Attractive, Durable Concrete Parking Areas Hold Many Civic Benefits

Cape Business News Online from Cape Town, South Africa, reported: According to global authority on concrete pavements Bryan Perrie, PE, Managing Director-The Concrete Institute and ISCP Vice-President, concrete offers several major advantages when it comes to the construction of parking areas.

1 – MAINTENANCE COSTS of concrete parking areas are MINIMAL
2 – Only some joint sealing
3 – Some cleaning usually required annually
4 – LIGHTING of the parking areas also can be reduced through the use of the much lighter colored concrete surfaces. It has been estimated that 3 out of 10 light fixtures can be eliminated without losing the level of lighting in a parking lot when using light concrete surfaces. “With crime a constant problem in our country, the lighter concrete parking lots create safer storage of cars while reducing energy costs,” Perrie explains.

Perrie stated, “[While concrete parking lots can last as long as 20 years before maintenance], asphalt parking surfaces will need total resurfacing at least every 10 years. Asphalt parking areas also need to be coated with liquid asphalt every few years. Such maintenance work can be very disruptive to the operations of any office block or commercial shopping complex.”

Studies in the USA have shown that over a typical 20-year life of a parking area, concrete required very little maintenance expense, while maintenance for an asphalt lot can be as much as 80% of the initial construction cost. On a Florida, USA, project, an asphalt parking lot ended up costing twice as much after 20 years than a similar concrete facility.

For the article, please go to: http://www.cbn.co.za/component/k2/attractive-durable-concrete-parking-areas-hold-many-civic-benefits

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