Sol Harris Day Architecture

Progress Updates for Our New 'Green' Office - Lesson 12 - The Surface - Pavement

Thursday, January 12, 2012
By Matt Sutter, Chief Executive Officer
In Sustainability

Progress Updates for Our New 'Green' Office - Lesson 12 - The Surface - Pavement

In the United States, the ancient road surfaces were all dirt, brick or cobblestones. While traveling to the west in the 1800s, many wagons were destroyed by the uneven, rutted and muddy trails. The automobile came into fashion in the early 1900s and still traveled largely over unpaved surfaces.

Harvey Firestone conceived his famous Ship by Truck tour of America in 1918 to bring notoriety to the potential of truck deliveries and to ultimately create more demand for his tires. During the tour it became apparent that the Nation's roads were in need of significant upgrades, as the Firestone truck became mired in mud on several occasions. The surface of the Nation's roads were slowly improved culminating with the implementation of President Dwight Eisenhower's interstate system. Paved roads were now the standard in America.

So what goes into green paving? Many factors including cost, raw materials, function, durability, porosity, heat reflectivity, underlayment and installation need to be considered.

Asphalt is the most common road surface in America and if oil costs are low then it is also the least expensive. Made from a mixture of cement, stones and oil, it is petroleum dependent and nonporous. In addition, asphalt absorbs a tremendous amount of heat, contributing to elevated temperatures in populated areas. When asphalt is installed close to a building, it increases the cooling costs as the air conditioning equipment has to work harder with elevated temperatures. Asphalt requires significant maintenance since the surface has to be sealed on a regular basis and starts to break down after 15-20 years.

Concrete is much less dependent on petroleum prices. With today's high oil prices, it can actually be close to the same cost as asphalt. The surface of concrete is a much lighter color and reflects about 70% of the suns rays. Concrete should be sealed every other year in climates where it is exposed to freezing weather and corrosion by salt. Concrete is much more durable than asphalt as it can last well past 40 years without significant repair.

Brick pavers are another hard surface option. They are about 20% more expensive than a concrete surface. Pavers have been around for thousands of years dating back past ancient Rome. New, innovative self-spacing pavers are being used at the SōL Harris/Day site that let the water drain in between the pavers into the stone and to the soil below. This eliminates the need for expensive catch basins and large underground piping to carry rain water away. The surface of the brick pavers are also a light color and will reflect much of the sun's heat. Brick is tolerant to the salt that is on many roads and vehicles during the winter and has a lifespan that can exceed 75 years, with very little maintenance.

Matt Sutter
SōL Harris/Day Architecture
msutter@harrisday.com
330.493.3722

Anatomy of Our Team

Concrete Installer
RP Construction
330.453.1033

Brick Supplier
The Belden Brick Company
Wes Sima - 330.456.0031

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