Turn Around..... Concrete Or?

vwovw

i need a place to park vehicles in my back yard. what can i do that is green? I was thinking of concrete but thats not good for my yard.

Cole

What is your budget?

http://www.grasscrete.com/docs/paving/grasscrete.htm

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Tulsa's Leader in Outdoor Living Construction | Facebook | Tulsa Pergola Builder | Tulsa Outdoor Kitchens

concretemasonry

Grasscrete and grass pavers have been around for many year.

You can have them poured (quite pricy) ar you can buy units and set them on a gravel base and fill the voids with top soil and seed.

The larger size "paver" units are 16x24 or 24x24 and 3 1/2" to 4 1/2" thick. Make sure the top soil is at least 3/4" below the top of the concrete to avoid compaction and sealing the soil. These units are commonly used for parking areas, emergency vehicle paths around large buildings or access road in parks.

There are also some smal paver sized (about 4"x8") units that have edge gaps designed to charge the groundwater.

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Dick

Engineer, designer and consultant recently active domestically and internationally on construction and design in about 35 countries.

dnfabrsix

I was reading in the paper of a local homeowner looking to move to "Green" building techniques for his new home. His original home was destroyed by hurricanes two years ago.

Flexi Pave was a product he was using for his drives and sidewalks.

DISCLAIMER* I don't know ANYTHING about this product I just read a short article where it was addressed. A quick Google search will give you more info. I couldn't post the links because of my low post count. Maybe I'll have to post whore for a little while so that I can be more useful...hehe.

Good luck.

mmoncrie

I would go with grass. Concrete itself is not a green product, as it is non-reflective and absorbs heat. If you want a truly green concrete, you will have to shell out big bucks for a reflective pavement.

concretemasonry

mmoncrie -

I don't know if are aware, but car traffic and parking on the soil compacts it, kills the vegitation and does not allow absorption into the ground.

Some grasscrete units have as much as 25% of the area of concrete for car support and permits the soil in the voids to maintain a "loose" state to promote vegetation growth, thatch and groundwater recharge. Other units are about 50% void.

One of the minor problems occurs when the grass grows so well the emergency access roads have to be flagged to find them.

__________________
Dick

Engineer, designer and consultant recently active domestically and internationally on construction and design in about 35 countries.

essrmo

concretemasonry, you're the best!