Hardscapes for Capital Improvements

By Robert Parker, Pavestone Company

 

Permeable pave stones allow water to return to the soil and recharge the groundwater supply and reduce the amount storm drainage materials needed. Permeable pave stones can be cleaned using a pressure washer or by using a cleaner made of dilutions of hydrochloric or sulphuric acid combined with a surfactant. Caution should be taken to insure that the paving stones are thoroughly saturated with water first so that the cleaner stays on the surface and is not drawn into the surface of the paving stone.

As cities grow and expand, the workload of maintenance personnel increases. This is true of parks/recreation and street departments as well as universities and corporate properties. Most cities are looking for ways to maintain an appealing aesthetic appearance, while decreasing the heavy workload of the city crews and cutting back on the need to outsource maintenance duties.

One solution to increased maintenance efficiencies and decreased expenditures is the choice of material used for hardscape improvements. Manufacturers continue to develop hardscape products to solve a multitude of landscape challenges and one of the key factors in concrete hardscapes is the product?EUR??,,????'???s low maintenance and high performance. Hardscape products work in harmony together in providing landscape solutions such as paving, permeable pavements, detectable warning pavements, segmental retaining walls and erosion control.

Unlike asphalt or concrete, pave stone applications can be repaired and replaced using affordable tools such as a paver extractor (shown here), with no disruption to pavement design. It is a good idea to keep extra pavers on hand and catalog the type and location for future replacement jobs.

Interlocking concrete pavers are widely used and versatile hardscape products. They can be used to dress up everything from a city street to a neighborhood park. Pavers add a very functional aesthetic while keeping maintenance duties to a minimum, solving the problem of adding beauty without increasing workload for city crews. Many metro area cities are landlocked and have little room for expansion. In order to attract new business and people to move into the city, they spend a good portion of the Capitol improvement dollars on street beatification projects.

?EUR??,,????'??We use pavers and walls to help our city obtain the aesthetic look that we need, but it enables us to maintain the medians within our budget constraints,?EUR??,,????'?? said Chris Barker, Public Works Manager for the City of Euless, Texas. ?EUR??,,????'??We work closely with our parks and recreation department to strike a balance of the look we want as well as reduce the maintenance. Pavers enable us to do this by drastically cutting back on our soft areas that require constant upkeep.?EUR??,,????'??