain the process in a way you can understand?
Do they provide good drainage by proper and expert grading? Often a parking lot will stand the test of time or fail quickly based on how well the contractor implemented good drainage.
Does the contractor describe how the subbase will be prepared? Areas with poor drainage require a deeper subbase.
Will they treat the soil with a commercial soil sterilizing agent prior to paving to prevent weeds from coming up in the pavement?
What will be the compacted inches of the asphalt layers (base and surface)?
When is the full payment expected? Most companies do not expect full payment until the job is completed and the client has satisfactorily reviewed it. It is a Bad idea to provide full payment before the job is done- the asphalt company could be in the wind, and your parking lot will still need to be done.
Ask for references- then call them.
Are their employees full time or do they hire day laborers or subcontractors?
Does the company have liability insurance and workman's compensation insurance? Ask to see proof- check number of employees insured and if low number, ask why?
Do they warranty their work?
Do they preform regular maintenance on their equipment?
Does the salesperson communicate well, and explain the process in a way you can understand?
Do they provide good drainage by proper and expert grading? Often a parking lot will stand the test of time or fail quickly based on how well the contractor implemented good drainage.
Does the contractor describe how the subbase will be prepared? Areas with poor drainage require a deeper subbase.
Will they treat the soil with a commercial soil sterilizing agent prior to paving to prevent weeds from coming up in the pavement?
What will be the compacted inches of the asphalt layers (base and surface)?
When is the full payment expected? Most companies do not expect full payment until the job is completed and the client has satisfactorily reviewed it. It is a Bad idea to provide full payment before the job is done- the asphalt company could be in the wind, and your parking lot will still need to be done.
Benefits of Experience
Parking Lot Light Within Tree Foliage
Many parking lots with long planting strips and an island at the end of the strip will generally plant many shade trees for shaded parking spaces. However, many times the security lights will be placed 20 to 30 feet off the ground and once the trees have matured much of the light will diverted by their canopies. For the parking lot to remain safely lit, the trees will have to be pruned or the lights lowered to a height of about 10 feet. Give yourself an opportunity to talk with experienced commercial asphalt pavers like Charlotte NC Paving. We can advise you against some common design errors that could be costly to repair at some time in the future.
Out of the area but still in need of asphalt paving services? Visit High Point Paving Contractors for another trusted paving company.
We are licensed, bonded and insured. Licensing requires formal training or years of job experience. Bonding requires our paving company keep money with a retainer in case a court of law orders damages due to settle a lawsuit. Insured employees ensure that when a worker is injured on the job they have to apply to the employer for compensation- not the homeowner’s policy. We will provide our business license and proof of Bonding and Insurance policies gladly upon request.