Green driveway build questions

[chsu74]

Wife insists on close to town and convenient location living so we have a small lot. In the process of sketching/building out a 4 car parking structure (2 carports attached to a 2 car garage) on a tiny lot. Town requires property to have at least 50% green area(lawn, bushes and trees etc.) on my property so I need to turn most of my driving area into drivable lawn.

Anyone with this experience in an area with cold/snow weather and perhaps a recommendation to an installer in the NYC area?

 

[chsu74]

Adding pics

 

[K'ledgeBldr]

You have two choices- you can go green (as in grass) with a grid system. Or, you can go paver- yes, paver! There are "permeable" paver systems.

https://www.icpi.org/whychooseconcretepavers

Going the green method can be hit or miss- picking the right vegetation for the area, climate, and overall durability. Here in the ATL dwarf mondo grass works really well; has a good root system and is somewhat drought tolerant. Don't know how it would perform in the NYC area- a certified horticulturist/master gardener could answer that question.

Most "hardscape"/landscape companies will most likely be versed on both systems. The one thing I know for sure- it ain't cheap!

 

[4xdog]

Our local water treatment utility is getting *very* sensitive to impermeable surfaces, and it's going to affect our rates somehow in the future -- maybe already is, for all I know.

Do any of these surfaces get credit for permeability where the utilities and municipalities are concerned?

 

[K'ledgeBldr]

Do any of these surfaces get credit for permeability where the utilities and municipalities are concerned?

Wouldn't that be nice(?)
I haven't heard of any- but I do know of a couple of jobs that were done here in the ATL that were "green" drives that actually drained to buried cisterns. The cisterns were used for the landscape sprinkler system- which included the drive. There was also a trough drain to the cisterns to handle the run-off during "turd floater" down pours. Obviously, this helped eliminate excessive water in the municipal storm drain system.

 

[chsu74]

Thanks guys for the comments.

Most of my research points to this application down south where temperature swings are less drastic so far. I am looking for someone who has experience with these driveways in areas of snow and ice..

 

[jkeyser14]

Most permeable pavers amd permeable asphalt/concrete suffer from damage due to freezing. I think your best bet would be traditional driveway pavers that have a pocket in them for grass.

 

[K'ledgeBldr]

I am looking for someone who has experience with these driveways in areas of snow and ice..

As I previously stated, contact landscape/hardscape companies- I'm sure you'll find someone who has experience/knowledge of what will work best for your climate.

Can you be more specific where- city? Borough?

 

[chsu74]

As I previously stated, contact landscape/hardscape companies- I'm sure you'll find someone who has experience/knowledge of what will work best for your climate.



Can you be more specific where- city? Borough?

Fairfield County, CT

Thanks in advance

 

[kbs2244]

One of the near north Chicago suburbs (maybe Highland Park) has a firehouse with the grass growing in a concrete grid system.

Not a high use location but a H D one
(Fire trucks are not light)
And similar, if not worse, weather concern.

 

[K'ledgeBldr]

http://www.roberthansenlandscaping.com/hardscapes-pavers.php

Give'em a call!

 

[chsu74]

http://www.roberthansenlandscaping.com/hardscapes-pavers.php

Give'em a call!

Thanks again! Will start another thread with pics when I get building permit and ground breaking..

 

[CombatNinja]

I tend to favor the ones that have kind of two 'tracks' for the cars to drive on and then lawn/groundcover in between. Seems to work out better than the cars actually driving on the plants. Whatever you do, keep it such that you never have to do a 3-point turn with tires on the turf, it will tear it all to heck.

 

[CombatNinja]

double post for some reason

 

[rsanter]

Look up tufftracks. TT24 by NDS
Grass paver.
It is good stuff. I have tested basically every one out there and that is what I like the most.

If you have good base material you can level and company the base, lay down the TT24 and then either roll sod into it or seed grass in it.

Can support a fire truck ladder truck no prob

 

[pmiranda]

I was thinking about this stuff before my neighbor went ahead and paved our shared access drive:
https://www.prestogeo.com/products/soil-stabilization/geoweb-load-support/

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Adding pics

I tend to favor the ones that have kind of two 'tracks' for the cars to drive on and then lawn/groundcover in between. Seems to work out better than the cars actually driving on the plants. Whatever you do, keep it such that you never have to do a 3-point turn with tires on the turf, it will tear it all to heck.

You did what I would have recommended. The pic CombatNinja posted is a good second choice and was very popular with a lot of older homes in NJ, particularly in shore/lake communities.

Tommy

 

[chsu74]

I found some of these installed near my house. Its kinda uneven.. Poor base prep?

 

[K'ledgeBldr]

Considering it's right next to a marina, it's hard to say.

Could have been a lack of base material, but I'd hedge toward just ground water and/or years of run-off from the basin area to the water.

 

[Git]

I had a green driveway for a while - all turf. Finally pulled it out when S Cal was going through a drought and the water company paid me $2 per sq foot to remove the turf and use something else

Gravel base with the grid, a thin layer of dirt and then sod. Held up while for about 11 years. Looking at you wouldn't know, but then again, it did not see daily use

Last pic was after I cut it up with a rental sod cutter and hauled it to the dump

 

[machsnell]

Every system we have ever installed for grass looks like **** afterwards.

If area is sunny it heats up too much for cool season grasses to stay and weeds come in easily if shady the grass fades out.

If you drive in them often the grass gets beat up and dies anyway.

Doesnt matter if it's the plastic grasspave2 or the blocks of concrete. None of it works. Maybe a summer house on long island that doesnt see traffic.

As previously suggested there are pavers that have an extra wide space on the sides so water can drain into easily. These are best.

You fill joints with #8 or #9 stones.

Also the base is 57 stone for 8 or 10 inch depth then an inch or 2 of 8s to level. Deeper on 57s if you have poor soils.

Winter is not a problem for these pavers.

They are plowable if grades dont have a bunch of odd converging slopes. Look very similar to standard pavers.



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[PAToyota]

Recognize that the pavers aren't 100% permeable. Basically, they'll have a permeability factor. Whereas grass may be 100% permeable, the paver system might only be 20% permeable. Here is a typical chart:

 

[chsu74]

As previously suggested there are pavers that have an extra wide space on the sides so water can drain into easily. These are best.

You fill joints with #8 or #9 stones.

Thanks for the experienced feedback. Are you suggesting a ribbon driveway with these pavers? My lot gets sun and I plan to keep sprinklers on it so will water it frequently..

 

[machsnell]

Not sure what you mean by ribbon but I am saying use what look like standard pavers which come in different sizes and can be installed in different patterns to your liking.

The difference is the gap between the pavers and the reservoir layer beneath them. Also the joints are filled with small stones instead of sand or the soil type you referenced.

I have never installed the soil/grass infill types where the grass has looked anywhere near the pictures in the brochures.



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[sixty4]

I found some of these installed near my house. Its kinda uneven.. Poor base prep?

Looks like the river rd condos in greenwich. If so they have been in many years and certainly low bid won.

 

[chsu74]

Looks like the river rd condos in greenwich. If so they have been in many years and certainly low bid won.

Yes. Just down the street from me so a good idea what it looks like when I do mine. Gotta meet that pesky 50% green area P&Z wants.