Safe Driveway, A Driveway Of Good Quality

Safety is everyone's priority when it comes to constructing residential properties. Homeowners want to ensure that the premises and vicinities of their home are not prone to any kind of danger that would compromise their safety. Driveways are main pathways to residential properties and building them requires safety considerations.

Since driveways are connected with roads and streets, the angle of intersection between the driveway and public access road should be considered in designing and laying out your driveway. The angle of intersection refers to the angle between the centerline of the driveway and the centerline of the road. It is not recommended that this angle is less than 45 degrees. Driveways should intersect the road at 90 degrees.

     Another safety consideration in constructing a driveway is visibility. There should be a clear line of sight so that on-coming traffic is easily detected. For roadways with 20 mph speed limit, the visibility range should be 130 feet and 1,050 feet for roadways that have 60 mph speed limit. To maintain clear visibility, driveways should not be constructed on bends or rises in roads. Cut or trim also those that limit visibility like trees and vegetation that are located along the driveway and road.

             A turnaround is also included in designing and planning a driveway. A turnaround is an arc located between the house building and the driveway or you can use it as the driveway widens out and your vehicle approaches the road. This is very important so you won't drive back into the road. Through a turnaround, you can easily access the road without the need of driving your vehicle backward. The radius of this arc should be 30 degrees but if you have large vehicles like trucks, the recommended turnaround radius is 60 degrees.

             If there is natural drainage or ditch along the road connected to your driveway, culverts are commonly constructed to allow water flow beneath the driveway and drain excess water during a runoff. A culvert is a steel, plastic or reinforced concrete which may have a diameter of 8 inches or several feet. Since ditches and drainages carry water, excess water from them may accumulate along the edges of your driveway or would cause surface runoff. Installing a culvert would prevent such problem.

    

            A concrete driveway that has good quality is one that won't lead you to accidents. Hire a contractor who always prioritizes safety as he works on the project of installing your driveway.