Mr. Bell

Development & Construction

Hotel Parking Lots: Why First Impressions Matter and How to Spot Trouble Areas Before Your Guests Do

By Rollin Bell, Founder / CEO, PCM Construction

One of the first things a guest sees when driving onto your property is your hotel's parking lot. A fresh, black coat of asphalt makes a positive first impression. A parking lot exhibiting signs of neglect or disrepair will have a profound negative impact on guests - even before they walk through the front door. Beyond appearances, a cracked parking lot can be a liability for hotel executives and managers if one of your guests becomes injured.

So how can you, as a hotel executive, know when it is time to repair your parking lot? Besides planning for recurring inspections and maintenance, there are several trouble spots to look for.

In many cases, a fresh seal coat may be the answer to your parking lot ailments. Seal coating is a thin asphaltic treatment used to protect pavement surfaces from UV radiation and oxidation. Seal coat may contain asphaltic or coal tar emulsion, fillers, sand, polymer latex, fibres and pigments. Seal coats are mostly for protecting a surface from aging. They are a thin layer and work well as void fillers. They are commonly used on parking lots to extend the life of asphalt and provide a fresh new look.

Raveling - This is one of the more common failures of asphalt pavement. Raveling can be described as the on-going separation of aggregate particles from the pavement's surface. A raveling pavement will deteriorate progressively faster with time. A raveling pavement leaves a pock-marked surface texture, followed by the loss of larger aggregate sizes, which leads to a rough surface texture with large, exposed aggregate, eventually resulting in the loss of the entire lift of asphalt pavement. With proper seal coating, raveling can be significantly reduced.

Alligator Cracks - These are easy to spot because of the resemblance they bear to the leathery, cracked skin of an alligator. Alligator cracks are attributable to various factors such as pavement movement, shrinkage of asphalt mix due to oxidation, weak or weathered joints, extreme temperature changes and/or surface layer movement. Depending on their severity, alligator cracks can be fixed with an application of seal coat.

Polished or Smoothed Aggregate - This is when the protruding aggregate that typically provides traction for cars and pedestrians becomes smoothed over time. This typically occurs in areas of high traffic or in geographic locations where studded tire use is common in the winter. Polished or smoothed aggregate generally occurs over a long period of time and results in a slick, unsafe surface.

Potholes - Anyone who has driven through a pothole understands the damage and aggravation these bowl-shaped craters can cause. Although potholes come in various sizes, they are all caused by similar factors that include poor drainage, insufficient pavement thickness and lack of crack sealing and seal coating. To reduce the future risk of potholes, it is important to repair cracks and apply high quality seal coating at the first sign of pavement distress.

Gas and Oil Stains - These unsightly blemishes can significantly detract from the appearance of your parking lot. These are caused by oil dripping from vehicles and, over time, can weaken the surface of your asphalt. Gas and oil stains are easy to spot and should be addressed on a recurring basis. Seal coating is a good way to improve the appearance of your parking lot although it is important to treat the stain with an oil spot sealant before applying the pavement sealer.

Grade Depressions - Among the first signs of grade depressions are areas of standing water. The water highlights localized low areas in which the pavement is no longer level with the surrounding lot. Grade depressions are frequently the result of heavy traffic and/or drainage problems. To minimize the possibility of grade depressions, hotel executive and managers should consider conducting load studies to determine the weight the parking lot will be expected to bear.

Corrugation/Rutting - This phenomenon is the emergence of wavelike bumps in your parking lot in a fairly regular pattern. It is the result of poor asphalt construction and frequent stops and starts by vehicles. A heavily corrugated or shoved pavement should be investigated to determine the root cause of failure. Depending on the size of the problem, the remedy can range from patching to removal of the damaged pavement and an overlay.

If you have observed any of these problems in your hotel's parking lot, it is important to take action quickly. When preparing your short list of contractors for the job, think about your scope of work, traffic patterns and budget constraints before scheduling an initial call or meeting. Having the information available during the discussion can save valuable time.

When selecting a contractor for the job, there are many important factors to consider. Obviously experience is critical to the future success of the project and it will be important to ask the contractors for examples of past performance and client references. Additionally, it is important to find out about the equipment that the contactors use. If the contractor owns its own equipment and self-performs the work, it is likely that your team will have greater control over scheduling and performance.

In addition to ensuring the structural integrity of you parking lot, a high quality asphalt contractor should be able to provide additional support in the areas of pavement markings. After all, freshly painted lines, directional arrows, handicapped signs and other stencils can send a positive message about your property and differentiate your hotel from competitors.

Again, a parking lot can make a big difference in how your hotel is perceived by your guests and can make a positive first impression when maintained properly. The problems described above are intended to serve as a quick checklist for managing your parking lot, but are by no means inclusive of all asphalt-related problems. For a more comprehensive diagnosis, a consultation with a qualified asphalt contractor is your best bet.

Rollin Bell is founder and CEO of PCM Construction, a full service general contractor serving the Washington, D.C. and Baltimore regions. PCM provides interior construction and other design/build services. Mr. Bell is a 2006 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year finalist and serves on the board of BAPS Imagination Stage, an organization committed to making the arts accessible to all children regardless of their physical, cognitive or financial status. He is a contributor to several charities including The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Mr. Bell can be contacted at 301-595-3700 or rbell@pcmgc.com Extended Bio...

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