August 17, 2021
◼ New headquarters: parking spaces yes, soil sealing no
Austria is a master of soil sealing: We are actively counteracting this and have designed our parking spaces at the new company building to be environmentally friendly, despite the high requirements.
At our new company building, which will be opened in a few weeks, environmental compatibility is not only a priority for the building itself, but of course also all around, for example for the parking lots. The regular route taken in Austria of constructing parking lots with asphalt is inexpensive and can be implemented without major obstacles. Nevertheless, we did not want to take this route.
Against soil sealing in parking lots
A comparable and environmentally compatible alternative to asphalt for parking lots is more expensive and more cumbersome, also in terms of approval. Nevertheless, we have implemented it in the parking lot of our company building.
It starts, for instance, already with the fact that no simple infiltration on gravel surfaces into the ground is allowed, because cars on the parking areas could leak and thus, for example, oil could get into the ground. Therefore, a "soil filter with a thickness of 30 cm" must be installed under each parking space, which pre-cleans the "precipitation water from traffic and parking areas" and only then allows it to seep away (cf. Upper Austrian guideline for the transfer of precipitation water from roofs and paved areas). Of course, this drives up the price of parking space, which is already a reason for exclusion for many building owners.
Dr. Gerhard Rimpler, building owner and my-PV CEO, has the following to say about it: "Clearly, politics demands that we put a stop to soil sealing. On the other hand, the design regulations for parking areas lead to considerable additional costs if they are not executed in asphalt. In view of the increasing number of electric vehicles, some things should be reconsidered here. It would make sense to have design easements if charging options for e-cars are available."
Our solution: by means of plastic grids, which allow for greening of the parking areas, the parking areas were laid out in a stable and environmentally compatible manner. In this way, the ground is not sealed compared to asphalted parking areas as we know them from supermarkets, etc. The system we implemented reduces surface sealing by filtering rainwater, which is then allowed to seep away unhindered and gently instead of being drained away.
Small steps to a big goal
The way we design our company parking lot is a small step toward the big goal: more sustainability and environmental protection in entrepreneurship and production.
Find out what other innovative solutions we have installed and implemented in our new company building in further, future posts. Stay up to date and subscribe to our newsletter!
