The humble parking lot isn’t so simple. With an estimated 800 million parking spaces across the US, these utilitarian flats start with zoning regulations, planning meetings and architects, and usually finish with the most common paving material in America: Asphalt.
Here are three facts about asphalt parking lots that might surprise you.
1. Parking Lot Size Isn’t an Exact Science
Zoning regulations vary by state and city, but there are a few relative standards that help determine how much space is devoted to parking.
Average parking space size is 9 feet wide by 19 feet long, according to the Asphalt Paving Association of Iowa. The type of business or feature also helps determine the right lot size.
An auditorium, restaurant or church needs .3 parking slots per seat, while retail spaces, offices and shopping centers need between 3 and 5 slots per 1,000 gross square foot of floor area. These numbers vary based on where the lot is located, how much walk-in traffic the building or feature gets, how long users stay parked and how many people in the area use public transportation.
Designing a parking lot is a bit of a tug of war between what’s best for the environment and what drivers expect. Driving into a parking lot that’s near capacity frustrates people who want a convenient spot, but too-large lots contain wasted space.
2. Asphalt Parking Lots are Finished Fast
The two most common paving materials for parking lots are asphalt and concrete. More developers use asphalt for several reasons.
Start to finish, an asphalt parking lot is quick to install, doesn’t require curing time and leaves a smooth, low-noise finish. Concrete holds foot traffic within several hours, but it needs days to cure hard enough for vehicle traffic. Water in the concrete mix causes crystallization, which hardens the material. Asphalt is ready to use shortly after its installed because curing isn’t a issue.
Both materials are best installed when ambient temperature is 50 degrees or higher, but asphalt isn’t compromised by warmer temperatures.
3. Asphalt Isn’t a Burden on the Environment
Asphalt is made from bitumen and aggregate. In everyday terms, crushed stone mixed with the sticky byproduct of refined petroleum makes the asphalt used for parking lots, driveways and roads. The mix is heated, poured, leveled and compacted to make a smooth, durable surface.
Because of the petroleum content, some think asphalt isn’t the greenest paving option. But calculating the carbon footprint takes more than just the materials that go into it.
The petroleum required for asphalt is a leftover; a by-product that would otherwise be discarded. The lifespan of asphalt paving is greater than concrete, so there’s less wasteful demolition and disposal of old paving materials. When old asphalt is eventually replaced, the material removed is reused to make new asphalt.
This is all in line with one of the hallmarks of green living: Reduce, reuse and recycle. With asphalt, you’re reducing the need to consume more resources because the pavement lasts longer. Old materials are saved for reuse, and ultimately recycled into new asphalt.
These are only a few of the many reasons to consider asphalt parking lot paving. With its attractive, stain-resistant appearance, smooth surface and eco-friendly nature, its no wonder that well over 90% of American roads and parking lots are asphalt.
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