PROJECT SPECIFICATIONS/INFORMATION
Description:
Bomanite Certified Grasscrete Contractor, Bomanite Artistic Concrete installed Grasscrete at the Fort Bliss Battle Command Training Center (BCTC). The void structured concrete was filled with stone in lieu of grass due to the desert location. The slab was designed to handle Humvee’s and Bradley Fighting Vehicles along with the occasional Abrams tank. A hardened pad in the center was created so that tracked vehicles can traverse the Grasscrete, pivot on the pad and exit the slab without damaging the Grasscrete surface extensively. Battle training exercises are conducted on the slab in conjunction with the trainings they do in adjacent buildings. Approximately 73,000 square feet of Grasscrete was poured over 8 to 12” of crushed stone with no drains or storm water infrastructure
PROJECT SPECIFICATIONS/INFORMATION
Description:
The Sikorsky Development Flight Center has a new slope landing pad in West Palm Beach, Florida. Bomanite Licensee, Connery Concrete worked with Sikorsky Global Helicopters in constructing and installing different sloped Grasscrete slabs to simulate landings on a pitching air craft carrier deck.
According to the Sikorsky Commerical Newsletter “The new pad was officially opened in early January 2010. In addition to providing a world-class landing area for Sikorsky aircraft, the pad also will be used as a pilot training facility for Sikorsky pilots and customers’ pilots. The new landing facility was created to allow for landing capability on inclines up to 15 degrees, in accordance with Aeronautical Design Standard (ADS-33) requirements.”
Sikorsky implemented a green solution for the landing area by choosing grasscrete, in lieu of a solid concrete slab, a natural selection to ensure that there will be no erosion of soil, low maintenance and proper absorption of water to avoid runoff. The voids were filled with soil and planted with Bahia sod.
The Sikorsky Development Flight Center (DFC) operations were started in March 1977 with two buildings and a 1500-ft runway. The facility gradually expanded to 12 buildings, extended its runway to 7000 ft and became a premier site for helicopter development testing. The DFC offers the capability to conduct all types of development flight testing including performance, structural and handling qualities flight test, tethered hover, slope landing, infrared and acoustics signature assessments, confined area night operations, external jettison, and ADS-33 handling qualities assessments.
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.
Early in 2012, John Fletcher, Owner of Carolina Bomanite was approached by the Piedmont Council Boy Scout staff in regards to improving the waterfront rinse station that had been in use since the 80’s. Several ideas were discussed including building a structure and installing shower heads. Due to constant use of the waterfront during the 7-8 weeks of summercamp each season, John decided to design a structure that could handle constant use by teenage boys, the elements and be able to be closed down and drained during the off season. Once the design was approved, it was a matter of installing the rinse station to plan. The Grasscrete base provided the positive drainage required to withstand almost non-stop water during each week of camp. In addition, the small aggregate used to fill the voids not only facilitates drainage, but is easy on the foot to walk on. Vandal resistant valves and “tap on” automatic rinse and shower heads keep inquisitive boys from trying to disassemble. The manifold piping system enclosed in underground valve boxes allow the camp staff to isolate each tower, along with facilitate cold weather draining of the entire system by the turn of a valve.
One of the premier Boy Scout camps in the Southern Region, Camp Bud Schiele has a long tradition of serving Scouts from across the Piedmont Council as well as Scouts from as far away as Florida. Located in the foothills of Western North Carolina, Camp Bud Schiele serves close to 3000 scouts and adult volunteers each summer. Centered around a beautiful 31 acre lake, 1300 acre Camp Bud Schiele offers a full program of swimming, boating, target shooting, handicrafts, outdoor skills, climbing, C.O.P.E., high adventure, and a first year camper program. Opened in 1982, Camp Bud Schiele has always focused on the area of quality staffing and is committed to a well-trained staff to offer each Scout the best possible Scouting experience.
Wooster Elementary School in the Greenbrier School District is a shining example of sustainability. It is the recycling center for the community and a learning environment for its students and parents on green building. As the first school in Arkansas to achieve a LEED® for Schools Silver certification, Wooster educates while enjoying lower operating costs through energy efficiency. Seeking LEED certification, Jackson Brown King Architects designed learning spaces with cutting-edge technology to lower energy costs. A combination of imprinted concrete and Grasscrete was chosen for the exterior walkways and play area. The Grasscrete is used to soften the space with grass and still allow for heavy foot traffic. Bomanite Licensee, Bomanite of Tulsa installed several thousand feet of Imprinted concrete with the Bomacron Coquina Texture, alternating with blocks of Grasscrete. The voids were filled with grass plugs.
Grasscrete attributes to LEED credits through reduction of Heat Islands, Water Effecient Landscaping and Stormwater Management. The Bomanite Imprinted Concrete uses Coquina Color Hardener that has an Albedo or Solar Reflectance of 0.5 – 0.6, falling within the LEED rated projects requiring an Albedo of >0.3 of surfaces requiring adequate Solar Reflectance.
Wooster Elementary School, completed in September 2008, demonstrates Greenbrier’s commitment to provide an environment for its students to become life-long learners with an emphasis on green living.
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 original installation was specified to use a Bomanite Grasscrete Stone Filled Void System but the General Contractor determined that the use of Gravelpave2 would be an acceptable equal. The application was a truck dock access road through an environmentally sensitive wetlands area. According to the information the General Contractor was provided, the Gravelpave2 plastic ring system not only would accommodate any type or size of vehicle traffic but would withstand continuous use making the system seem ideal for the project. Unfortunately for the end user this proved not to be the case.
Ruts began to develop soon after putting the installation into service due to the inability for the plastic rings to adequately transfer the load of heavy trucks and machinery. Once the ruts started, when the trucks had to turn their tires on the system, the little 1” plastic rings began to tear apart. Eventually entire sheets of rings were becoming unbound which were turning up and catching the underside of the trucks making the entire driveway difficult to navigate. Several months after installing the “equivalent” Gravelpave2 product the decision was made to revisit the original specification and install the Bomanite Grasscrete System as specified.
Premier Concrete Construction, LLC of New Hampshire was selected for the installation. After consulting with the owner’s representative they installed the 5 ½” thick continuously reinforced system in two days using high strength concrete. Once cured for a week the access road was put back into service and is performing as designed. The loading dock access road now accommodates the 40,000 pound trucks making deliveries as well as bearing the weight of a 100 ton capacity crane adjacent to the trucks to load especially heavy pieces of equipment prior to shipping.
A needle punched filter fabric was installed under the Grasscrete System to minimize the potential for silt to develop in the stone reservoir under the system. The installation uses #3 rebar 8 inches on center with 4000 PSI concrete. Premier Concrete removed the failed Gravelpave2 system, corrected the grades that had been rutted by the trucks by moving
some of the existing sub-base and adding additional clear stone, installed the Grasscrete System and filled the voids with ¾” clear stone.
Pervious concrete or asphalt were not options for this project due to their inability to bear the heavy loads as required for this installation. Additionally, there was a concern that additional snow melt chemicals would be required rather than the preferred method of using coarse sand that would clog the pervious pavements unlike the open void Grasscrete System. Grasscrete was the preferred product as well because it has been in use in the New England area since the mid 80’s for similar installations without any issues.
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.
