Concrete plays a significant role in any constructional project. Concrete are strong, and gives the necessary strength to the entire architecture. Here we will be focusing on concrete hardstand. The purpose of a concrete hardstand is to provide a sturdy paved area to bear the load of heavy vehicles. Usually, it comprises asphalt, concrete, or gravel. Hardstands find their utility often in commercial and industrial setups for providing a sturdy surface for parking vehicles and loading and unloading goods. This blog will have a basic walkthrough of concrete hardstands and their pros and cons.
Definition
A hardstand is a large, paved area for heavy parking machinery, trucks, etc. Hardstands owe their durability to their greater thickness compared to conventional parking surfaces. Unlike sand, grass, or concrete, a handstand tends to have heavy-load bearing capacity without down drifting. They support the long-term storage of containers and pallets with high-point loadings.
Purpose/Necessity
The safety of any construction is paramount and for this establishing a concrete hardstand is a must. It helps in securing your big-budget resources from catastrophes caused by stone chips, splintered surfaces, sand, or muck. Moreover, the risk of going away with heavy vehicles or a high sustentation budget will not bother you.
Hardstands are appropriate for areas where massive machinery, vehicles, plant, and storage repositories stay for considerable periods. Further, they are useful for those areas where plants and vehicles are constantly transported. Example
- Industrial units
- Boat manufacturing unit
- Personal or Commercial Storage Unit
- Repositories storage
- Car sale unit
- Vehicle terminals
A concrete hardstand will enhance the appearance, productivity, and security of your organization’s long-term heavy assets and parking areas. Ultimately, the first thing your client will notice about your company is its exterior arrangement.
Distinct from Driveways or Roads
Hardstands are far more durable than driveways or roads. Moreover, they comprise thicker ingredients that provide higher load-bearing capacity. They are constructed with the following standards –
- Thickness 150mm for light commercial and residential use
- Thickness 200-300 mm for heavy-duty/robust commercial use
- Sometimes thickness depends on the native ground strata condition
- A few other modifications are also needed for a concrete hardstand area. The list goes as follows –
- Soak wells along with a well-designed sewerage system to prevent water flooding or water run-off.
- Sizeable, robust driveways to bear the persistent transit of machinery, forklifts, trucks, and other bulky assets.
- Access control gates and fencing for securing high-budget goods.
- Kerb stone pavements for aesthetic purposes
- Energy-efficient industrial lighting to prevent mishaps
- Lastly, painted directional markings, parking spaces, and other safety arrangements.
Favorable factors
- Eco-friendly – Most of us are unaware of the ecological advantages of using concrete. It reduces carbon footprint by canceling the requirement of extended transit periods. Additionally, concrete is static while you cure it. In other words, it does not discharge harmful substances, unstable organic substances, or hazardous gasses. Besides, you can also recycle it by granulating it, blending it with other minerals, and making an agglomeration. After that, experts employ these agglomerations to secure the coastlines which form the footing for various constructions. And it also reduces the volume of junk transported to a dump yard. This prevents land pollution along with minimizing the carbon footprint.
- Cost-efficient – Maintaining concrete is straightforward due to its excellent pliancy and durability, usually sustaining decades without restoration. Therefore, structures built of concrete cover lower insurance premiums compared to structures comprising volatile or fragile components.
- Longevity – Concrete is ideal for many applications and purposes in the construction industry owing to its tendency of sturdiness and lasting for decades. Regardless of whether you are sketching a layout of a business or a residential project, concrete is a robust and reliable resolution. Similarly, concrete hardstand withstands for decades too.
Unfavorable factors
- Concrete lacks tensile strength and needs reinforcement with the help of reinforcing bars or rebars.
- It takes a high-budget framework to hold the concrete for the curing process and then to cast and molding.
- Variations in the proportioning and mixing process can adversely affect the concrete standard.
- No appropriate arrangements for curing and installing concrete, unlike materials such as laminated wood and steel.
Conclusion
Concrete finds its utility in areas where an aesthetic appearance is not needed, such as two or four- wheeler concrete hardstands. It is cost-efficient and useful. By blending decorative edging into concrete, you can deliver an aesthetic appearance. The latest technology in this concrete segment is fiber-reinforced concrete. With this help, you will not need steel reinforcement mesh for making high-strength concrete hardstands.