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5 Phases of Concrete Parking Lot Construction & Design

Concrete parking lots are a solid investment that can add significant value to a commercial property, providing numerous advantages over alternatives such as asphalt. Concrete is a hard-wearing material that lasts several decades. It’s also low maintenance and reflects light, keeping properties cooler and more energy efficient. Concrete parking lot companies can build surfaces in all shapes and sizes, but the construction process is more complex than most realize. In this blog, we’ll provide a breakdown of the concrete parking lot construction process, highlighting the importance of each phase in ensuring you get a final product that benefits your property.

How Do Contractors Develop a Design Before Concrete Construction?

Before contractors begin excavating your site and preparing for concrete construction, they’ll spend some time perfecting the design. This pre-planning design phase is highly collaborative. As a property owner or manager, you will have the opportunity to work closely with Indianapolis concrete companies to develop a design that works for your needs.

Concrete parking lot companies will take measurements, determine the number of spots you want the pavement to accommodate, and create a design that’s both functional and aesthetically pleasing. Contractors consider all applicable code requirements and overall accessibility while refining space orientation, incorporating traffic routes, and perfecting other elements.

What Forms of Engineering Do Parking Lot Companies Do?

When designing your Indianapolis concrete parking lot, it’s vital to communicate your needs and expectations with your contractor. Not only does that help ensure you get finished results that exceed your expectations, but it also helps concrete companies engineer a surface that lasts. Concrete companies engineer parking lots based on your intended use. Factors such as overall slab thickness, reinforcements, sub-grade preparation, drainage infrastructure, and even the type of concrete used will influence the overall strength and longevity of your finished pavement.

Concrete companies take all those factors into account during the engineering phase. Be upfront, communicate your needs clearly, and plan for potential changes in your parking lot’s needs in the future. It’s always better to over-engineer than under-engineer and deal with damage later.

What Is Sub-Base Preparation During Concrete Parking Lot Construction?

The sub-base of Indianapolis concrete parking lots refers to the pavement’s foundation. Before concrete companies build forms and pour material, they take time to prepare the sub-base. Contractors will perform soil tests to understand its current load-bearing capacity. Then, they’ll compare those findings to your needs.

Most properties will require soil amendments and aggregates. After hauling aggregate material to the site, teams compact it to create a foundation that is capable of supporting concrete parking lots over the long term. This phase is among the most critical in concrete construction, as failing to do things correctly could lead to structural integrity issues later.

How Do Indianapolis Concrete Companies Create Paved Surfaces?

After sub-base preparations, Indianapolis concrete companies can build forms. Teams build forms to hold wet concrete, taking into account drainage slopes and reinforcements. To improve tensile strength, concrete companies incorporate reinforcements such as concrete mesh or steel rebar.

When the forms are ready, concrete parking lot companies pour wet material into the forms.

What Needs to Happen After Concrete Construction to Ensure Strength, Resilience, and Longevity?

Concrete parking lots take several days to cure slowly. After finishing and texturizing, Indianapolis concrete companies will create joints. Strategically placed control and expansion joints help to prevent unsightly and potentially hazardous cracking. Contractors will cut joints spaced according to ACI standards.

Your Indianapolis concrete parking lot will take up to seven days to cure before it’s ready for light traffic. It continues to cure thereafter, reaching its full strength in about 28 days.

When you need commercial paving done right, turn to Black Hawk Paving. We’re an experienced asphalt and concrete paving company with over five decades of proven experience. Our services include concrete flatwork, curbing, crack sealing and routing, asphalt paving, repairs, pavement markings, and more. We proudly serve the Indianapolis area and its surrounding communities. However, we also manage multi-site portfolios on a national scale, serving a variety of sectors.

Call Black Hawk Paving at (773)729-6452, email info@blackhawkpaving.com, or use our online form to reach out and request your free quote today!