PROJECT SPECIFICATIONS/INFORMATION
Description:
Approx 2,000 feet of fully grassed Bomanite Grasscrete was installed at the VanDellen Christian School. The Grasscrete system was covered with Bluegrass sod that provides an aesthetic appeal to a fire lane access that leads from a school parking lot along the edge of a sports field. There is a four foot span of regular concrete with a 16 foot installation of Grasscrete which creates a 20 foot wide emergency access road. The Grasscrete is irrigated along with the sports field.
This road allows the fire department to gain access to the buildings off a main street in the event of a fire. Using Grasscrete allowed the school to maximize the size of the sports field, creating a safer playing surface than concrete or asphalt. Additionally the use of the Grasscrete lessened the stormwater runoff that would otherwise have to be accounted for.
Grasscrete offers the ability to provide year-round access for a variety of applications requiring structural paving surfaces without compromising the aesthetics of the exterior landscaping. Grasscrete is a very sustainable product that can employ a large recycled material content both in the form of aggregate and binder such as fly ash or slag—its lifespan is indefinite and can be recycled itself to form the aggregates for future Grasscrete applications; providing Specifiers with a truly sustainable, eco-friendly system to accommodate a variety of needs.
PROJECT SPECIFICATIONS/INFORMATION
Description:
This unique Bomanite Grasscrete installation was installed 20 years ago and uses recylced crush brick as an aggregate filler. The original installation use for Grasscrete was to facilitate the surface water on-site for aerification of large trees. The surface provides a second function for a structurally sound pervious parking access.
Grasscrete offers the ability to acheive LEED points for a varitey of applications. The Bomante Grasscrete system maintains water that would otherwise run off for use by returning it to the sub soils for plants. Additionally this water can be economically channeled using non-pervious membrane to collection points or to planting beds adjacent to the parking area. Water can be captured for use as irrigation. As another option, Xeriscape can be used in conjunction with a hybrid of grassed and exposed Grasscrete Systems to create a Xeriscape plaza with flowing lines funneling traffic or pedestrians through space not defined by traditional curbs or borders. Colored recycled glass aggregate or reclaimed porcelain aggregate, or in this case, recycled crushed brick could be used to fill the voids to create interesting bands of color and texture that circumvent the area.
Grasscrete offers the ability to provide year-round access for a variety of applications requiring structural paving surfaces without compromising the aesthetics of the exterior landscaping. Grasscrete is a very sustainable product that can employ a large recycled material content both in the form of aggregate and binder such as fly ash or sla its lifespan is indefinite and can be recycled itself to form the aggregates for future Grasscrete applications; providing Specifiers with a truly sustainable, eco-friendly system to accommodate a variety of needs
Colorado College located in Colorado Springs wanted to maintain the grassed areas adjacent to large trees while providing access to a fire hydrant set back from the roadway. Grasscrete was chosen and installed by certified Bomanite Contractor, Premier Concrete Services. Grasscrete Molded Pulp Formers were utilized for this project providing sustainability with their 100% recycled content and ability to degrade over time into the sub-soils. The combination of concrete, steel and aggregate interlock ensures that Grasscrete can bear isolated loads such as downriggers placed in an emergency situation with no support blocks, The robustness of the system minimizes the potential for failure during critical use.
Approximately 10,000 square feet of Grasscrete was installed in NREL’s Central Arroyo Detention Pond by Bomanite Licensee, Colorado Hardscapes. NREL (Natioanl Renewable Energy Labatory) has had great success with the application of on-site pervious pavement systems to reduce site runoff and maintain predevelopment hydrologic conditions.
Over 59,000 square feet of pervious paving materials have been implemented on the STM campus in support of their living laboratory environment. Grasscrete allows the native planting in the pond to grow, protecting the root systems within the voids, and provides easy cleaning and scraping of the pond as needed without disrupting the pond’s shape and root system. The concrete was integrally colored an earthy brown tone to blend in with the natural surroundings. Grasscrete provided an excellent, continuously reinforced, cast-in-place pervious concrete solution for NREL.
The Design-Build team for the memorial to commemorate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. consisted of McKissack and McKissack, Turner Construction, Tompkins Builders and Gilford Corporation known as (MTTG). The site is adjacent to the President Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial on the Tidal Basin and in a direct line between the Lincoln Memorial, where Dr. King delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, and the Jefferson Memorial, symbol of liberty and democracy.
The memorial honors Dr. King’s contributions to world peace through non-violent social change. Natural elements such as water, stone, and trees underscore the themes of justice, democracy, and hope. Quotes from Dr. King’s sermons and speeches capture the essence of his message in the commanding tenants of the American Dream – Freedom, Democracy, and Opportunity for All. The centerpiece of the Memorial, the “Stone of Hope”, features a 30-foot likeness of Dr. King.
Grasscrete was installed and is used for access to the back of the auxiliary building which houses the Martin Luther King Jr. bookstore, restrooms and a ranger station. The area is approx 2,000 square feet with the voids being planted with grass. The Grasscrete pour used a Buff Integral Color to provide a cohesiveness to the surroundings. The Grasscrete installation minimizes the non-pervious surfaces and includes a letdown between the sidewalk and street to allow daily access for the Park Ranger and maintenance vehicles.
PROJECT SPECIFICATIONS/INFORMATION
Description:
Denver Parks and Recreation was in need of a pervious, grassed pavement system for the maintenance access to the Barnum Wetlands Forebay. They sought out WHPacific, Inc. for recommendations. The vacuum truck used for maintenance weighs 103,000 lbs fully loaded. Grasscrete, a pervious concrete system designed to allow water to pass freely through while maintaining a structural integrity adequate to support the required vehicles was chosen.
The Grasscrete system selected can be purely functional or can be a concealed product that is both functional and pleasing in appearance. Grasscrete offers the end-user the ability to provide year-round access for a variety of applications requiring structural paving surfaces without compromising the aesthetics of their exterior landscaping and having to utilize traditional hard pavements, minimizing the need to control storm water runoff.
Grasscrete constructed with Molded Pulp Formers can be employed as a stabilization product for areas that experience seasonal runoff or storm water channeling. Pervious installations requiring maximum water capacity, such as those over rainwater harvesters or crushed stone reservoirs, are excellent applications for the Grasscrete product cast using the Molded Pulp Former. Grasscrete can be customized to suit a wide variety of applications, including, but not limited to, the elimination of retention ponds or utilization of retaining areas, flood plain for overflow parking and the management of sediment buildup such as adjacent to large storm water inlets.
Recently to handle stormwater coming off the adjacent Federal Boulevard, the Colorado Department of Transportation opted to build a new constructed wetland, to store the stormwater runoff before it ultimately reaches the 4-acre Barnum Park Reservoir. The newly created Barnum Park Wetlands now catches stormwater runoff from Federal Boulevard. The stormwater system first directs the runoff into a concrete basin, from which it drains into the wetland, which is approximately an acre in size. Any overflow from the wetland enters the Barnum Park Reservoir, just west of the project. Starting this summer the Grasscrete access road originally installed will be extended to the newly developed area.
For more information on the Barnum Park Wetlands visit:
http://www.erosioncontrol.com/EC/Editorial/Bringing_Back_the_Wetland_19112.apx
The Lake Carmel, NY, project is an example of an end-user desiring to develop a piece of property in a riparian zone. In order to proceed with construction, the local building department required that there be no runoff and that all storm water be contained on the site. This would have required the use of retaining areas with the capacity such that they would restrict access to the building required by large commercial vehicles weighing up to 40,000 pounds, as well as conventional access for staff and visitors.
The community of Lake Carmel proposed the use of Grasscrete, a pervious concrete system designed to allow water to pass freely through while maintaining a structural integrity adequate to support the required vehicles. A design was tabled and received approval from all parties. The local Bomanite Franchise Partner, Rok-Built Construction, Inc., performed all the site work, constructed the building and installed the Grasscrete System.
A 12” deep bed of clear, crushed stone was installed under the 38,000 square-foot Grasscrete System to act as a reservoir, providing capacity to retain storm water and allow it to percolate to the sub-base over time. Additionally, three small retaining ponds were incorporated into the design to handle any runoff water in the event that catastrophic rainfall would not reach the sensitive habitat area. The retaining ponds were designed as landscaped feature areas to add greenery at the perimeter of the site and improve the project aesthetics. These ponds were connected with three traditional inlet points that would function only after the Grasscrete System reached capacity. In this way the retaining ponds are kept artificially low at all times.
The concrete was a 4,000 psi mix design developed and provided by Brewster Transit Mix which was reinforced by 8×8 w8.0x8.0 epoxy-coated welded wire mesh. The Grasscrete was cast 5 1/2” thick and due to the finish requirements had to be hand floated and broomed . Once the former tops were removed, the voids were filled with locally sourced decomposed granite. The entry, walkways, handicap parking and visitor parking were finished traditionally as hard surfaces that drained to the Grasscrete System.
Goals Achieved/Added Benefits
• All storm water was contained, eliminating warmed first flush and contaminants entering habitat.
• No fears of clogging or freeze thaw degradation of the aggregate interface.
• Portion of cement content was replaced with fly ash, thus consuming a by-product and lessening CO2 emissions.
• Load bearing capacity to handle loaded trucks with trailers met by system.
• More robust than precast or plastic ring pervious products and therefore more
sustainable.
• Once through its service life, the product can be reclaimed and utilized as base material for future Grasscrete applications.
The Grasscrete System was selected for the project due to it’s LEED characteristics. Grasscrete Molded Pulp Formers were utilized for this project providing sustainability with their 100% recycled content and ability to degrade over time into the sub-soils. The selection of a Grasscrete System is one of the easiest ways to achieve LEED points due to the reduction in heat island effect, management of storm water runoff, recycled content used in the application process as well as the concrete and sub-base, the long lifespan and the low maintenance required. Grasscrete Systems are highly sustainable with a very low life-cycle cost and the ability to be completely recycled and used in a future project.
ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY SOLUTION FOR YOUR WATER MANAGEMENT AND TRAFFIC APPLICATIONS
Grasscrete, a Bomanite Pervious Concrete System, is a cast-in place, monolithic, pervious concrete pavement that is continuously reinforced to provide superior structural integrity.
Bomanite Grasscrete is the green alternative to standard concrete surfaces providing a variety of landscape solutions while maintaining a sustainable green product design used for emergency access lanes, delivery access routes, overflow parking areas, and for intermittent drainage channels that help prevent erosion. Grasscrete has been a Bomanite System for over 20 years with installations throughout North America in all climate types. Achieved through the use of two differing techniques and three differing tools known as “formers”, Grasscrete is void structured concrete – a pervious pavement system that can be cast using proven mix designs with no potential for freeze-thaw or clogging issues. Grasscrete can be used as an exposed utilitarian product for functional applications or as a concealed system with vegetation such as grass or native ground cover installed over the concrete. This system allows you to mitigate drainage issues while maintaining strong structural integrity that allows for some of the heaviest vehicles to operate unencumbered.
The first application technique incorporates a reusable tool that creates the voids by having concrete placed in and around the tool formers prior to being pulled from the concrete slab. The second technique is using a single-use former that is placed on the sub grade with the concrete placed over the formers and the voids opened after the concrete hardens. The single-use formers are available in an ABS plastic former and the newly developed bio-degradable former, know as the Molded Pulp Former, that is made with post consumer recycled components.
Grasscrete offers the ability to provide year-round access for a variety of applications requiring structural paving surfaces without compromising the aesthetics of the exterior landscaping. Grasscrete is a very sustainable product that can employ a large recycled material content both in the form of aggregate and binder such as fly ash or slag—its lifespan is indefinite and can be recycled itself to form the aggregates for future Grasscrete applications; providing Specifiers with a truly sustainable, eco-friendly system to accommodate a variety of needs.
Grasscrete Systems
CONCEALED
PARTIALLY CONCEALED
SLOPE PROTECTION
STONE FILLED
Green Benefits
- The benefit to Grasscrete for businesses and developers is that it drains at about the same rate as would an ordinary lawn in the same location. The presence of concrete has little effect on the drainage; the soil and the slope are the controlling factors which makes it beneficial for erosion control as well.
- Grasscrete is installed over a sub-base of gravel at a depth determined by the load bearing capacity required for the project. On site re-cycled fill materials are used in the sub-bases together with the use of topsoil in paving and retaining wall systems: as this is often available surplus from the excavation work it helps to avoid the unnecessary off-site disposal of waste materials.
- Grasscrete can also be installed over native soils saving money on excavation and gravel. The subsurface all depends on the needs and the water runoff requirements, from thick beds of stone to water piping systems. Grasscrete, as with many other “green” products generally costs 30% higher than traditional concrete pavement. At times however, using Grasscrete can eliminate or minimize the need for storm water collection systems which may in turn lead to substantial savings.
- Contrary to convention, the structural advantages that Grasscrete offers over pre-cast can make significant savings in both the “construction” and “lifetime” costs of a project. Sub-base depths are reduced and curb edge restraints can often be eliminated. The construction process is much faster than for precast and the forms can be delivered by the truckload to cover 7200 sq m which is the equivalent to fifty truckloads of pre-cast. This is a serious statistic that saves both money and polluted transportation waste.
- SUDS, better known as “Sustainable Urban Drainage” is becoming an increasingly used term with planners and developers seeking to mitigate the implications of handling surface water run-off on the local storm water network. Pre-formed tank water management often involves the use of self-draining paving layers together with the installation of pre-formed sub-ground retention tanks, to store surface water for a controlled release into the drainage network. Grasscrete provides a more uniform percolation process that creates a more natural balance thereby reducing the risk of shrinkage in clay soils due to the urbanized modification of water tables.
- Some other benefits of the Bomanite Grasscrete System, include the improved reflectance of the crete as compared to blacktop, reducing the heat island effect. Grasscrete handles runoff and storm drainage via river training, slope protection and channels. It is also a sound product for retaining pond bottoms thanks to its pervious nature and helps provide a food source and cover for pond inhabitants.
Continuing Education
Bomanite is a registered provider of both ASLA – LACES and AIA Continuing Education Systems. You can learn all about the various educational resources available and find out which programs are best suited for your project on our Continuing Education page…
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