The constantly growing number of cars necessitates the need to find free space for adequate parking. However, the arrangement of a parking area at the dacha is very often an unaffordable luxury for ordinary owners of country estates, which are characterized by small sizes. Since not everyone can leave a car outside their own territory, there is a need to park the car on their own plot, while taking up precious meters. That is, eco-parking is required.
Eco-parking is the best solution for car owners
True, the problem that is associated with the lack of parking space has a very adequate, from a practical point of view, solution, the essence of which is the creation of the so-called ecological parking.
The very first thought is to fill the ecological parking lot with crushed stone and stop there. But, if a parking lot is created in nature, then you want to fit it beautifully into the surrounding landscape. So that it does not take away precious acres from the surrounding beautiful countryside landscape, it looks not like a crushed stone or asphalt area, which are already an eyesore in the city, but like, for example, a lawn.
They are increasingly trying to construct parking lots of this type in various large cities of our country, for example in Moscow. However, unfortunately, no grass can withstand the amount of harmful substances that settle within the city limits. In this regard, in Moscow, maintaining parking on the lawn requires constant and significant effort. However, in a suburban area similar projects almost always successful.
Eco-parking is a reinforced lawn that has good resistance to increased loads and can easily withstand the weight of an ordinary passenger car, while remaining an ordinary lawn, pleasing to the eye with the appearance of green grass. By creating eco-parking at their summer cottage, car owners receive great opportunity leave your own iron horse on the site, without fear of damaging the soil itself.
A brief overview of various materials for ecological parking, which should be purchased immediately before its arrangement:
The design of an ecological parking lot at a dacha is very simple and involves the presence of a number of layers.
The main ones are a layer of crushed stone and sand, a reinforcing mesh, the role of which lawn grates can serve well, as well as fertile soil sown with seeds of special lawn grass.
Crushed stone is needed to ensure extremely effective drainage land plot, and the reinforcing material, the presence of which is implied by the design of the ecological parking itself, allows you to form an elastic base that will contribute to the uniform distribution of the entire load.
How is eco-parking arranged?
Like any variety road surface, lawn grate necessitates the need for a sufficiently strong foundation, which will allow one to calculate the maximum load on the modular coating. In this regard, having decided on a place for environmental parking, the cost of which depends on its area and the price of materials, they carry out calculations required area taking into account not only the departure of the car, but also its turns and other maneuvers. Then they mark the area and remove all the top layer of soil. The depth of its removal is calculated based on the height of the lawn grid, as well as the gravel and sand layers.
The next stage of creating an ecological parking lot involves laying a special sand cushion, the role of which is to level the territory, as well as hide any unevenness. Therefore, the height of the sand layer is determined by the initial slope of the site and averages 20-30 cm. In this case, the sand is very carefully spilled with water and compacted.
After this, crushed stone and the necessary reinforcing material are laid. If the soil on the site is clayey, then additional adjustments must be made to the structure, in accordance with which the geotextiles are laid. It will prevent crushed stone from sinking into overly moist soil.
Geotextiles are often placed between layers of crushed stone and sand to prevent mixing. The height of the crushed stone layer depends entirely on the load that will be placed on the future parking lot, and for a passenger car a 20-centimeter layer will be quite sufficient.
Before proceeding to laying lawn gratings for ecological parking, the crushed stone layer is again covered with geotextiles, and then the lawn gratings are laid. This event does not present any difficulties. Having installed the very first cell, you can easily mount subsequent ones by simply inserting them into the grooves of the previous ones.
To increase the strength of the structure, experts advise strengthening each module with special L-shaped pins on two opposite edges. Soil, mixed with lawn grass seeds, is poured into the cells of all grids and watered at the end.
The main advantages of eco-parking
The advantages of green ecological parking, thanks to which it definitely cannot be replaced by conventional concrete eco-parking:
Eco-parking maintenance measures
Regular implementation of such events contributes to a very long operational life of the eco-parking, which will be at least ten to fifteen years.
The growing number of cars every day makes it necessary to find free parking space. But setting up a parking area in a dacha is often an unaffordable luxury for the average owner of standard country estates, which are characterized by small sizes.
Since not everyone is able to leave a car outside their own territory, there is a need to park the car on their own plot, taking up precious meters.
Eco-parking is the optimal solution for car owners
But the problem associated with the lack of parking space has a fairly adequate, from a practical point of view, solution, the essence of which is the creation of an ecological parking lot.
It is a reinforced lawn that is resistant to increased loads and can withstand the weight of a standard passenger car, while remaining an ordinary lawn, pleasing to the eye with the appearance of emerald grass. By creating such a parking lot at their summer cottage, car owners have the opportunity to leave their iron horse on the site without fear of damaging the soil.
What materials should I purchase before setting up the eco-parking?
A brief overview of materials for eco-parking, which you need to buy immediately before installing it:
Geotextile is a moisture-permeable fabric consisting of many polymer threads that give the fabric significant strength. As practice shows, it is often used to create a separation and drainage layer during the construction of foundations, strengthening the banks of reservoirs and other types of work.
Lawn gratings (eco-parking cannot exist without them), which are a green honeycomb material in design, are used both on construction sites and in landscape design. Characterized by high resistance to moisture, low temperatures and chemical agents.
The design of eco-parking at the dacha is extremely simple and involves the presence of several layers.
The main ones are a layer of sand and crushed stone, a reinforcing mesh, the role of which lawn grates can handle, and fertile soil sown with lawn grass seeds.
Crushed stone is necessary to ensure effective drainage of the site, and the reinforcing material, the presence of which is implied by the design of the eco-parking, allows you to create an elastic base that promotes uniform distribution of the load.
Sequence of actions during the construction of a parking lot
Like any type of road surface, a lawn lattice requires a solid foundation that allows you to calculate permissible load for modular covering. Therefore, having decided on a place for eco-parking, the price of which depends on its area and the cost of materials, a calculation is made required area taking into account not only the departure of the car, but also its turns and other maneuvers. Next, mark the area and remove the top layer of soil. The depth of its removal is calculated based on the height of the sand and gravel layers, as well as the height of the lawn grid.
The next stage of the eco-parking installation involves laying a sand cushion, the role of which is to level the territory and hide all unevenness. In this regard, the height of the sand layer is determined by the initial slope of the site and averages 20-30 cm. The sand is thoroughly spilled with water and compacted.
Then crushed stone and reinforcing material are laid. If the soil on the site is clayey, additional adjustments are required to the design, according to which geotextiles are laid. It prevents crushed stone from sinking into overly moist soil.
Often geotextiles are placed between layers of sand and crushed stone to prevent them from mixing. The height of the crushed stone layer depends on the load placed on the future parking lot, and for a passenger car a 20-centimeter layer will be sufficient.
Before proceeding to laying lawn gratings for eco-parking, the crushed stone layer is again covered with geotextiles, and then the lawn gratings are laid. This event does not present any difficulties. Having installed the first cell, you can mount subsequent ones by simply inserting them into the grooves of the previous ones.
To increase the strength of the structure, experts recommend strengthening each module with L-shaped pins on two opposite edges. Soil mixed with lawn grass seeds is poured into the grid cells and finally watered.
Main advantages of ecological parking
The advantages of ecological green parking, due to which it cannot be replaced by concrete eco-parking:
The creation of ecological parking, which is carried out in the shortest possible time, is accessible to everyone;
Ecological parking is resistant to deterioration in the off-season, which is facilitated by the use of crushed stone and geotextiles;
The parking area does not pose a danger to children playing on the green lawn;
Caring for the parking lot does not require any specialized measures and is carried out using ordinary garden tools;
Using reinforcing mesh is cheaper than building a garage, laying asphalt and paving with tiles;
Lawn gratings and moisture-resistant geotextiles, the presence of which is implied by the eco-parking design, are safe from an environmental point of view and do not interfere with the growth of plants existing on the site;
If there is no car in the parking area, it can be used as an area for relaxation, games and barbecue.
Measures to maintain green parking
If the grass has reached 5 cm, it must be mowed in a timely manner;
Watering the lawn and applying the necessary fertilizers must be carried out in accordance with the type of soil;
Aerating the soil by piercing the area using a fork or other tools equipped with a point;
Weeding the lawn from weeds and cleaning up household waste;
Timely replacement of failed lawn grating segments;
Careful cleaning of the parking lot winter period from ice using tools that do not have sharp edges.
Regular holding of such events contributes to the long operational life of the ecological parking, which will be at least 10-15 years.
Eco-parking- This is parking on the lawn. Other names: ecological parking, eco-parking, eco-parking, green parking, eco-lawn, maintained lawn, grass parking. All these names reflect the essence of the technology, in which a car parking area is created without compromising environment, by preserving the natural grass cover.
Originally created to solve one of the the most important problems cities - problems of lack of parking spaces, eco-parking has gained great popularity not only among city authorities and businesses, but also among owners suburban areas. And this is well deserved, since eco-parking has a number of advantages over traditional parking covered with asphalt, concrete or paving slabs.
Advantages of eco-parking
1. Environmental friendliness . The lawn improves the microclimate, traps dust and harmful substances.
2. Aesthetics . A green lawn looks much more attractive than asphalt or concrete, it pleases the eye and improves your mood, and blends harmoniously into the natural landscape, which is especially important for suburban areas.
3. Economical . The construction of eco-parking is simpler and cheaper than their traditional counterparts, and the somewhat higher maintenance costs (watering, mowing, fertilizing) are offset by significantly lower costs for repairing the surface. In addition, eco-parking does not require organizing additional drainage systems. Lawn grates allow water to pass into the lower layers of the soil, as a result, water does not stagnate on the surface and puddles do not form.
Process creating an eco-parking boils down to this:
- Choosing a lawn grate
- Preparing the base for laying a lawn lattice, the so-called “pillow”
- Laying lawn grating
- Filling the cells of the lawn grid with fertile soil
- Sowing seeds lawn grass
Lawn grate– this is the main element of eco-parking. It consists of cellular modules interconnected into platforms of any size. The grid cells are filled with fertile soil, into which lawn grass seeds are sown. The gratings remove the load from the top layer of soil and transfer it to the ground below. sand and gravel base. As a result, they reliably protect the root system of grasses from damage, and the top fertile layer of soil is protected from overcompaction and deformation.
Choosing a lawn grate determined by the expected parking load, soil properties, financial capabilities and aesthetic preferences of the consumer. When purchasing a lawn grate, you should pay attention to the following parameters.
1. Lawn grid height
The higher the lawn lattice, the larger the fertile layer in which it will develop root system lawn grasses, which means the better and more durable the lawn. At the same time, leading manufacturers compensate for the slight decrease in grating strength by using high-quality materials and a special cell structure. Grilles with a height of 3 to 5 cm (30-50 mm) are available for sale. Preference should be given to more expensive lawn grates with a height of 5 cm (50 mm). Budget options heights of 3-4 cm are permissible only for temporary structures with small and irregular loads.
2. Material from which lawn gratings are made
Concrete and plastic lawn gratings are available for sale. Concrete lawn gratings are practically not used in suburban areas. They are suitable only for city parking lots with a high degree of load, since in everything except strength they are much inferior to plastic competitors. Concrete lawn grates are more expensive and heavier than plastic ones, they look worse and, in fact, do not fulfill their main function, since they occupy up to 70% of the parking area, leaving very little space for a lawn.
Plastic lawn gratings are made from special materials that are resistant to loads and adverse external influences polymers: polyethylene and polypropylene. Polypropylene gratings are cheaper, but in terms of strength and frost resistance they are much inferior to their competitors. Preference should be given to gratings made of polyethylene (preferably made from primary raw materials).
3. Size, shape and wall thickness of lawn grating cells
Lawn gratings with cells are available on the market various shapes: square, round, diamond-shaped, hexagonal, honeycomb. Gratings with complex honeycomb cell shapes are considered more durable. The thickness of the cell walls ranges from 2 to 5 mm. For good gratings it should not be less than 4 mm. The mesh size also affects the strength of lawn gratings. Small-mesh grids are stronger, but difficult to fill with soil.
4. Size of lawn grating modules
Each manufacturer independently determines the size of lawn grating modules. Smaller modules are more convenient to pack and transport. Grilles with large modules are more practical for installation.
5. Lawn lattice color
Grilles are available in black, green, brown and gray. The specialists did not come to unanimous opinion, which color grilles look better. The choice of lawn gratings by color is a matter of aesthetic preferences of the buyer. The main thing is that high-quality dyes are used to prevent the grilles from fading (burning out) in the sun.
6. Manufacturer of lawn gratings
On the counter you can find lawn gratings made in China, Russia and Germany. German products tend to be different high quality and price. Among the budget products from the Middle Kingdom, there are quite a few outright surrogates. Domestic products occupy an intermediate position in terms of price and quality. In general, when choosing a lawn grate, it is better to ignore the country of manufacture and pay attention to the quality parameters described above.
So, A high-quality lawn grate must meet the following requirements :
1. Height – 4.5-5 cm
2. Cell wall thickness – from 4 mm
3. Material of manufacture – polyethylene
Such the lawn grate will have the following characteristics :
- Service life – 20-25 years
- Frost resistance – up to -40 degrees. WITH
- Strength (resistance to mechanical compressive loads) from 200 to 1200 t/m2 (up to 43 Tf)
- Chemical resistance (gasoline, oil)
- UV resistance (sun fading)
- Occupied area - no more than 10% of the total parking area
Preparing the base for the lawn trellis
Preparing the base for a lawn grid comes down to leveling the area for parking, laying a layer of crushed stone and a layer of sand. Leveling the area for future parking is done manually or with special equipment (bulldozer), depending on the size of the site. In most cases, a pit will need to be dug for parking and excess soil will need to be transported off-site. If the parking lot is created in a problem area with soils prone to erosion or is subject to very heavy loads, it should be fenced around the perimeter with a retaining curb.
A layer of crushed stone or sand-gravel mixture 10-50 cm thick is poured onto the leveled area, depending on the expected loads. So, for an access road or pedestrian paths it is enough to pour 10-20 cm of crushed stone, for parking cars you will need 15-30 cm of crushed stone, and for trucks already 25-50 cm. To create a drainage layer, any crushed stone not contaminated with clay is suitable, except for limestone . Crushed stone should be compacted thoroughly.
Then a leveling layer of sand 3-15 cm high is laid on the crushed stone. For a passenger car, 5-10 cm of sand will be quite enough. It is better to use clean, fine-grained sand without stones or clay. The sand layer is carefully leveled and compacted using special tool(roller, vibratory plate or vibratory rammer). Note that sand compacts better if you spill it with water.
It is advisable to lay geotextiles (at least 90 g/m2 thick) between the layer of crushed stone and sand, which will prevent sand from being washed out into the crushed stone. It would not be superfluous to lay a layer of geotextile under the crushed stone.
After the underlying “cushion” of crushed stone and sand has been carefully leveled and compacted, you can begin laying the lawn lattice. This process is quite simple and, with a certain skill, should not take much time. An experienced specialist can lay 40 m2 of lawn lattice alone in 1 hour. The individual grid modules are stacked in in a certain order onto the sand and are easily fastened together with special locks (latches). During the installation process you must follow a number of simple rules :
1. It is better to lay the lawn lattice modules not in a simple pattern, but in a checkerboard pattern. This simple technique will significantly increase the strength of the parking lot.
2. Between the individual modules of lawn gratings, expansion joints (gaps) must be provided, which allow you to avoid troubles associated with seasonal expansion/contraction of plastic. Most manufacturers provide such seams in advance in the design of the gratings.
3. To prevent the gratings from moving horizontally, they are fixed to the base with special fasteners. Some manufacturers build these fasteners (pins) directly into the grilles, others supply them complete with the grilles, and others offer to purchase them separately.
4. If the lawn lattice needs to be given a certain curved shape(in places where the parking lot bends), this can be easily done by sawing the plastic with any available tool ( circular saw, jigsaw or hacksaw).
Now the laid lawn grates should be filled with fertile soil. It is better to sift the soil. It should be sufficiently loose and clean (without wood, stones and weed residues). During the filling process, it must be periodically compacted, shed with water and, if necessary, topped up. As a result, the level of the fertile layer after planting the grass should coincide with the upper edge of the lawn grid. At the same time, it is important not to overdo it with compaction and not to overcompact the soil.
The last stage of preparing the eco-parking is sowing lawn grass. For sowing in eco-parking areas, lawn grass mixtures made from low-growing grasses that are resistant to trampling and shading are suitable. Before and immediately after sowing, the parking lot must be watered.
The formation of a lawn (from the moment of sowing the grass to the moment of the first mowing of the lawn), depending on weather conditions, takes from 1 to 1.5 months. At this time, it is necessary to exclude mechanical impact on the eco-parking. The car will have to be left somewhere else.
From the moment the lawn is mowed for the first time, the eco-parking is ready for use. At first, there will be tire marks on the lawn, but you should not be afraid of this. Every day the grass will recover faster and faster.
Lawn care in eco-parking lots In general, it is no different from caring for a regular lawn. It also needs to be regularly watered, mowed, fertilized, and in winter, cleared of ice and protected from deicing agents. In addition, you will need to regularly add soil and sow grass seeds in places where bald spots (areas of dead lawn) appear. Unfortunately, no lawn is immune from this phenomenon.
There's one more thing important rule, which must be observed during the operation of the eco-parking. It is unacceptable to leave vehicles in one parking space for more than 3 days. Not a single type of lawn grass can tolerate prolonged shading. The same rule applies to storing construction materials in the parking lot and installing opaque rain shelters.
Eco-parking service life is 5 years. main reason The wear and tear of eco-parking lies not in the lawn gratings (they do not lose their quality for 20-25 years), but in the peculiarities of the development of lawn grasses. The fact is that over time, young grass roots end up above the grate and, as a result, are damaged by the wheels of parked cars.
After the “expiration date” of the eco-parking expires, it must be replaced major renovation: remove the gratings, level the sand “cushion”, change the soil and re-seed the area with lawn grasses. The same repairs may be required for certain areas of the lawn that have been exposed to toxic substances (gasoline or oil) during operation.
Sometimes it is recommended to fill the cells of a lawn grid not with soil, but with crushed stone or decorative backfill (bark, wood chips, etc.). This technique is used to mark spaces in large parking lots, to strengthen areas with particularly heavy traffic (wheel tracks), in decorative purposes(to create patterns).
Lawn grates are used not only to create eco-parking areas.
Areas of application for lawn gratings
- Creation of access roads for vehicles
- Creation of pedestrian and bicycle paths
- Installation of coverings for sports and children's playgrounds, recreation areas, gazebos, patios
- Strengthening erosion-prone slopes, embankments, roadsides, and water embankments
- Construction of runways, platforms for helicopters and small aircraft
- Installation of temporary covering that protects the soil at construction sites and during public events (fairs, exhibitions, festivals, holidays, etc.)
- Creating lawns on the roofs of buildings
How to make eco-parking with your own hands, that is, without resorting to the services of construction companies?
This question is asked by many land owners who are interested in eco-parking. With your own hands You can arrange a parking space on the lawn if you want to save money without inviting builders, or you like the process of landscaping.
First you need to understand:
- What load will the eco-parking take on, that is, what weight is the car supposed to be parked in?
- What will the eco-parking cells be filled with - earth or gravel?
- Will a do-it-yourself eco-parking system be used in winter?
Why is it necessary to understand these issues?
For that, to choose that lawn lattice(and there are now a great many of them produced by different manufacturers), which, On the one side, will simplify the work process as much as possible and, on the other hand, will create a reliable, durable structure.
Do-it-yourself eco-parking is a parking lot made “for yourself”.
Let's consider the first question: if the mass of the car is small, this does not mean that you can take a grille with a height of 3; 3.5 cm. This can only be used for pedestrian areas. For eco-parking, you need to use modules with a height of 4 - 5 cm. Next you need to look at the thickness of the module walls: the thicker, the more reliable. Most often, the walls of a lawn grate break when the wheels turn in place or when a heavy car starts or brakes on it.
Compare the wall thickness of the lawn grates in the photo below: 
We are now talking about plastic eco-parking modules and are not considering options with concrete modules here; this is a separate topic, more related to laying paving slabs.
The second question concerns the safety of grass cover in self-made eco-parking cells. Considering that the car wheel, although it stands on the edges of the grille, is still pressed inward a couple of millimeters. Hence the conclusion that a module height of 4 cm is more suitable if the cells are filled with fine gravel. If you fill it with plant soil, it is easier for grass to grow in a cell with a height of 5 cm.
The third issue concerns durability. The material from which the modules are made also has great importance. Some manufacturers offer polypropylene lawn gratings. The first thing you need to know is that polypropylene is “afraid” of the sun even without additives from ultraviolet rays spoils quickly. And these additives only slow down the process. In addition, this material becomes brittle at low temperatures.
For those who will use it in winter, you need to choose a polyethylene grille. Again, polyethylene and polyethylene are different. For example, HDPE (LDPE) is more rigid and less flexible than LDPE (HDPE). HDPE lawn gratings are more flexible and resistant to impacts at low temperatures.
Now about preparing the base: it must ensure the stability of the plastic modules from which the eco-parking is made. Of course, you wouldn’t want to do large excavation work with your own hands, but to prevent the modules from “sagging” and breaking under load, you’ll have to do it. And here the amount of work depends on the strength of the modules themselves.
How stronger design eco-parking modules, the greater the load it can withstand with a smaller base thickness. In recommendations different manufacturers, DIY eco-parking installation procedure mostly standard:
- remove soil to the thickness of the entire structure
- pour crushed stone or a mixture of gravel and sand with compaction
- sprinkle with sand or fine gravel for leveling
- put modules
- fill in the cells
Layers of materials for better stability are covered with geotextiles.
Of course, the foundation soil may be different in each case.
If the soil is hard enough, the layers are smaller. If the soil is viscous, you need to increase the thickness of the base or apply some modern methods. For example, to reduce the layer of crushed stone (by 1/3 - 1/2), you can use a volumetric geogrid, placing it on a layer of geotextile, cover it with crushed stone and compact it. You can strengthen the structure with geogrid by laying it under crushed stone.
In each case, local conditions and common sense must be used.
What can happen if the foundation is weak. Firstly, the grill itself may crack. Secondly, if the grille holds up, the locks that connect the individual modules may break or disengage. Here again everything will depend on the strength of the lawn lattice itself.
Argeon company offers best option eco-parking for making it yourself. This German grille ECORASTER E50, which differs from its competitors in unsurpassed technical characteristics:
- The thickness of the walls is 5-7 mm external and 4 mm internal, while the module has dimensions of only 33x33 cm and thick locks on the edges.
- grating weight - 10 kg/m2, capable of withstanding a load of 20 t/axle or a static load of 350 t/m2. (Certificate of the Union of Technical Supervision Workers (TÜV) - DIN 1072)
- elastic polyethylene is able to withstand impact and bending loads at temperatures down to -50 ° C.
Given this increased safety margin, DIY eco-parking can be arranged with minimal base preparation. Here you no longer have to think about how much weight a car can be placed on it. Even with the cells not filled in, it can easily withstand a loaded dump truck or fire truck.
In practice, in European countries, this grid is very common. In their suburban areas, people simply lay it on a flat base with a slight slope, laying a sheet of geotextile under it. But if the drainage is insufficient (along the geotextile layer towards the slope), it is still better to make a small bedding for drainage.
Video: do-it-yourself eco-parking without preparing a crushed stone base.
In Moscow, many eco-parking lots with the ECORASTER E50 grille are made with a base thickness of only 10 cm.
Ease self-installation also lies in the fact that the grille is supplied already fastened in 12 modules (size 1m x 1.33m), connecting the locks is easy: you just need to attach one module to another and press with your foot, or knock with a rubber hammer.
Buy ECORASTER E50 for your own parking device at the manufacturer's price you can contact the Argeon company, official dealer grating manufacturer company.