How does Drivable Grass® perform in cold weather climates?

Drivable Grass® can move with frost heave in a freeze thaw cycle with no cracking.  The product’s interconnecting grid is made from an engineered polymer that remains flexible even in low temperature conditions.  Because of its unique shape, and that it is manufactured using air entrained concrete for cold weather climates, cracking of the individual mat pads should not be a concern.

When installing Drivable Grass®, do not use frozen materials or materials mixed or coated with ice or frost.  Do not build on frozen, wet, or muddy subgrade.

Salt use is not a problem with the concrete mats themselves, but can be detrimental to soil and grass.  Check with a local nursery or landscape professional regarding the choice of grass and winter conditions in your area.

Can you snow plow Drivable Grass®?

When Drivable Grass® is properly installed, shoveling or snow plowing should not be an issue.  Snow plow operators should be educated as to the type of surface they are plowing over prior to beginning snow removal.  Teflon runners placed under the snow plow blade are highly recommended.  The snow plow operator should be advised to keep the blade up a bit.  A 2” to 3” layer of snow left on the Drivable Grass® mats after plowing will rapidly melt, even in cold conditions, due to earth temperature warmth emitting through the product voids and/or solar radiation.  Melting snow will infiltrate and will not result in icy conditions on the mat surface in the event of a refreeze.

For sites that will require the use of heavy-duty snowplowing machinery, install concrete curbs and/or strips as a level guide for the snow plow blade prior to installation of Drivable Grass® paving mats.  Drivable Grass® should be depressed ¼” below the top of the curb/strip to protect the product from the snow plow blade.

Can the Drivable Grass® concrete paving system withstand the weight of fire trucks and H-20 loading?

Drivable Grass® is constructed of 5,000 PSI concrete.  It was designed and tested for use as emergency vehicle access at large commercial and residential projects and can easily withstand the pressures of heavy traffic loading when the design section is engineered for site specific conditions and the product is properly installed.  Proper base preparation is the key to a satisfactory project.  See our third party load testing.