There are various materials that are used for car parks attached to events. What is used depends on how regularly the event is held. Geogrid is a useful material to use in combination with gravel or stone for temporary car park flooring. So, this article will consider those materials and others to determine the best surface for the kind of car park visitors will expect.
Geogrid
Sometimes you want to create a temporary car park. In these instances, the ground will not necessarily be that stable and able to cope with a high volume of cars travelling over it. Soil, for instance, can give way. The answer is to fit Geogrid and have the gravel or stones lie inside and on top of that. This creates a much stabler and flatter surface for cars to manoeuvre over. The last thing that you want is cars sinking into wet soggy ground and getting stuck. That would then be for the owner or operator of the car park to sort out.
Geogrid is easy to put in place for those wanting to fit it themselves, but equally, firms can put it in place, too. An advantage is the speed by which a ready to go car park can be achieved. This can be for a temporary event or one that runs on a regular basis.
Gravel
Gravel makes for a wonderful temporary and environmentally friendly car park. The gravel or individual stones can be collected up and taken away when the car park is finished with. While the car park is there, it will have drainage and allow water to re-enter the water cycle. Gravel allows the water to drain away rather than sit in pools that typically lie around on the surfaces of car parks constructed from other kinds of materials.
Concrete
The advantage of using concrete is that it is easy to clean and maintain and resistant to stains or damage. However, it is only useful as a permanent solution. So, if you wanted a temporary car park you would be better off with the gravel and Geogrid option. An assessment needs to be made, too, as to how often the car park is being used. An event may only run over a day or two, but can still attract high volumes of cars, so that would require a heavy-duty solution. A temporary solution can still be that where Geogrid is used to back it up. You may not want to go to the expense of putting concrete down that then has to be taken up when the event is over.
Asphalt
In terms of upfront cost, asphalt is a cheaper alternative than concrete to lay. Asphalt can last between 15 and 20 years before needing to be replaced. Even longer if well maintained. As a more flexible material than concrete, asphalt is less likely to crack, particularly in winter. So, for a permanent car parking solution it would seem a better option than concrete.
Grass
Grass is not that resilient to vehicles constantly passing over it. In wet weather it can become boggy and then vehicles are likely to get stuck when they cannot find enough traction to escape the mud. So, unless all your car park users have four-wheel drive vehicles or land rovers, then it really is not a good idea to leave the surface of the car park as just grass. If you are looking for a cheaper surface then concrete, you are better off at least having a Geogrid with a gravel or stone combination. This will allow, in the short term, for a newly established car park to build up some revenue, or in the case of an event, for visitors to be charged a small amount to help pay for the temporary surface that is, after all, for their benefit.
So, a few options here. Grass cannot be considered the best temporary solution for a car park. Instead, a combination of gravel or stone combined with Geogrid to protect the ground underneath should be considered, as it will stabilize the surface and prevent vehicles from sinking in the mud and getting stuck. If you are looking for a permanent car park, that is when concrete or asphalt should be considered, with asphalt seeming to outweigh concrete with its advantages.
