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Commercial Driveways
Commercial driveway installations for businesses that can't afford surface failures
Your commercial driveway isn’t like someone’s residential drive. It’s handling delivery lorries, staff vehicles, customer traffic – sometimes hundreds of movements daily.
Budget overlays and thin asphalt fail in 2-5 years under that kind of load. You’re patching potholes, managing water pooling, fielding complaints, watching repair costs mount.
Get a surface engineered for your actual traffic load
You need a driveway designed around what’s actually using it – vehicle weights, turning intensity, daily volume. Proper pavement build-up with drainage that works.
We deliver this across the South West, South Wales, and the Thames Valley. Heavy-duty asphalt specifications, SuDS-compliant drainage, professional traffic management keeping your site operational throughout installation.
What we can deliver for your site...
Why commercial driveways fail (and what it costs you)
The real-world impact...
Invest in infrastructure, not repeated patches...
Driveways engineered for your actual operating conditions. One specification doesn't fit every business
15-20 year service life from proper specifications:
Heavy-duty asphalt with polymer-modified bitumen lasting three times longer than budget alternatives, cutting lifecycle costs 40-60%.
Fixed-fee pricing eliminating budget uncertainty:
Transparent costs covering design, installation, drainage, traffic management. Clear change control, no vague estimates or surprise charges.
Operational continuity through phased delivery:
Professional traffic management maintaining site access throughout. Sections completed and reopened progressively, minimising disruption.
Drainage that actually works:
SuDS-compliant systems with falls verified to 1:80 minimum. Water managed properly from day one, not gradually failing.
Heavy-duty specifications for HGV environments:
Pavement build-ups designed for actual vehicle weights and turning stresses - 80-100mm binder courses, reinforced base courses, proper foundation thickness.
As-built documentation for asset management:
CAD drawings, material certifications, drainage layouts, maintenance schedules. Complete records supporting property valuations and future maintenance planning.
Why facility managers and property directors choose Highways Plus
You’re managing operational sites where downtime costs money and surface failures affect your business reputation. You need infrastructure that works properly for years, not surfaces requiring constant attention.
Highways Plus is different:
We engineer for actual loading conditions:
Traffic analysis before we design – vehicle types, daily movements, turning intensity. Specifications matched to reality, not copied from residential standards.
You'll know your costs upfront:
Fixed-fee quotations covering everything – design, installation, drainage, traffic management, waste disposal. Change control for genuine unforeseen ground conditions only.
Operational sites stay operational:
Phased installation maintaining access for deliveries, staff, customers. Chapter 8 traffic management, temporary surfaces where needed, professional coordination.
One partner for the full system:
Heavy-duty specifications proven in demanding environments:
Industrial yards handling 40-tonne HGVs daily, logistics facilities with constant articulated vehicle movements, retail sites with peak seasonal traffic.
Documentation sorted for compliance and asset management:
As-builts in CAD, drainage verification certificates, material test records, SuDS compliance documentation. Everything for your facilities management system and future handover requirements.
A structured process protecting your operations
Professional commercial driveway installation needs proper investigation, engineered design, methodical installation. Full documentation throughout.
The result...
Most projects run through site-specific design – we assess your actual traffic, ground conditions, drainage requirements before specifying materials and thickness.
Typical timelines: 2-4 weeks for standard car parks and access routes, 4-6 weeks for complex industrial yards with heavy drainage requirements, 1-2 weeks for emergency resurfacing of operational surfaces.
Site assessment and traffic analysis:
Survey existing surface condition, vehicle types, daily movements, turning patterns. Ground investigation where needed. You get an engineered specification, not guesswork.
Design and regulatory compliance:
Pavement design calculations, drainage layout, SuDS compliance verification, traffic management planning. Complete documentation before work starts.
Phased installation maintaining operations:
Ground preparation, sub-base installation, asphalt courses laid progressively. Sections reopened as completed, maintaining site access throughout.
Quality verification and handover:
Nuclear density testing confirming compaction, level checks verifying drainage falls, material certification. As-built documentation and maintenance schedule provided.
Commercial driveways CASE STUDY
Distribution facility, Avonmouth - 8,500m² heavy-duty yard
The Challenge:
- Existing asphalt overlay failing after four years - extensive rutting in HGV turning areas, water pooling across loading bays, emergency patching consuming £12,000 annually.
- Facility operates 24/7 with 40-60 articulated vehicle movements daily. Surface failures creating operational disruption, vehicle damage complaints, HSE concerns about trip hazards.
- Original contractor specified standard road construction rather than heavy-duty industrial pavement. Insufficient thickness and wrong material grades for actual loading conditions.
Our Solution:
- Traffic analysis quantified actual vehicle loading - up to 44-tonne gross vehicle weight, low-speed turning stress in loading areas, point-loading from trailer legs.
- Heavy-duty specification with polymer-modified bitumen surface course (50mm), reinforced binder course (100mm), high-modulus base (240mm), cement-bound foundation (250mm).
- Installation phased across four sections over five weeks. Maintained operational access throughout using temporary haul roads and professional traffic management.
- Drainage upgraded with slot drains aligned to wheel paths, fuel interceptor protection, verified falls preventing water accumulation in loading areas.
The Outcome:
- Yard operational throughout five-week installation - zero lost delivery slots
- Surface specification delivering 15-20 year design life versus four-year failure cycle
- Annual maintenance costs reduced from £12,000 to projected £800 for routine inspections
- Installation cost £82/m² versus budget overlay at £35/m² - lifecycle payback within eight years through eliminated repairs
Proven delivery of commercial driveways across diverse sectors
Whether you’re managing industrial sites, retail properties, or office complexes, your driveway needs proper engineering matched to your operational demands.
Sectors that rely on us:
Industrial and logistics facilities:
Distribution centres, manufacturing sites, warehouse complexes handling daily HGV traffic. Heavy-duty specifications supporting articulated vehicles, tight turning circles, constant loading activity.
Retail and hospitality:
Shopping centres, hotels, restaurants requiring aesthetic finishes with durability for peak seasonal traffic. Permeable surfaces meeting SuDS requirements whilst maintaining premium appearance.
Business parks and office complexes:
Corporate environments balancing professional image with functional performance. Block paving and resin-bound finishes delivering aesthetic quality with 20+ year service life.
Healthcare and education:
Hospitals, care facilities, universities needing accessible surfaces meeting building regulations. Traffic management minimising disruption to operational facilities.
Leisure and recreation facilities:
Sports clubs, caravan parks, entertainment venues managing seasonal peaks and variable traffic loads. Cost-effective specifications matched to actual usage patterns.
Agricultural and specialist sites:
Farms, equestrian facilities, specialist industrial operations requiring heavy-duty surfaces for machinery and operational vehicles. Durable construction in challenging rural environments.
Your Commercial driveways questions, answered...
How long do commercial driveways last?
Properly engineered heavy-duty asphalt: 15-20 years. Quality concrete installations: 25-30 years. Resin-bound surfaces: 15+ years in suitable applications. Budget overlays without proper foundation: 2-5 years before major repairs needed. Service life depends entirely on specification matching actual traffic loads.
What's the cost difference between budget and heavy-duty specifications?
Budget asphalt overlay: £25-40/m² but needs replacement in 5-7 years. Heavy-duty commercial specification: £60-85/m² lasting 15-20 years. Premium concrete: £90-120/m² with 25-30 year life. Lifecycle analysis typically shows heavy-duty specifications delivering 40-60% lower total cost of ownership through eliminated repairs and longer service life.
Can you work around our operational requirements?
Yes. We specialise in phased installation maintaining business access – deliveries scheduled through, temporary access routes where needed, works scheduled around operational peaks. Chapter 8 traffic management keeps sites safe and functional throughout installation.
How do you handle drainage and SuDS compliance?
Every installation includes drainage design – falls verified to minimum 1:80, gullies positioned appropriately, connection to existing systems or new soakaways. SuDS compliance through permeable surfaces, attenuation systems, or controlled discharge. Full documentation for building control and environmental compliance.
What specification do we actually need?
Depends on your traffic loads. Standard business car park: 170-200mm total pavement. Regular delivery traffic: 250-300mm with reinforced layers. Heavy HGV with tight turning: 400-450mm with polymer-modified surface. We assess your actual usage and provide engineered recommendations, not one-size-fits-all templates.
How long does installation take?
Standard car park (500-1,000m²): 1-2 weeks. Large industrial yard (3,000-5,000m²): 3-5 weeks. Complex sites with extensive drainage: 4-6 weeks. Emergency resurfacing: 2-3 days for critical operational areas. Weather-dependent but we provide realistic programmes accounting for ground conditions and traffic management complexity.
Can you repair our existing surface or do we need complete replacement?
Depends on condition. Surface defects with sound foundation: overlay or surface course replacement (30-40% cheaper than full depth). Widespread sub-base failure or severe rutting: full reconstruction needed. We assess properly and recommend most cost-effective solution, not automatically defaulting to full replacement.
What about disruption to our business?
Phased installation is standard – sections completed and reopened progressively. Most sites maintain operational access throughout. We schedule around your operational requirements – night works, weekend installation, avoiding peak trading periods where possible. Professional traffic management keeps deliveries flowing.
Do you provide maintenance afterwards?
Yes. Planned preventive maintenance programmes extending surface life – resealing every 3-5 years, crack sealing, drainage cleaning, minor patching. Fixed annual rates or call-off arrangements. Plus reactive emergency repairs when needed – pothole patching, drainage failures, surface damage from incidents.
Need to understand what specification your site actually needs?
Book a Free, No-Obligation Commercial driveways Assessment
We’ll assess your current surface condition, analyse your traffic loads, review drainage requirements, provide written recommendations with fixed-fee quotation.
No obligation, no sales pressure – just engineering advice from specialists who’ve delivered commercial surfacing across hundreds of industrial, retail, and business properties.
Call or fill out our form and we'll be in touch within 24 hours.
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