| Parking application | General suitability | Key requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Occasional short-term parking | Potentially suitable with appropriate design | Stable base, limited traffic and suitable turf system |
| Daily passenger-car parking | Requires a dedicated parking-turf system | Reinforced base, load distribution and suitable turf |
| Permanent parking in the same location | Generally unsuitable for standard landscaping turf | Engineered parking pavement required |
| Grass parking area | Potentially suitable | Grass grid/cellular reinforcement + engineered sub-base + suitable turf |
| Heavy vehicles | Requires project-specific engineering | Vehicle loads and pavement structure must be specifically assessed |
These are general design considerations rather than universal load ratings. The actual allowable vehicle load should come from the project engineer, pavement design and product-specific testing.
Why Is Standard Non-Infill Artificial Turf Not Designed for Long-Term Parking?
1. The Turf Is Not the Primary Structural Layer
Artificial turf is normally designed as a surface finish rather than a structural pavement layer.
When a vehicle is parked on the surface, tire loads are transferred through:
Tire → artificial turf → backing → reinforced pavement/base → subgrade
The structural layers underneath should therefore be designed to distribute the vehicle load.
If the foundation is insufficient, the turf may remain visually intact initially while the underlying structure develops settlement, rutting or deformation.
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