Permeable Pavers

Permeable interlocking concrete pavement is designed to be as porous as possible, allowing water to adequately flow into an aggregate base, preventing flooding.

Commercial Solutions

We are proud of the reputation we’ve built as one of the leading commercial paving companies operating anywhere in the Carolinas or the surrounding areas today.

Municipal Solutions

Creating an innovative sustainable and ecologically friendly environment through low impact development, reducing major problems such as flooding and erosion.

Residential Solutions

Breathe new life into an outdoor area of your home using pavers, brick, stone, granite or permeables. We’ll guide you through creating the space of your dreams.

Permeable Solutions

Control storm water before, during and after extreme weather events as well as improve overall water quality thanks to the imbedded filtering system with Permeable Solutions.

Value Engineering

During projects, we provide better, more organized processes and procedures in an effort to better eliminate unnecessary costs that are discovered within the industry.

Products

Explore our paver products for concrete pavers, retaining walls, permeable pavers, sealers, joint stabilizers & accessories, clay pavers, natural stone pavers, slab & roof systems & porcelain tiles.

Municipal Solutions Blog

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5 Ways Permeable Pavers Can Reduce Parking Lot Construction Costs

Municipal Solutions

Whether you’re a business owner, developer, or city manager planning for a town or city, odds are better than even that you are not working with a limitless budget. When you’re faced with a major project like planning and installing […]

Running a city is challenging enough on its own. You’re trying to strike a delicate balance between keeping property taxes under control, preserving infrastructure, conserving green spaces, maintaining quality of life, and keeping your constituents happy. When the time comes […]

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 […]

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 […]

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Running a city is challenging enough on its own. You’re trying to strike a delicate balance between keeping property taxes under control, preserving infrastructure, conserving green spaces, maintaining quality of life, and keeping your constituents happy. When the time comes for even a minor municipal paving project, it seems like that delicate balance can easily be turned on its ear. Unit Paving Inc has helped many towns and cities throughout the Carolinas plan and execute municipal paving projects using permeable interlocking pavers. Here are some of the planning considerations that have gone into our most successful projects.

Budgeting

Most municipalities aren’t flush with cash. Understanding, then controlling, costs is a vital part of any paving project, and we’ll help you to do that without cutting corners on paving materials or workmanship.

Design and Planning

Even the most careful budget falls apart if the project isn’t designed carefully, planned well, then managed to perfection. We leverage many years’ worth of experience in sustainable hardscape planning, supply chain management, logistics, and the many other facets of paving projects to ensure success.

Traffic Circulation

There’s no getting around the fact that even a well-planned and well-executed paving project will be disruptive. A traffic study is vital for anticipating use patterns and detours during the project, as well as the traffic impact once the project is completed.

Parking

Whether we’re creating a new public parking area or paving in an area that uses on-street parking, one important goal is to ensure there’s sufficient space to minimize inconvenience and disruption to daily life for residents, commuters, and shoppers.

Impact on Local Businesses

Local businesses shudder when they hear a paving project is underway. They anticipate noise, dust, and lost business. Proper planning and communication can keep your business community firing on all cylinders for the duration.

Environmental Impact and Regulations

There’s always a morass of local, state, and federal regulations to deal with. Many of these will have to do with the environmental impact of paving applications, whether you’re rehabilitating an existing paved surface or opening a new stretch of road. Unit Paving will help with the permitting and regulatory hassles that too often accompany paving projects.

Plan Review

Once the community and environmental impact of the project have been assessed and all the regulatory boxes checked, we’ll revisit our plans to ensure there are no changes needed and no potential surprises lurking within.

Public Comment

If your community requires a period of public comment, it’s best to do this once plans are close to their final form. By now, you’ll have the information you need to address citizens’ concerns over the impact on their community, the environment, and their day-to-day lives, which makes for a more productive conversation around the proposed project.

Construction

Now — finally — it’s time to get to work. Site prep and construction moves quickly; indeed, you’re likely to find it’s over much faster than you expected. Our goal is to bring any project in on time and on budget, without compromising quality. We take pride in how often we’ve done just that!

Maintenance

Just as important as the paving project itself is the follow up that comes after. Permeable pavers tend to be lower-maintenance than comparable asphalt and concrete surfaces, but they’re not maintenance-free. Unit Paving can consult with your local DPW to ensure the work we’ve done holds up for many years to come.

Communication

One thing that’s key to any project is keeping lines of communication open among the various stakeholders. We strive to keep this as easy as possible, and actively encourage you to contact us at any point with your questions or concerns. If you’re currently planning a municipal paving project, in fact, you should start by contacting Unit Paving today.

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.

While many will opt for the same commercial paving solutions they’ve always used, some are looking for alternatives. They find them with Unit Paving. Let’s compare the relative strengths and weaknesses of common commercial paving materials.

Asphalt Pavement

Asphalt seems to be everywhere. It’s the most common commercial paving material because it’s easy to manufacture and transport, and relatively quick and cheap to install. On the plus side, it’s easy to repair, resists erosion, and has a bit of give that allows it to adapt to a variety of soil and weather conditions.

It also has significant drawbacks. Because its binding material is petroleum-based, it’s a finite resource. Because of its petroleum content and the heat island effect (asphalt absorbs and traps heat), it raises local temperatures, and is also harmful to the environment. Its installation is very labor-intensive and can be dangerous. It’s impervious, so it contributes to stormwater runoff and flooding. It’s soft, leaving it prone to potholes and cracks. And its petroleum component makes recycling difficult and expensive.

Concrete Pavement

Concrete tends to be more durable than asphalt. It’s also more versatile, since it can easily be shaped, colored, and textured to look like something else. The materials that make up the aggregate are easy to grind down and recycle or repurpose, and it’s reflective to help mitigate the heat island effect; these factors make it more environmentally-friendly than asphalt. Some forms of concrete are even designed to be pervious or porous to aid with runoff control.

However, even concrete has its disadvantages. Not as flexible as asphalt, it can be prone to erosion and cracking. Like asphalt, it also requires a lot of specialized equipment to install properly, which drives costs up relative to asphalt and permeable pavers. And because most concrete surfaces aren’t designed with sustainability in mind, they will — like their asphalt counterparts — place heavy demands on local drainage systems.

Permeable Pavers

Permeable pavers are extremely durable. On their own, they can be driven on by cars, trucks, and all manner of heavy equipment — they’re capable of handling more than 6800 PSI of ground pressure. Once filled they’re even stronger, offering more than 8000 PSI of compression strength. That’s more than adequate for any volume of commercial traffic.

They’re low-maintenance, being as easy to replace as they are to install. A smaller project can easily be handled by a single person, while a larger-scale project can be completed quickly by a smaller team than a concrete or asphalt pave would require. The fill material can be locally-sourced, and the pavers don’t require sealants. Because they absorb water rather than shedding it, they’re far more environmentally-friendly and will require far less drainage; that, in turn, cuts down on flood concerns, soil erosion, and depletion of natural resources.

For all the advantages (and they are legion), pavers do have some challenges. The amount of preparation in terms of backfilling, grading, and compacting is about the same. The cost is less than concrete, but may be slightly more than asphalt. And because they’re not as commonly used as concrete or asphalt, finding a qualified local installer can be challenging.

Challenging, but not impossible. If you require commercial paving in the Carolinas, Unit Paving Inc has the tools, expertise, and experience for commercial paving projects of all sizes. To find out how cost-effective a permeable paving solution can be for your business or municipality, contact Unit Paving to explore your options.

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 more tourists; they have, per the NIH, tangible health benefits for the residents of big cities and small towns alike. At Unit Paving Inc, our municipal paving clients have seen the benefits firsthand. We’d like to share some of what we have learned in working with them.

Design for People

The 20th Century saw a revolution in transportation as the easy availability of cars and trucks made it easier to move people and goods farther and faster than ever before. The net result was an economic boom, but our cities have suffered; what had once been designed for foot traffic was now the territory of motor vehicles.

A variety of approaches have seen the commons returned to residents. People moving to a new town will often want to know its walk score, determined in part by its ease of pedestrian access, and the ability to walk to the kinds of amenities most of us use on a daily basis instead of driving. Designing sidewalks and paved walkways can make your city more friendly to foot traffic, reduce its carbon footprint, and make it safer for kids and families.

Slow Down

The Slow Movement — including the Slow City Movement — has really taken off in the last decade. More than encouraging cars to slow down in urban areas, this is about bringing the pace of town and city life to a pace that encourages people to savor their surroundings, building community both in and away from green spaces like parks and bike paths. Protecting the environment, as well as the physical and emotional health of residents, are among the movement’s key tenets.

Embrace a Sense of Place

We shouldn’t have to travel somewhere else to feel as though we’ve found a place with an identity. But the sad reality is that too many urban areas are more or less interchangeable, clogged with the same anonymous architecture, chain stores, and general absence of civic identity.

Invest in your public (and public-facing) spaces. Give thought to what makes your town unique — its history, its residents, and the many traditions and cultures that have the potential to flourish within its borders — and give it a place to shine. Rehabilitate and retrofit existing architecture, especially if it’s historically significant, and include flexible spaces that can accommodate farmer’s markets, street fairs, festivals, and performances. Give your neighbors a chance, and an excuse, to get to know one another.

Include Some Blue Among the Green

As the greening of municipal spaces accelerates, another color is coming to the fore: blue. Some areas, like the canals of Venice, or the ten thousand lakes of Minnesota, are already synonymous with the integration of water in public spaces. The reality is, the potential for blue space exists in many municipalities.

Waterfront parks, marinas, and other forms of low-impact development have revitalized many cities’ urban planning. However, even landlocked cities are discovering that even smaller-scale blue spaces like ponds and fountains fulfill a number of life-enhancing functions. Not only do blue spaces mitigate heat islands, they also contribute to feelings of mental well-being — and according to some studies, blue spaces do this even better than green spaces.

Involve Your Community

One of the most effective ways to make for a greener city is to involve its residents in how the city evolves. On The Commons illustrates a number of examples whereby residents took matters into their own hands, or worked in tandem with municipal government, to improve public spaces’ safety and reduce their environmental impact. Drawing on the wisdom of crowds often means creative approaches, and also means a sense of community ownership and investment that helps ensure success.

Unit Paving doesn’t shy away from the challenges of green urban hardscaping. On the contrary, we welcome them as opportunities. To see how our sustainable hardscaping practices fit your plans or to solicit an RFP, please contact us today.