Archives
Goody Goody Liquor Store Parking Lot
Goody Goody Liquor is located in a flood plain below White Rock Lake, making Grasscrete an ideal pervious product to help with storm water management. Their need for an emergency vehicle access area as well as parking stalls was solved with the Grasscrete Stone Filled System. Bomanite Licensee, Texas Bomanite, worked with Goody Goody to implement a city regulation that a percent of the site paving was required to be pervious due to the nature of the flood zones.
Grasscrete Stone Filled applications offer maximum percolation rates and a low maintenance option that is both functional and environmentally friendly. Stone filled systems are capable of draining at rates of up to 480 inches per hour with 100% retention of water possible with correct design.
In designing the parking area, some of the stalls were concreted and some of them done with the pervious Grasscrete system. The Grasscrete molded pulp former was used to form the lot, concrete was poured, voids were removed and stone aggregate was filled in the voids to allow for additional drainage. Parking stall lines were added to delineate spaces. Goody Goody wanted the solid walkway added for ADA to be able to push a shopping cart across the parking lot easily if needed. The solid walkway also allows for ease of a smooth transportation of people from the store to an emergency ambulance vehicle.
Sprouts Farmers Market Parking Lot
The Sprouts Farmers Market Store located in Denton,Texas incorporated a void structured Grasscrete parking lot into their build and design. The company needed a pervious pavement system that could control storm water drainage, stand up to emergency vehicles as well as offer a standard parking lot with delineated parking stalls.
Working with the local Grasscrete Installer, Texas Bomanite, and the engineer, Winklemann & Associates, Inc.the parking lot was designed and installation of 14,775 square feet began with the layout of the formers to fit the space and requirements. The subbase was prepped prior to the formers being laid. Reinforcing rebar was set and concrete poured next to provide the stability and strength needed. Former tops were then removed and voids filled with stone.
The Grasscrete Stone Filled System was ideal for Sprouts. The Stone filled system is perfect for sustained traffic areas and can be filled with no-fines stone for maximum percolation rates while providing a low maintenance option that is both functional and environmentally friendly. Stone filled systems are capable of draining at rates of up to 480 inches per hour with 100% retention of water possible with correct design.
Sprouts practices “Responsible Retailing” in sourcing, operations and building. All stores are built to LEED Silver specifications. The void structured Grasscrete system contributes to LEED requirements 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.
Navajo Elementary
PROJECT SPECIFICATIONS/INFORMATION
This project is an example of a parking lot application requiring a pervious concrete surface that could withstand the New Mexico climate while dealing with exceptional water volume and providing the necessary structural capacity.
The Navajo Elementary School is located on a flood plain just west of the Rio Grande river not far from downtown Albuquerque. The area is subject to periodic flooding due to a combination of its topography, localized heavy rain and poor draining soils. The existing parking lot flooded fairly regularly with up to 6 inches of standing water present for extended periods of time. This posed safety and access issues for parents and teachers utilizing the parking lot daily. The Bomanite Grasscrete System was selected as the product to meet their needs due to the historically poor performance of traditional no fines or pervious concrete in the region.
The utilization of storm water retention chambers under approximately 20,000 square feet of the lot combined with the clear stone bed achieved the necessary capacity to handle the heavy rains. With a conventional stone filled void Grasscrete application capable of storing 3 inches of rain, this revised system was capable of several times this volume. This not only solved the parking lot flooding problem but gained additional capacity to pump water from areas surrounding the school when required.
The school itself, as well as the parking lot, were renovated at the same time while open so construction vehicles such as large delivery trucks, forklifts and waste disposal trucks had to gain access to the parking lot shortly after placement. This was achieved through the use of a concrete mix that had an average compressive strength of 4200 psi at 7 days and an ultimate strength in excess of 6000 psi while still utilizing the desired 26% fly ash replacement of portland cement. This mix in conjunction with the 8” on center #3 bar utilized in the formers allowed the slab to be opened to light vehicles within 36 hours and all vehicles within 72 hours of concrete placement.
While the main surface area is easy to navigate both by vehicle and foot, handicap access was provided using traditional broom finished concrete. This finish ran through the parking area where required with the surface pitched to drain into the Grasscrete System. This type of composite system is both cost effective and practical providing smooth uninterrupted access where necessary but still achieving the required amount of pervious surface.
Los Alamos National Bank
Bomanite Grasscrete Systems provide a variety of landscape solutions while maintaining a sustainable, “Green” product design. As a cast-in-place, monolithic, pervious concrete pavement that is continuously reinforced to provide superior structural integrity, Grasscrete offers the ability to provide year-round access to a variety of applications without compromising surrounding aesthetics or environment.
The Bomanite Licensed Contractor, provided a much needed storm water drainage solution to the newly installed parking lot of the Los Alamos National Bank. The Bomanite Grasscrete System was chosen for selected areas and installed around the perimeter to allow for a central drainage channel. The installation consisted of a lose ¾” crushed concrete base approximately 6” thick for the drain bed which was covered with a filter fabric / weed barrier. The filter fabric was then covered with a 2” crusher fines leveling course for the Molded Pulp Formers. The formers were placed to grade and concrete was placed on the formers and screeded level with the tops. The concrete was given a broom finish. After the concrete had set the tops of the formers were opened up and clean ¾’ minus stone was used to fill the forms and allow for drainage of storm water.
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.
David Furman Architecture
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
Florida Turnpike Service Plaza Renovation – Florida
PROJECT SPECIFICATIONS/INFORMATION
Description:
The Florida Turnpike Service Plaza Project, a multiyear renovation program, directed by Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise, consisted of decorative concrete installations that included walkway and plaza areas outside service station and restaurant facilities that started with the original 1950’s Turnpike stations; Turkey Lake, Canoe Creek, Fort Drum, West Palm Beach and finally Pompano Beach. Bomanite Licensee, Edwards Concrete placed and finished imprinted concrete at the plazas, applied a variety of colors, and in some cases seeded recycled, colored glass into landscape borders. It was a major transformation in that the old concrete at the service plazas had been plain gray.
The turnpike, one of the busiest highways in the nation, is formally named the Ronald Reagan Turnpike. Brett Nein, manager of landscape architecture for Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc. that provided design services for the service-plaza projects noted that the existing service plazas didn’t meet the standards of the traveling public of the 21st Century. Three primary design themes were created to connect all of the facilities; water, sun and earth (or land). From these themes, the designers and Edwards Concrete interpreted the conceptual vision of the architectural firm directing the total project, Zyscovich, using concrete colors and decorative patterns for the hardscape materials.
East 54 Parking Plaza
PROJECT SPECIFICATIONS/INFORMATION
Description:
Bomanite Licensed Contractor, Carolina Bomanite, began working with Winston-Salem, N.C. Architects Dishner Moore more than a year in advance of the construction of this urban village of luxury condos, shops and dining in Chapel Hill, N.C. The Architect, Craig Dishner, “had a vision of creating a spectacular plaza design to be viewed and enjoyed at street level and above from the residential tenants”. After several mock-ups were completed and reviewed, a decision was made to use Bomanite’s Micro-Top as the topically applied coloration system over a custom “machine-swirl” integrally colored surface design for the plaza. Negotiations began with the General Contractor, Resolute Builders, to be the prime decorative flatwork contractor for this project. Carolina Bomanite had previously worked with the developer, East West Partners on other projects.
The initial phase began with the installation of the main entrance roundabout granite textured curb, along with 8000sf of dry-shake color- hardened Bomacron® Fishscale Granite Setts pattern paving. The curb was poured with an integral color at a low slump, hand shaped, then textured and barcut to resemble hand-placed granite.The ADA warning strip that followed the outer contour of the roundabout posed several problems. First, the original design called for a stamped pattern using geometric shapes. We soon realized that this would be both an installation, and aesthetic issue when installed. Carolina Bomanite quickly suggested a hand-tooled, grooved pattern that followed the radius of the contour. After several calls and letters to the town of Chapel Hill, an approval was given to install the grooved pattern. All parties agreed, this was an excellent solution to a difficult problem.
The plaza, a 25,000sf parking and mixed use space, was designed not only to be parking, but also become an entertainment venue on weekends and evenings. The decorative topping slab was designed to be a 4-7” integrally colored slab with the special “swirl” finish. High summer temperatures made working on this sub-slab almost unbearable. The decision was made to convert the 10-man crew to night work with forming beginning at 11:00pm and the first of 2 pours at 2-3:00am each morning. A cast-in-place stage with cascading steps was the first pour of this phase of the project, followed with several hundred ft. of ADA warning bands. Since the deck was previously waterproofed, all forms were set using sandbags for support. Only 2 finishers were allowed to complete the custom “machine-swirl” pattern in order to keep consistency throughout the project. After the plaza was installed, the 4-man finish crew came in to begin the layout and sawcut of the plaza design. A template was used to layout the geometric shapes. Precise layouts from the GC’s site superintendent Chris Hardee allowed the design to go in precisely to plan. After a thorough cleaning, the Bomanite® Micro-Top product was installed in a “reddish” color to compliment the decorative brick design used on the buildings exterior. Water based sealers were then applied to protect the colored areas.
Plum Way II Commercial Building
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.
Covington Readiness Center LA Army National Guard
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.
