Green Parking Propostion
Green Parking Lots For Dummies!
Our canvas masterpiece will be for the one…the ONLY… BROOKLYNNN COLLEGEEEE!
1) Use permeable/porous material that is gray to pave the parking lot (in between asphalt which is black and concrete which is light gray)
- (+) Material that is gray will not only absorb heat to prevent the pavement from icing over quickly in the winter, although less effective than black asphalt, but it will reflect visible light as well as some infrared light thus allowing the parking lot to stay cooler during warmer days
- (-) The ground can’t absorb an infinite amount of water and the sewage system certainly cannot take in such large quantities of water. Once the porous pavement reaches its carrying capacity, small scale flooding will be inevitable. Luckily for us, Brooklyn College’s Parking Lot is sloping downward. This can open other alternatives for relocating excess water.
2) Use grass pavers
- (+) More effective than concrete or asphalt at keeping the temperature of a parking lot down. Well hydrated vegetation stays cooler than ambient air. As an added bonus, the vegetation can shade the ground to a lesser extent. Since grass pavers have a “waffle” appearance, water will be absorbed into the ground to help cool the parking lot’s pavement even more than ever before!
- (-) Bugs, bugs, bugs! Gnats, mosquitoes, and other pests will hang around the grass. People who have moderate to severe allergies will hate whoever thought of this idea. Bug spray will be essential if you plan on parking in a parking lot that is built using grass pavers. Also, the grass will grow and problems will weed infestation cutting grass, and the vegetation destroying the pavement will be inevitable.
3) Use planter boxes instead of concrete to create a grid pattern
- (+) Planter boxes instead of concrete blocks to help cars align themselves when they park will serve a dual purpose. Firstly, the planter boxes will be utilizing the water that would have otherwise fell to the pavement below the box had the box not been there. Since these planter boxes will absorb the water, the water will be utilized by the plants to grow and ultimately, the plants that grow will shade the parking lot. Secondly, the planters boxes will offer something nice to look at rather than the hood of an old, rusted down clunker.
- (-) Again, people will allergies will hate you for life and hunt you with pitch forks! Large number of bugs and the threat of bee stings will be present. If the planter box overflows, mud will get on tires.
4) Canopies built on top of concrete pillars (like a tree house)
-Solar Panels
- (+) Will offer shade to the cars and collect/harvest energy. In addition, a rain barrel or gutter system can be installed to take the rain water that falls and store it for later use.
- (-) The solar panels will need to be maintained and cleaned. If one of the panels breaks and falls off, I hope you have good car insurance. If solar panels are present where grass pavers are used and a panel falls off, you now have a fire on your hands coupled with cars exploding.
-Plants
- (+) Will also offer shade to the cars AND utilize mother nature to create oxygen for you to breathe. Will help exchange CO2 emissions.
- (-) Who will maintain this “green roof?”
5) Trench Drains along the sidewalk leading into the parking entrance
- Trench drains are “floor drains” that contain a dominant through or channel shaped body. These drains are used to prevent flooding in city areas. It will be useful along the edge of the parking lot because water accumulates in this location during rainfall. We noticed that the parking lot is slanted so this sort of elevation will be optimal for letting the downfall of rainwater into the trench drains. It is also evident that the sidewalk has accumulated some damage over the years. With trench drains, flooding and further damage to the sidewalk will be prevented.
- Cleans the water from oils, grease, metals, and dirt. Reduces the temperature of the air. Minimizes the strain on the city’s storm water system, collects water, can handle high traffic unlike grass pavers.
7) Rain Barrels
A rain barrel is best used as an integrated part of a larger approach to keeping all of the water onsite. Most rain barrels are 55-80 gallon containers, used to capture rainwater. However, to capture our approximation, 4,544 gallons of rainwater, reducing the number of rain barrels used is crucial and the use of the largest 250-gallon barrel was proposed. Often they are made of plastic, but can be made of any material that will hold water. It can also easily be made with recycled materials.
The average rainfall in NY is 49” per year. How much water we catch depends on the size of the catchment area (16,200 sq. feet). [A rough estimate: from 1 sq ft, in a 1’ rainfall, you can get .62 gallons of water. From a 1000 sq ft area, in a 1” rainfall, you can get 620 gallons water.]
Cisterns can be used in replacement of rain barrels, as well. Generally rain barrels are less than 200 gals, and cisterns are very large, up to 10,000 gallons. This would be efficient, as one cistern would suffice for our purposes. The installation of a cistern/water tank might need the help of a professional, while rain barrels are easy for anyone to install.
Two options for getting water into the barrel:
Open Top
(+)
Overflow sizing less critical Gutter backup not possible Easier to install
(-)
Splashing water; Less efficient
Direct downspout connection (Gutters, for example, can connect a downspout directly into the barrel)
(+)
No splashing around the barrel, or on neighboring buildings. Too much water around the barrel can cause the barrel platform to erode or water seepage into foundation. More Efficient, no water is lost.
(-)
Water can back up resulting in property damage. More attention to sizing the overflow. Must have an adequately sized overflow valve.
