Comparing Common Commercial Paving Methods
By definition, commercial paving projects are a delicate balancing act. Cash-strapped municipalities and businesses operating on thin margins need to find materials that can withstand unpredictable weather, high traffic volume, and heavy loads. The finished product, whether it’s a parking lot, a road, or just a driveway, needs to perform and last with minimal maintenance. […]
How Permeable Pavement Helps Prevent Urban Flooding
The Carolinas are two of the original thirteen colonies. We’re reminded of this when severe weather buffets the state, since it can feel like key infrastructure hasn’t had much by way of updates since Charleston was founded in 1670, or when Charlotte was incorporated in 1768. It has, of course, but it hasn’t always kept […]
3 Ways Permeable Pavers Help Manage Stormwater Runoff
Even though Houston is a long way from the Carolinas, the impact of Hurricane Harvey on Texas’s largest city still sent chills up the spine of anyone living in a hurricane-prone area. A combination of overdevelopment and poor wastewater management caused catastrophic flooding and an estimated $180 billion in damage. Not all cases will be […]
5 Ways Country Clubs Can Give Their Patio a Makeover
When you cater to a rarefied clientele — and you also want to compete for a fair share of event and wedding bookings — it doesn’t pay for your grounds to look unkempt or outdated. Small investments, like investing in a new patio area or hardscape design, can pay handsome dividends for country clubs. In […]
Why Permeable Pavers are a Growing Trend in Outdoor Design
When something is nearly ubiquitous, it’s easy to forget it’s there. Permeable interlocking concrete pavers (PICP) are one of those items. They’ve been around for thousands of years, but have become especially popular in recent years. They’ve certainly kept us busy here at Unit Paving Inc, as a growing number of homeowners, businesses, and cities […]
Growing Trends in Streetscape Design
As America’s third century — and with it, the 21st Century — gets well underway, our urban fabric is evolving in ways urban developers and theorists like Robert Moses and Jane Jacobs could scarcely have imagined. In the process, we’re reimagining the very meaning of the city — its design, its purpose, and all that […]
Hardscaping vs Landscaping: What’s the Difference?
What we typically think of as “landscaping” is more than just plants that must be maintained, watered, and weeded. That part of the equation — also called softscaping — is complemented by hardscaping, which is the use of inorganic materials like stone and pavers for beauty and function. For many in North and South Carolina, […]
A Beginner’s Guide to Sustainable Hardscape Design
Sustainability has been a business buzzword for a decade or longer. However, sustainable growth is increasingly a concern for burgeoning municipalities, and even homeowners in the Carolinas are increasingly looking at how they can do their part. Urban growth taxes resources, often in unexpected ways. Sustainable hardscape design can help lighten the load borne by […]
What Are Permeable Pavers?
The Roman Empire is known for its engineering marvels, including aqueducts, public baths, and monumental projects like the Colosseum. One of Rome’s most enduring legacies, however, is also one of its most humble: the paver, passed down through two millennia, and an important part of modern hardscaping. Just as science and experience have improved on […]
5 Tips for Designing Greener Municipal Spaces
Urban planning is not an abstraction. Even though the “right” way to do urban planning has long been a contentious subject, recent years have seen a renaissance in urban planning — and urban renewal — driven by the desire to “green” the built environment. These efforts don’t simply make for a prettier downtown, or draw […]