The Challenges of Parking Lot Paving in Big Cities

Visit any major city in the country and one thing you will notice is the premium that is placed on parking. That premium is part of a specific site design that attempts to make best use of limited space and be compliant with local commercial parking space requirements.  But what happens when you need to address new parking lot paving projects or the replacement and/or repair of existing lots? What challenges lie in wait for businesses impacted by the process and what can be done to navigate those challenges?  As a company that deals with these issues often, we at Staker Parson know what to look for and how to address each of them.

Impacts on Businesses

Those immediately affected by parking-lot paving and repairs are the businesses that rely on their parking lots to accommodate their customers. Any business owner knows that along with inconvenience to their customers comes potential lost revenue and an impact to the bottom line. That is where an experienced paving company comes into play. With a proper approach, a paving contractor will use a phasing method to address the work. That means working with the business owner to schedule the work to be completed in phases and during off hours when business is not being conducted.

Traffic Volume

All large cities contend with increased traffic. That poses special challenges for parking-lot paving, both in the breakdown of existing parking-lot pavements and in the repair and replacement of those lots. Here, the hurdles are two-fold: 1) How do you contend with the traffic volume? and 2) What do you do to decrease needed repairs and replacement? To address point number one, a contractor may use the same phasing method that we spoke about earlier.  That way the work gets done at the lowest traffic volume, minimizing its impact to your business. Point number two requires a maintenance schedule. Wear and tear is inevitable, especially with highly trafficked parking lots. However, the amount of repair work can be mitigated by doing spot repairs as needed. This means that when a crack shows up or crumbling begins, have them fixed right away through sealing and patching. That way you may only have to address the pavement in a couple of parking spots at a time as opposed to shutting down the entire lot.

Climate Hurdles

Unfortunately, we cannot control the weather, nor can we always control when parking-lot pavement requires repair. What we can control is how we prepare for necessary work based on the climate that we live in. Extreme heat, cold temperatures, and precipitation all present challenges. Heat begins to break down the binders in parking lot pavement that bind the asphalt together. In colder climates, freeze/thaw cycles expand and contract moisture in the pavement, creating breakdown over time. In areas that receive large amounts of rain, water drainage management becomes an important consideration, especially when pooling begins to break down the pavement in parking lots. Phasing again becomes important in scheduling repaving and repairs.  Scheduling work at night when the business is closed and paying special attention to weather forecasts to plan work is key. Working with an experienced contractor that has the resources and knowledge to work with you to recommend the most effective and economical scope of repair, and to schedule the work to be completed with the least possible disruption to your business, will be the best value for your business.  Climate challenges also mean that maintenance should not be delayed, whether the need is for minor patching, crack repair, or larger repairs. Early attention will minimize further damage and degradation. When repairs are needed, plan to address them as soon as possible.

Parking lots require a multifaceted approach in big cities, which requires a multifaceted contractor who knows how to navigate the challenges of doing the work. If you need repairs, or if you just need some professional insight into how to keep your parking lot in great condition, give Staker Parson a call. We can help you develop a plan that will keep you focused on what matters as a business owner: doing business!