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You see them everywhere; at shopping centers, office buildings, and schools; wherever you go, you will find a parking lot. While unattractive, they are essential and provide a place to park so people can go about their business. One aspect of parking lots that often gets overlooked is drainage. Without reliable drainage, parking lots can suffer significant damage from water runoff.
Why Do Parking Lots Need Drainage?
When water collects on the surface of a parking lot with nowhere to go, it can create countless issues.
Over time, standing water will begin to destroy the bonds that hold the asphalt together, and cause the top layer of pavement to erode. As water continues to remain on the asphalt, it will seep deeper, slowly creating potholes and cracks, which will only worsen over time. Cold, freezing weather will hasten the process, as the freezing water will cause existing cracks to expand. The bigger the potholes and cracks become, the harder they are to fix and the more significant danger they pose to cars and pedestrians in the parking lot.
Parking lot drainage helps manage water runoff and significantly minimizes the potential damage to increase the longevity of the parking lot. It also ensures the safety of everyone during cold weather, when rain or melting snow can freeze, and create slick surfaces that make finding traction difficult for cars and people.
These systems work through gravity; the parking lot will slope slightly toward the parking lot catch basin. Once the water is collected, it will be directed toward a pre-designated management outlet. With no standing water on the parking lot, the surface will have time to dry, and reduce the risk of erosion and slick surfaces forming.
Choosing the Best System for the Job
Picking the right drainage system for a parking lot is critical. A drainage system needs to be safe, durable, and capable of handling the runoff present in parking lots. A common option is a parking lot catch basin, which offers efficient and highly effective drainage.
Catch basins are similar to storm drains, with some differences. One notable difference is that catch basins have collection boxes that collect debris, which prevents it from entering the drainage system and creating clogs.
The Landscape Drains Solution
Landscape Drains is a company specializing in various landscape drainage solutions. One solution that they offer that can be handy for maintaining high-volume water mitigation is a catch basin.
The Landscape Drains parking lot catch basin design uses T304 stainless steel for a highly durable and sanitary design. The catch basins also come with a cover made from T304 stainless steel and rebar tie-ins for reinforcement, which makes it safe to withstand heavy traffic loads. They come in various sizes, with the biggest measuring 24"x24", with a 20" depth.
Another notable mention is the strainer basket that comes with the catch basin; parking lot water runoff can bring debris and other small objects with it as it travels towards the catch basin. The strainer basket catches any debris and prevents it from entering the system, which can cause clogging and prevent the drainage from working effectively.
To further ensure the parking lot has adequate drainage, the Landscape Drains catch basin is compatible with the company's Trench Drain and Slot Drain systems.
Both systems offer the same durable design using T304 or T316 stainless steel, ensuring they won't break under the weight of cars in a parking lot. Both systems are also easy to maintain and offer clean-in-place automated cleaning options.
The Trench Drain
The Trench Drain is a wide system capable of handling substantial flow rates. It is covered by a durable grate cover, which prevents debris, objects, and people from falling in or getting injured.
The Slot Drain
The Landscape Drains 7,000 and 6,000 Series Slot Drain is a new take on the trench drain system. Unlike trench drains, the Slot Drain has a slim channel opening, which eliminates the need for a drain cover while not minimizing its efficiency.
The setup becomes even more effective when either of these two systems is combined with the parking lot catch basin. Combining the catch basin with one of these options in larger parking lots can be especially useful.
Ensuring the Longevity of Parking Lots with Landscape Drains
If you spend money on creating a parking lot, it must be protected from damage. While it will wear down over time no matter what, you can take steps to prevent water from adding to the wear-and-tear. You can do this by having a parking lot catch basin design in your plans. The Landscape Drains Catch basin and accompanying drainage systems are the perfect solutions to parking lot drainage issues. These systems will help catch water runoff from rain and melting snow, to prevent what could otherwise lead to serious damage to the asphalt.
Contact Landscape Drains today to learn more about our premium drainage systems and how they can help with parking lot drainage.
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