Concrete parking offers superior performance compared to other pavement alternatives in terms of strength, durability and reduced maintenance expense. Incorporating straight forward design and a variety of constructability features, concrete parking is also the economical choice when considering the life cycle cost of the pavement in service.

Benefits:

• Strength – concrete parking areas have greater strength for spreading loads over larger areas of the subgrade, resulting in fewer pavement failures from truck use.
   

• Durability – concrete stands the test of time better than any other leading building material. While its strengths are legendary, environmental concerns and new technologies make concrete an even smarter choice.
   

• Reduces Heat Island Effect -Concrete provides reflective surfaces that minimize the urban heat island effect. Urban heat islands are primarily attributed to horizontal surfaces such as roofs and pavements that absorb solar radiation. In this context, pavements include roads, parking lots, driveways and sidewalks. Where paved surfaces are required, materials with higher solar reflectance (albedo), such as concrete, will reduce the heat island effect, save energy by reducing the demand for air conditioning, and improve air quality.
   

• Locally Produced – In almost every case, concrete is manufactured within 50 miles of final placement, and its materials produced within 500 miles. This means that the overall energy use of manufacturing and transporting concrete is much lower than alternatives.

 

• Recyclable - The constituents of concrete can be recycled materials, and concrete itself can also be recycled; these materials are usually available locally. Most concrete in urban areas is recycled as fill or road base and not placed in landfills. Concrete pieces from demolished structures can also be reused to protect shorelines, for example in gabion walls or as rip rap.
   

• Lighting Efficiency – Lighting accounts for up to 25% of annual electricity usage in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. When combined with high-albedo concrete surfaces, the efficiency of lighting can be enhanced to the point that fewer fixtures are needed, with accompanying reductions in energy use and light pollution.

 

 

 

 

 

Concrete’s ability for high reflectivity makes for improved lighting, with safer roadways, parking garages, and parking lots. Concrete can make for more attractive exterior displays, highlighting aesthetic architectural features.

• Recycled Content – Fly ash, slag, and silica fume are industrial byproducts. Instead of sending these materials to our landfills, these SCM’s are used in concrete. With the correct proportioning and installer experience, SCM’s bring many beneficial properties to concrete. These types of industrial by-products are considered pre-consumer or post-industrial recycled materials.

       Recycled content resources: (clickable links, where available)

• Headwaters Resources (NC&AA Member)

• Nebraska Ash (NC&AA Member)

• General Resource Technology (NC&AA Member)

• Flatwater Materials, Inc. (NC&AA Member)

• American Coal Ash Association

• Slag Cement Association

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Click on the topic of your choice below to read more
 about the use of concrete in parking lots
  Files are downloadable in PDF format

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Publications for Purchase

• ACI 330R-01 – Design and Construction of Concrete Parking Lots
  -Click to Purchase Book-
   

• ACI 330.1-03 Specification for unreinforced concrete parking lots
  -Click to Purchase Book -

Resources

CPA Software - The Concrete Pavement Analyst (CPA) is a powerful tool that can be used to compare design and cost differences between concrete and asphalt parking areas. All concrete design information is based on ACI-330 and the comparative asphalt designs are inferred from information from the Asphalt Institute as well as other specifier-provided information.

To find out more information on the CPA Software, please call the NC&AA office
@(402) 325-8414

Parking Lot Design Assistance - If you’re a commercial architects, engineer, developer, builder or owner, we invite you to get free project and planning assistance from the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) and our network of trade association partners across North America. NRMCA and all our assistance partners are non-profit service organizations, not sales organizations; our mission is to provide up-to-date construction information to help you make informed decisions.

-Click for Parking Lot Design Assistance-

Additional Resources

• Concrete Parking Delivers www.concreteparking.org

• Concrete Thinker http://www.concretethinker.com/Papers.aspx?DocId=9

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