Paving the Anchorage Trail with Cell-Tek Load Support Grid.

A recent article in Hardscape Magazine (Nov/Dec 2010 issue) explained how Cell-Tek's LSG 200 load support grid was the perfect solution for paving the Anchorage Trail.

"Ingenious Engineering to a Paver Trail in a Flood Plain" by Tom Hatlen

In the article,  Terry Chapman explains how and why he chose Cell-Tek products to support the paver trail with very little excavation and without reshaping the surrounding terrain in any way. Terry learned of Cell-Tek's LSG Series Load Support Grid and had explored its various uses since seeing it at Hardscape North America.

"I talked to the Cell-Tek guys in Nashville about what it could do and my jaw just dropped."

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FULL ARTICLE (pdf)

CLICK HERE FOR HARDSCAPE MAGAZINE

Beach Access - City of Miami

The City of Miami needed to find an eco-friendly way for fire trucks and other heavy emergency vehicles to drive on Miami Beach without their tires becoming stuck in the sand.

Bernie's Rock and Garden of Miami, FL provided the solution by installing a non-woven geotextile fabric, Cell-Tek's 4" cell depth Load Support Grid, filling the cells with existing beach sand, rebar J shaped hooks every 3 feet, and a layer of 2" sand overfilling the cells as a wearing layer.

BUILDING GREEN: WATER CONSERVATION

By Stephanie Norton (via caddetails.com)

“Active” systems for harvesting rainwater use pipes, tanks and pumps for collecting, filtering, storing and recycling water that would otherwise be sent to municipal sewer or storm water systems. These are differentiated from passive harvesting systems which detain rainwater in vegetated swales, rain gardens, green roofs or permeable pavements so that it can infiltrate naturally back into the soil.

Go Here for FULL STORY: http://www.caddetails.com/2004/main.asp?article=august2010.htm

Greening Your Neighborhood from the Ground Up

(NAPSI) - When you get down to it, the way your place is paved can have a greater effect than many realize on how well the environment fares.
Here's Why:
The right road, street and parking lot paving can lower stormwater runoff and so reduce pollution. Many people are asking the people in charge of paving to consider using permeable interlocking concrete pavement (PICP) on upcoming projects.
They look like popular concrete paving stones but are set in with small spaces between them. The space is filled with small stones to allow runoff to filter down and into the soil. They come in a variety of styles and colors to suit most places and purposes.

Written by NAPSI via Imperial Valley News.
Go Here for full story: http://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7238&Itemid=23

Milwaukee Public Library installs green roof

 - By Don Behm of the Journal Sentinel

The roof of Milwaukee's Central Library sprang to life, and went to work, in Friday's steady rain.
Thousands of sedum, a ground-covering plant, and clumps of chive and ornamental grasses - all perennials - were planted Friday in a six-inch layer of small gravel and soil spread across 30,000 square feet - nearly seven-tenths of an acre - to create a green roof atop the historic building, said Taj Schoening, business operations manager for the Milwaukee Public Library.
Its job is to mimic nature. The living roof will collect and store thousands of gallons of rainwater during a downpour, rather than allowing the clean water to drain immediately to a street sewer, Schoening said.
Each gallon of fresh water kept out of the pipes decreases the risk of sewer overflows, according to Kevin Shafer, executive director of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District.













GO HERE FOR FULL ARTICLE: http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/93174094.html

Filtering stormwater, the way it’s done now

Maple Ridge News - Filtering stormwater, the way it’s done now By Phil Melnychuk

Drop by drop, the effect cars, roads and roofs have on Maple Ridge streams is declining.

Thanks to the 2006 Watercourse Protection Bylaw, the amount of storm water that used to rush into creeks and streams, scouring out fish habitat and dumping pollutants, is dropping as builders get used to the new rules that control rainwater.
Two recent townhouse developments about to get final approval, one on 237th Street, the other on 240th Street, both use natural biofiltration techniques to capture the runoff, cleanse it of most contaminants, then slowly release it back into nature’s system.
Such measures are part of all new developments, said Chuck Goddard, the district’s manager of development and environmental services.















GO HERE FOR FULL ARTICLE: http://www.bclocalnews.com/tri_city_maple_ridge/mapleridgenews/news/93439744.html

Permeable pavers are eco-friendly

Permeable paving systems are a highly valuable asset, and in recent years they have gained popularity because of tightening storm water regulations and consumer environmental concerns. Water-permeable paving surfaces have many applications, from a drivable surface across a lawn area in which grass is allowed to grow through them, to a driveway or parking area through which water can pass without running off. These systems are both eco-friendly and exceed Environmental Protection Agency stormwater requirements.

In commercial applications, it is possible that the retention ponds now required to handle surface water can be minimized because of the advantages of permeable pavers. This represents a substantial savings in land utilization while providing a highly desirable appearance, an extended useful life with reduced maintenance costs.

This is an excerpt from a column in the Wausau Daily Herald. Go Here for Full Story: http://www.wausaudailyherald.com/article/20100501/WDH04/5010394/1619

Focus on Geosynthetics: New York Federation's Spring Conference

 (via geosynthetica.net) - From 16-19 May 2010, the Federation of New York Solid Waste Associations will hold its conference and trade show. The event, which will operate under the theme "Strive for Sustainability," will be one of this year's best opportunities for geosynthetic containment discussions. Among the more than 90 technical sessions, two sessions may be of particular interest to geosynthetics professionals: "New Horizons in Geosynthetics" and "Let the Sun Shine Down: Solar Landfill Caps."

GO HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION: http://www.geosynthetica.net/news/article/2010/Federation_WasteConference_042310.aspx

Geosynthetics at Work: Beyond Blankets and Mats

CHECK OUT CELL-TEK ON THE COVER OF THIS MONTH'S EROSION CONTROL MAGAZINE!!! http://www.erosioncontrol.com/

Geosynthetics are amazing materials. They drain, contain and filter. They separate as well as hold together. They work underground and underwater, on mountainsides and on rooftops. According to the International Geosynthetics Society, the words geotextiles and geomembraneswere coined only about 30 years ago, at the first International Conference on Geotextiles, in Paris. Since then, we have added geogrids, geonets, geosynthetic clay liners, geofoam, and geocomposites. These materials are made of polypropylene, polyester, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), linear low-density polyethylene (LLPDE), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), to name a few. All are flexible and durable.

Geotextiles are one of the largest groups of geosynthetics. Their fibers are either woven, knitted, needle-punched, or matted together into fabrics. They’re porous to varying degrees and are used for separation, reinforcement, filtration, and drainage. Geomembranes are another large group of geosynthetics. These are relatively thin, impervious sheets of polymers. They’re often used for linings and covers to contain liquids or vapors in landfills, reservoirs, and canals.

Geogrids are stretched sheets of polymers that form open grids. Uniaxial geogrids stretch in one direction and have rectangular apertures. Biaxial geogrids stretch in both directions and have virtually square apertures. They can be filled with soil, aggregate, or concrete and almost always are used for reinforcement and to improve load-bearing capacity.

PHOTO: CAPITOL GREEN ROOFS

Article by: Janet Arid. Go Here for Full Story: http://www.erosioncontrol.com/may-2010/geosynthetics-slope-stabilization-1.aspx

Baltimore's green success stories

April 22, 2010 - by Donna M. Owens - http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/

Happy Earth Day! To celebrate, we bring you a sampling of green success stories: local residents and businesses, nonprofits and municipal agencies, all of whom are trying to make the Baltimore area a little greener, a bit more livable.

What: Northwest Honda
Where: Owings Mills
Earth Philosophy: A car dealership with an eco-friendly vibe

If you coax him, you might get Ed Dreiband to climb a narrow ladder, open a steel hatch and stand on the roof of his dealership. From this vantage point 25 feet above busy Reisterstown Road, Dreiband can survey 29,000 square feet of roof — and its 57,000 living, growing plants.
The green roof is the centerpiece of Northwest Honda’s eco-friendly auto facility, which opened in 2006. Its features include insulated glass panels, automatic sensors that control lights, and carwash bays that recycle upward of 3,000 gallons of water daily. “The roof is beautiful, especially in May when everything’s blooming,” Dreiband says of the tiny, drought-tolerant plants (most are a hardy species known as sedum). Green roofs can help reduce, filter and cool stormwater runoff. That in turn can protect sewer systems and watersheds. The roof makes Dreiband happy. “I have kids and grandkids, and I am thinking of them. We have one earth, and we all have to share it.”

GO HERE FOR FULL STORY: http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/bthesite/blog/2010/04/post_46.html

A Beautiful Way To Improve Your Environment

(NAPSI)-When some people find something that's as easy on the eye as it's easy on the environment and the wallet, they just walk all over it. And that's a good thing when it's a pavement that's an improvement.
A pavement that meets those requirements is permeable interlocking concrete pavements (PICPs). These look like popular concrete paving stones but have a small space between them. This space is filled with small stones that allow runoff to filter down and into the soil, reducing stormwater runoff and pollution. In snowy weather, they can reduce icy buildup. The melting snow just drains into the spaces between the pavers so it doesn't have a chance to refreeze into ice.
  The pavers are available in many shapes, sizes, textures and colors for various uses. A light, reflective color, for instance, can reduce the "heat island" effect created by ordinary asphalt pavements. The paving stones are strong and durable because they're made the same way as concrete paving stones are. This durability means homeowners can enjoy their beauty for a lifetime.
  Other easy low-cost and no-cost landscaping tips to protect the environment include:
• Plant trees to act as wind blockers or to shade you from the worst of the sun.
• Plant climbing vines on arbors to help lower cooling costs in the summer.
• Cut down on grass acreage. The less grass you have, the less you have to water.
• Choose native plants that are well adapted to your environment and will require less care.
• Mulch: Mulching saves water and makes it easier to weed.

Homeowners, design professionals and contractors can learn more from the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute and find ICPI-certified installers at www.icpi.org or by calling (703) 657-6900.

Homeowners plant a ‘greenroof' for aesthetics and cooling

Is there vegetation spilling out over the edge of a roof near you? Are you thinking the property owner hasn’t gotten around to cleaning out his gutters? Perhaps it means that house is sporting a deliberately planted surface that makes a cool statement, both figuratively and literally.

Several high-profile buildings such as Atlanta City Hall and the Woodruff Arts Center have planted roofs, and they’re starting to show up on homes as well. These planted roofs are called "greenroofs."
Not “green roof,” but “greenroof,” a term becoming commonly accepted as a way to differentiate the planted roof from a roof made of green-colored building materials.
Some may want a greenroof just because it dresses up an exposed roof area, but a greenroof also serves two important environmental functions: It helps to slow down stormwater runoff and it provides an insulating effect, helping to reduce cooling bills.

Taken From an Article By C. W. Cameron For the AJC. Go Here for full story: http://www.ajc.com/lifestyle/homeowners-plant-a-greenroof-420091.html
Photo by Vino Wong, vwong@ajc.com

FOR INFORMATION ON CELL-TEK'S GREENROOF-TEK SYSTEM GO HERE: http://www.celltekdirect.com/new/system5.html

New Stormwater Rule will impact construction industry

On December 1, 2009, U.S. EPA published effluent limitations guidelines and new source performance standards to control the discharge of pollutants from construction sites. U.S. EPA expects that the New Stormwater Rule1 will reduce the amount of sediment discharged from construction sites by about 4 billion pounds each year. Importantly, the U.S. EPA also estimated the annual cost to comply with the New Stormwater Rule to be approximately $953 million after the rule has been fully implemented.

Erosion, Sediment Control and Soil Stabilization Requirements
This new rule also establishes general erosion and sedimentation control requirements that will apply to all those operators seeking coverage under the stormwater NPDES program (non-numeric requirements). The non-numeric requirements become applicable within 60 days after the final rule is published in the Federal Register, which was February 1, 2010. The non-numeric requirements include provisions related to designing and installing erosion and sediment controls, soil stabilization, dewatering, pollution prevision measures, prohibited discharges and requirements related to surface outlets.

via http://www.lexology.com/ - Roetzel & Andress. USA. March 9 2010
Go here for full article: http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=e08ce201-f9df-4a4e-aea3-015b7193f9dc

BASICS: What is a Geocellular Confinement System?

Cell-Tek Geocellular Confinement Systems are made with ultrasonically-welded, 100% recycled HDPE strips that are easily expanded to form a honeycomb-like grid which is then filled with gravel, soil or aggregate. Cell-Tek Products are used in construction and landscaping for load support, earth retention, erosion control, green roofs, channel revetment and slope protection. Our goal is to positively impact society by sharing the science of our affordable alternative building solutions.

Cell-Tek's Geocellular Confinement Systems confine infill materials and prevent lateral movement away from the applied load. Our products are manufactured in a variety of cell depths and all units are shipped and stored in collapsed form. All products are tested to meet all ASTM requirements.

for more information visit our website: http://www.celltekdirect.com/

EPA Tests Environmentally Friendly Parking Lots

In an effort to help reduce pollution runoff from paved parking lots, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is testing a variety of permeable paving materials at its facility in Edison, NJ. If successful, the EPA intends to show businesses how they can install parking lots that not only reduce runoff, but actually help contribute to healthy water filtering processes. The 43,000 square- foot Edison parking lot features three different kinds of permeable pavement, with several kinds of rain gardens planted adjacently. The EPA study will determine which combination of permeable pavement and rain garden vegetation is most successful at removing pollutants from stormwater runoff as it filters back into the ground.

This article was reposted from http://www.waterworld.com/index/display/news_display/142038933.html
 
Learn more about stormwater management at http://tinyurl.com/dn tjk.
DISCUSS INDUSTRY NEWS WITH IREM MEMBERS AT WWW.IREMFIRST.ORG
Copyright Institute of Real Estate Management Jan/Feb 2010
(c) 2010 Journal of Property Management. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.

Hard-working roofs

Roofs will have to work harder to meet the demands of sustainability, says Mike Crook, who argues that green roofing could provide the way forward.


If the green roof was once the domain only of environmental pioneers, it has now become a fact of mainstream construction. Long gone are the days when it was enough for a roof to waterproof a building, with added value because it provided effective insulation or contributed to the impact of a new design. Today a roof has to work much harder – and keep on working harder for decades.















There is a whole host of reasons for this, including:
• exponential population growth
(with most pressure on the core of densely populated urban areas);
• depletion of financial and energy resources;
• threats to the environment;
• legislative changes

Excerpts taken from an article by By Mike Crook - Green Build News
Go Here for FULL ARTICLE: http://www.greenbuildnews.co.uk/features-details/Hard-working-roofs/133

How Green Is Your Garden?

Plant local. Collect rainwater. Let your lawn grow. A few simple steps can make your yard more energy efficient and save you money.  All gardens are green, right? As in, ecologically sensitive? Turns out, some gardens are greener than others. There are, of course, the obvious offenders — chemically treated lawns and their polluting run-off. But gardeners determined to create eco-smart yards should consider an array of ecological impacts, knowing that the right landscape strategies can make a garden energy efficient and save money. The right vegetation can help keep a house cool during the sultry summer months and shield it from freezing winds in the winter. Native plants help support local ecosystems. Even something as simple as stone harvested from New England quarries can reduce a garden’s carbon footprint if it’s used instead of materials shipped from overseas.

“The more vegetation around your house, the cooler it will be in the summer,’’ said Reed. “To lower energy bills, reduce paving on the south and west side of your house, where summer heat accumulates. Where you must pave, choose surfaces that allow rain water to sink through and cool the soil underneath and use lighter colors that reflect more heat than darker colors.’’
She likes granite block, pre-cast concrete pavers, light colored bricks, compacted sandy gravel, crushed seashells, and loose pea stone.

Excerpts taken from an article written by Carol Stocker - BostonGlobe Correspondent (via boston.com)
Go here for full article: http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/house/articles/2010/03/25/how_green_is_your_garden/

Museum Gets Green Roof to Help Storm Water Runoff

Consider it an expansion, without the need for new construction. Loads of sedium plants will soon transform the roof of the Creative Discovery Museum.

Sedium plants come from the same family as the cactus, soaking up nearly all the water they need during a rain event. In fact, this green roof will absorb over 80% of what falls. Whorton says "it will remove 80 to 90% of all the harmful substances that are in the water and heavy metals, most of the stuff we're having problems with our storm water this will filter it."
It also dampens sound, cools the building, and cleans the air. "Acceptance of green roofs continues to grow in Chattanooga. Already, about 14 buildings in town feature these special tops. Once complete this green rood at the Creative Discovery Museum will be the largest in Tennessee."

This excerpt was taken from an article written by Joe Legge. For complete article, go here: http://wdef.com/news/creative_discovery_museum_gets_green_roof_to_help_storm_water_runoff/03/2010
 
For more information on Cell-Tek's Green Roof System visit our website: http://www.celltekdirect.com/

SG Series Stabilizer Grid: Freeze Thaw Cycles

The Stabilizer Grid itself can withstand freeze/thaw cycles. It is virtually indestructible! But, you are probably also wondering if it has any affect, positive or negative, to the base system during freeze/thaw cycles.


Freezing and thawing (expansion and contraction) in the base causes shifting because as one area contracts then a void is formed and surrounding materials will want to move into that void which then creates another void! It's a vicious cycle and the end result of any base material movement can adversely affect a normally level pavement. The Stabilizer Grid can minimize this phenomenon in two ways:


- The obvious one is that lateral movement is impossible because the aggregates are compacted into cells, they are not free to move laterally.


- Additionally, the grid is a matrix of connected cells that become a solid rigid mattress when filled and compacted with aggregates. Vertical pressure is substantially restricted because any upward pressure would meet the resistance of the entire mattress.


It is still important to remember that drainage is vital since it is the moisture in the system that expands and contracts due to extreme freeze/thaw cycles. Employing drainage techniques such as using washed aggregates as an infill material and installing drain pipes under the system will go a long way to preserving the integrity of any base system.

Cell-Tek Update March 2010

Check out the online version of Cell-Tek's monthly e-mail newsletter
http://www.celltekdirect.com/email2010.html

Excavation Savings Per Grid

The following chart shows cost and material savings per SG Stabilizer Grid. In addition, there are structural benefits by using SG Stabilizer Grid. The system prevents lateral movement and reduces impact on the subgrade up to 28%.

DuPont SF Geotextiles

DuPont SF Geotextiles are nonwoven, spunbonded, continuous filament polypropylene that meet the following Minimum Average Roll Values (MARV).  Dupont's  spunbonded process gives these geotextiles excellent fiber distibution.  This means you get extremely uniform weight and physical properties which translate into Consistent Quality.  Get the best.  Get DuPont SF.