A parking lot is a silent partner that makes a significant contribution to the success of any commercial endeavor. However, merely paving over a vacant spot of land is not enough to provide you with a proper parking lot. Instead, you need an effective asphalt parking lot design that considers how your parking lot will be used, how many vehicles you can or must accommodate, and how easy it will be for people to navigate your parking lot.
Why Does Usage Matter for Asphalt Parking Lot Design?
A new asphalt parking lot is not just a single layer of paving material that has a universal thickness. Instead, an Austin asphalt paving lot consists of multiple courses of asphalt on top of an aggregate base. In general, an asphalt paving lot in Austin that supports heavy trucks needs thicker asphalt and a thicker base than one that only passenger vehicles will use. In addition to the weight, contractors must also consider the number of vehicles that will come and go over the course of a typical day. If either the asphalt or the base lacks the necessary strength, you will quickly be calling for your first parking lot repair, and you will probably need to keep calling for repairs throughout your pavement’s brief life. Therefore, when designing an asphalt parking lot, the first thing that contractors need to know is how the customer plans to use it. Unfortunately, in a misguided attempt to reduce their asphalt parking lot cost, some customers tell their contractors that no heavy trucks will ever be allowed on the pavement, or that there will only be about 500 cars entering and exiting the lot daily when the actual number is closer to 5,000. Any initial savings on their asphalt parking lot cost will quickly vanish when they need to pay for one expensive parking lot repair after another, then replace the entire pavement when it becomes completely unusable.
Why Does the Number of Spaces Matter for Asphalt Parking Lot Design?
Once contractors construct an Austin asphalt paving lot, the only way you can provide additional parking spaces is to expand your pavement. Therefore, it is important to determine how many spaces you must or want to provide as well as their sizes. If all spaces could be uniform in size, calculating the number of spaces would be simple. However, by federal law, you will need to reserve some spaces for van-accessible and car-accessible parking to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The two types of accessible parking spaces have different size requirements, and the number of each you must provide will depend primarily on the number of total spaces in your lot. In addition, some retailers need to provide spaces that are slightly larger than the standard size so that shoppers can load their purchases without damaging vehicles in adjacent spaces or blocking the traffic aisle. Conversely, some parking spaces can be made smaller and reserved for motorcycles or compact cars. Furthermore, not every square foot of your pavement can be used for parking. You must also allow for travel aisles, walkways, curbs, cart corrals, and other features.
Why Should Contractors Consider Navigability for Asphalt Parking Lot Design?
The ease with which people can navigate your asphalt parking lot is important for several reasons.
1. The traffic in an asphalt paving lot in Austin needs to flow freely. Otherwise, you end up with traffic jams that can be extremely frustrating for your visitors.
2. When people can easily identify how to navigate a new asphalt parking lot, they are less likely to become distracted or confused, which can lead to unsafe actions.
3. Most people will respect your parking lot rules, but they must be able to identify them before they can obey them. Ensuring the navigability of your parking lot can help them determine whether travel lanes are for one- or two-way traffic and other pertinent facts.
4. A parking lot that is easy to navigate is a safer environment, and this may help you reduce your potential liabilities.
RDC Paving can assist you with your asphalt parking lot design, installation, and maintenance. We offer asphalt paving, crack repairs, overlays, milling, sealcoating, and pavement repairs. We also offer parking lot striping, asphalt driveway paving, parking lot maintenance plans, and concrete repair. In addition, we install concrete ADA, concrete driveways, concrete ramps, concrete parking lots, concrete sidewalks, and concrete curbs. We are experienced paving professionals with an outstanding reputation for quality, integrity, and service. If you are interested in receiving a free quote, just let us know by calling 512-920-9155, emailing Ryan@RDCPaving.com, or using the online request form.
