Combining prefabricated pavement bricks and ground asphalt, paving system makes parking lots less of an environmental albatross and more a tool of sustainability.
The Illinois Sports Facilities Authority , owner and operator of U.S. Cellular Field , home of Major League Baseball’s Chicago White Sox, revealed last week a new, environmentally friendly parking lot at the facility. Featuring a permeable paving surface, parking lot “L” lies south of the stadium and covers more than 265,000 square feet.
The system interlocks 12-square-foot blocks of prefabricated pavement. Implanted on a bed of gravel, individual bricks are pieced together in sections, leaving a
“This type of system costs less,” said Perri Irmer, chief executive officer of the ISFA. “In fact we save 12 to 15% over a traditional asphalt system.”
The permeable pavement lasts twice as long as traditional asphalt, Irmer added, and it, “requires far less maintenance then a traditional paving system.” Other benefits to the local community and surrounding areas include reducing localized flooding, eliminating stormwater runoff, recharging the groundwater system and reducing urban heat island effect.
