The STAKKABOX Ultima Connect Chamber proved to be a natural fit for a telecommunications infrastructure replacement, owing to its ease of installation, flexibility to site conditions, and the ability to install the chamber without outages to in-place fiber cable.

THE CHALLENGE

Telecommunications providers use pull boxes to splice fiber optic cables and store additional cable slack. Over time, plastic pull boxes deteriorate and need replacing both to protect components and to allow more room for cable
storage and additional fiber lines to meet ever-increasing demand.

In this replacement project for a telecommunications provider in Ottawa, Canada, existing fiber optic lines and conduit were running through three sides of a pull/splice box. Typically, to replace such a box without a break in service, a large “mouse-hole” must be cut into the new box on any side where it is being placed over existing cable. Adding these large holes usually compromises the integrity of the box and causes it to fail prematurely.

In addition, such projects frequently come with a degree of uncertainty, since it often is not known exactly how deep the replacement box will need to be – creating the need for guesswork.

THE SOLUTION

For this effort, Oldcastle Infrastructure provided one 36″ x 60″ x 54″ STAKKABOX Ultima Connect Chamber unit with composite covers. The unit was delivered flat-packed (unassembled) and then constructed in the field.

Installation was extremely straightforward:

| An excavator was used to dig the hole and remove the existing box.

| The ground was leveled for placement of the new chamber assembly.

| The chamber was built from the ground up, using components and connecting pegs, one layer at a time.

| As the rising walls of the chamber approached conduit or fiber optic lines, the chamber components were easily cut with a saw to allow for building around the obstructions.

| The layers were built to the required final grade.

| The frame was placed and screws were used to secure the composite covers to it.

The total time for installation was approximately four hours (one half-day).

“We foresee substantial time and cost savings when replacing or upgrading pull/splice boxes— quickly and with minimal impact.”
Chris Schultz | Product Manager

BENEFITS

CUSTOMIZED DEPTH

The STAKKABOX Ultima Connect Chamber system gave the provider the flexibility to dig the hole and place the box as deep as necessary without concern for the box’s ultimate height. During the building process, the number of layers could be easily adjusted to bring the box’s final height to grade level- a huge advantage over the typical installation.

NO INTERRUPTION IN SERVICE

Because the STAKKABOX is constructed around the existing infrastructure, it minimizes outages when upgrading/replacing a current pull box. Workers simply drill or cut holes in the Ultimate Connect layers where necessary as the box is built. This process allows existing fiber optic cable and conduit to pass through the sides without affecting any lines currently in service.

This feature is especially important in confined urban environments that often have both deteriorating equipment/ infrastructure and high demand due to the population density.

NO IMPACT ON BOX INTEGRITY

The layered system for integrating existing cable does not impact the integrity of the box, unlike the large holes that must be cut in typical replacement boxes. The Stakkabox can be customized to meet the unique site requirements while ensuring a load resistance well above the ANSI/SCTE Tier 22 standard.

SPEEDY & COST-EFFECTIVE INSTALLATION

The STAKKABOX Ultima Connect Chamber provides huge advantages in installation time, ease, and labor effort. In as little as four hours, the chamber can be built and installed in the field with lightweight components following a straightforward assembly process.

The telecommunications provider was extremely impressed with the innovation of the Stakkabox. They foresee substantial time and cost savings when replacing or upgrading pull/splice boxes—quickly and with minimal impact.

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A national railroad passenger authority put the STAKKABOX Ultima Connect Chamber to the test, and found it to be an extremely durable, customizable and easy-to-install solution for protecting railway wiring components.

THE CHALLENGE

Transit signal and communications functions are key to the effectiveness and safety of mass transportation systems, particularly commuter rail. The reliability of the infrastructure that protects these critical components is therefore of utmost importance.

The national railroad passenger authority conducted a test of an innovative STAKKABOX Ultima Connect Chamber wiring box for application to a commuter rail line. Typically, heavy polymer concrete boxes are used along with cable trench and conduit to provide a protective system to coordinate transit signal and communication wiring. These polymer concrete boxes have traditionally been difficult to modify without compromising their strength. In addition, the covers are heavy to remove, and the concrete is susceptible to cracking.

THE SOLUTION

For the test, Oldcastle Infrastructure provided a 4′ x 4′ x 4’ Stakkabox Ultima unit with composite covers. The opening was designed to allow easy interface with the Plastibeton Cable Trench System.

Installation was simple and straightforward:

| An excavator was used to dig a hole in the ground for installation.

| The excavator then lifted and set the completely assembled chamber into the hole. (Note: Due to the layered design of the Stakkabox Ultima, the chamber could also be assembled directly in the hole, if necessary.)

| The area around the chamber was backfilled.

| The frame was placed and screws were used to secure composite covers to the frame.

The total time for the installation was approximately three hours.

“The national railroad passenger authority was extremely impressed with the strength and durability of the chamber, along with how simple it is to install.”
Chris Schultz | Product Manager

BENEFITS

THE STAKKABOX PROVED TO BE A DURABLE AND EASY-TO-CONFIGURE SOLUTION DUE TO THE FOLLOWING OUTSTANDING CHARACTERISTICS:

| The components and covers are lightweight, which assists with installation and provides easy access to cables in the future.

| Openings for cable trench or conduit can be provided in advance or even cut onsite, without compromising strength and performance.

| The layered design of STAKKABOX means that rings can be added or removed to reach a customized final depth as required.

| The Glass Reinforced Polyester Resin (GRP) components will not crack when placed close to vibrating rails.

GOLD STANDARD DURABILITY: THE “TRACK TEST”

To assess its reliability, the STAKKABOX Ultima Connect Chamber was subjected to the “track test.” The maintenance crew made their best attempt to destroy the box, to ensure that it would perform under extreme encounters during normal use.

The evaluation included the following rigorous measures:

| Driving a fully loaded excavator over the chamber.

| Placing the excavator stabilizer directly on the chamber and moving the arm up and down so the entire excavator was “bouncing” on the chamber.

| Igniting CADWeld directly on the cover and chamber sides, producing temperatures that exceeded 2500º F.

| Lifting and dropping an 850 lb concrete rail tie directly on the chamber from approximately 10 feet high.

After testing was complete, the chamber still met all form and function requirements and was left in a main maintenance way next to the rail.

The national railroad passenger authority was extremely impressed with the strength and durability of the chamber, which was even more notable given the simplicity of its installation.

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THE CHALLENGE

The Water and Sewer Department in Arlington, Virginia had a specific problem area behind
a commercial plaza. The difficult location of a loading dock was causing trucks to damage the area’s 3-meter pits. Drivers had to make tight turns when coming and going, harming the curb where the meters were located and affecting the local commercial plaza and businesses.
Arlington identified an opportunity to combine the 3-meter pits into 1 larger enclosure as part of the solution to this problem. The enclosure would need to be housed completely in between the sidewalk and the curb, and it would need to have the ability to protect the meters. Choosing to partner with Oldcastle Infrastructure, the city was able to pilot the STAKKAbox Ultima Connect chamber system.

THE SOLUTION

A variety of features were noted by Arlington when choosing the STAKKAbox Ultima Connect chamber system. The high strength of the product was key considering the location of the installation. However, the most important factor was the ability to build around existing services without interruption. The modularity of the design gave them the opportunity to put in place a strong system capable
of withstanding truck loading, while having the ability to fit within the physical constraints given the job site. This system’s strength would have the ability keep the sidewalk, curb and road intact, and installation would cause little disruption to the surrounding businesses and residences. Because the system is comprised of sidewall and corner pieces that are easy to handle and easy to modify, it was a good fit for the construction site.
During the initial stages of the construction process, challenges began to arise. As excavation and the removal of the old system began, it was discovered that there were in fact, 5-meter services as opposed to 3 and a conduit that had some electrical service was also present. Additionally, a pad was originally poured for a foundation, but it was poured at a different height than was desired. The team was able to overcome these issues with some field modifications that could easily be made thanks to the flexibility of this system.

“The STAKKAbox chamber’s flexibility allowed us to fit a heavy truck rated chamber in a small footprint, install it with a small crew and no heavy equipment, and overcome challenges when unmarked existing infrastructure was discovered during excavation.”

Micah Denton
PE of Arlington County DES

BENEFITS

The overall installation took approximately 1.5 hours. Senior Product Manager, Ian Marten, and Regional Sales Manager, Rick Miller, performed the bulk of the installation with assistance from two Arlington employees. The easy-to-handle lightweight components made it possible to install the chamber with a minimal crew. No additional machinery was needed to lift the system into place. The project finished in June
of 2019.

The STAKKAbox Ultima Connect chamber system was the right choice for this project. The product’s flexibility in design allowed a solution to be developed that fit within the limitations of the jobsite, with the strength required to protect the water meters from future damage. Micah Denton, PE of Arlington County DES, said, “The flexibility of the STAKKAbox chamber is unmatched. With tens of thousands of water meters throughout a dense county, there are bound to be some unusual and challenging installations. The STAKKAbox chamber’s flexibility allowed us to fit a heavy truck rated chamber in a small footprint, install it with a small crew and no heavy equipment, and overcome challenges when unmarked existing infrastructure was discovered during excavation that would have delayed any conventional chamber installation. That flexibility adds a new tool to the toolbox that simply wasn’t available to us before.”

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As part of a system-wide water meter update for the City of North Las Vegas, Oldcastle was awarded the contract to develop and manufacture new meter box lids for the municipality. This retrofit project showcases Oldcastle’s ability to develop an advanced and efficient customized solution that saves the client effort, time and money. Oldcastle’s FL03 lid allowed the City to adapt and improve select elements of their existing meter infrastructure and reap the benefits of the latest meter technologies.

CHALLENGE

The residential water meter system in North Las Vegas, Nevada, was approaching the end of its useful life. As a result of this outdated system,
the City of Nevada was spending money on labor and battery replacement every year. Updating and replacing the 88,000 residential meter units was
necessary to reduce maintenance costs, improve the accuracy of revenue collections and identify waste and leaks in the system.

Oldcastle was part of a team selected for the contract to complete the update. The project required not only changing out the meters inside the existing boxes with more current technology, but also replacing the meter box cover with one that could accommodate a new antenna configuration to permit remote readings.

Complicating the project was the fact that the municipality uses a wide range of meter boxes, of different sizes and materials (concrete, polymer, plastic) from a number of manufacturers. To meet project deadlines, it was necessary to design a new cover, source the tooling and tool build and produce the initial product in a greatly compressed time frame.

SOLUTION

The City selected Oldcastle’s Fibrelyte line of covers to be installed system-wide, citing a number of important factors:

• High strength/weight ratio
• Ability to accommodate the proposed new antenna configuration
• High coefficient of friction, to prevent slippage in pedestrian footpath areas
• Availability in a variety of sizes to fit the assorted meter boxes used in the system

Oldcastle’s rapid prototyping capabilities helped ensure the custom-designed FL03 samples were delivered to the customer quickly, while the unique Product Stage Gate process allowed for quick completion of the mold. Through the collaboration and disciplined workflow of the Oldcastle
teams, production design and tool build was completed in
under five months.

Within a week of the first purchase order, Oldcastle delivered every product needed for the first phase, totaling thousands of lids.

For the installation phase, the project team is deploying three crews of three members each, to install 250–300 meter update kits per day, including the new covers. Installation should be complete by October 2020.

BENEFITS

RETROFIT: A SMART MONEY-SAVING STRATEGY

The North Las Vegas update is an excellent example of the best practice of retrofitting. While meter boxes stand up well over the years, lids tend to wear down over time through exposure to the elements and human error (such as cars running over them).

Through retrofitting, the City can keep the original enclosure and replace only the lids, saving both time and money. And the new Fibrelyte lids can leverage the latest technologies. In this case, the new antenna probe hole saves considerable labor time and expense over the life of the product, because it will no be longer necessary to lift the lid to scan the meter. Instead, a utility
representative can simply wave the wand/scanner over the probe hole to get the meter reading.

A TAILORED SOLUTION ON A TIGHT TIMELINE

This effort demonstrates Oldcastle’s ability to customize products by first focusing on the needs of the customer, rather than forcing them into a cookie-cutter solution. This is a key differentiator in this industry. Through the efficient and unified efforts of Oldcastle’s sales, project management,
engineering and manufacturing teams, the City of Nevada received a custom solution that addressed every critical requirement related to the project.

Just as important, the project was accomplished on a very tight timeline. The design, build and approval process were completed in less than five months (from July to November), so that installation could begin the following March and the City could immediately begin receiving the benefits of the improved design.

SUPERIOR QUALITY AND ENDURANCE

The FL03 is not only a replacement of but an improvement over the original equipment. For example, because of its load-rating strength and durability, the lid can survive a car driving over it, unlike traditional concrete. In making the selection, the City noted that the Fibrelyte cover:

• Was much lighter than others being considered
• Was non-floating
• Did not chip
• Did not swell in extreme heat, which typically causes seizing in meter boxes
• Had a superior slip rating (based on the City’s own internal testing)
• Had an aesthetically pleasing appearance

The FL03 is another example of Oldcastle’s ideal combination of industry-leading innovation, responsiveness to customer requirements, speed of implementation and superior quality.

“Completing a product design/ tool built/ process buyoff in approximately
19 weeks is a monumental accomplishment, said” Ian Marten, Senior Product Manager.

Designed approximately 8 x 14 inches to accept antenna and fit into “03” size
meter box widely used throughout the municipality. Additional FL covers
(FL9X, FL12, FL30, FL1527 and FL36) are being used as well.

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Project Overview

Surf’s up and clean in Southern California thanks to Oldcastle and the Santa Monica “Clean Beaches” stormwater cistern. Located at the base of the world-famous Santa Monica Pier, the Deauville basin will be used to harvest up to 1.6 million gallons of stormwater runoff from the pier’s downtown drainage basin.

The harvested runoff will then be diverted for treatment at the Santa Monica Urban Runoff Recycling Facility and distributed for non-potable uses. Overflows from the tank will be discharged into the sanitary sewer system.

The project was scoped in May 2017 and originally designed as a standard modular StormCapture® system. After evaluation of the project’s unique design and specification requirements, Oldcastle proposed the use of a StormCapture PV precast panel vault system in lieu of the conventional modular StormCapture system as a value-engineered solution.

The challenge was to design a system 262-feet long by 78-feet wide by 12-feet tall (inside depth), or “very close to the size of a football field,” said Selim Eren, project engineer with the city of Santa Monica. Plus, the system was going to be erected on sandy soil, with a water-table at grade, and able to withstand 15-feet of compacted backfilled soil while supporting a surface parking lot over the entire basin. The system also needed to be water-tight when filled with 1.6 million gallons of stormwater while passing a mandatory 24-hour leak-test.

To complete the test, groundwater was pumped into the tank, then measurements were taken two days later to document any water loss. “With this type of structure some water loss is expected,” Eren said. However, the tank met the acceptable limit of losing no more than 0.01% of water. “That would amount to half an inch from the whole 1.6 million-gallon tank,” he explained. After the structure passed the leak test, the water was later used during the construction phase, such as preparing the backfill for compaction.

To reduce the project’s energy footprint, rather than installing pumps that require both ongoing maintenance and power, the project relies on gravity to transfer water from the pier outfall to the 1.6 million-gallon cistern. However, that meant placing the cistern well below grade.

“In our case, we were going extremely deep; there would not only be traffic loading from the top but heavy soil pressure, as well as water table pressure and buoyancy from the shallow water table that is kind of acting against it. We really needed to have a specially designed system,” Eren said. “During design, we were deciding whether the structure should be precast or cast in place. The ground level is at the beach level, and the water table is very shallow. It varies seasonally, changing between 5 and 10 feet and depending on the tides as well. Also, the footprint of the site is very small, so there is no way to cut and slope the edges of the excavation that would be needed to get approximately 30 feet below the surface.”

Complicating matters, Eren said the Santa Monica Pier “is actually busy all year, with some of the busiest days right around Christmas time. We needed to stay outside of the summer season as much as possible.” Therefore, building a form and then casting the structure in place would have added an unacceptable duration to the construction schedule. “We decided to use the StormCapture PV panel vault system from Oldcastle,” Eren said.

To fully comply with leak-test requirements, the basin was designed to withstand hydrostatic (water pressure) loads and the hydrodynamic (seismic) loads during the test, without any external support or backfill. Oldcastle’s ability to recognize the need for pursuing an alternative solution that was both practical and economical was key in securing the project.

The successful design-build project was the result of an early and ongoing collaborative effort between Kube Engineering, Corrpro Companies, ACME Construction, and Oldcastle’s sales and engineering teams in Southern California and Auburn, Washington. Relying on the Auburn team’s vast experience with the design and manufacturing of panel vault systems was invaluable in developing the solution.

Eren said the goal of the “Clean Beaches” initiative was simple and direct, “to prevent any of the polluted stormwater from the city from contributing to degrading the quality of the water on Santa Monica beaches.” And the only way to achieve that goal for the Santa Monica Pier watershed was “to eliminate most of the runoff and stormwater from reaching the ocean.”

Overall, the project consisted of 191 precast wall panels and roof slabs. Production at the Oldcastle plant in Fontana, California began on January 30^th, 2018 and was completed on March 26^th, 2018. On-site installation of the system started on March 13^th, 2018 with the last roof panel installed on April 3^rd, 2018. In addition to the precast basin supplied by the Oldcastle plant in Fontana, the general contractor also chose to use a proprietary OneLift® pump station supplied by the Oldcastle plant in Chandler, Arizona.

www.oldcastleinfrastructure.com

Delivers for UPS During Hub Expansion

Lexington, Kentucky

United Parcel Service (UPS) needed a stormwater detention system capable of handling over 400,000 cubic feet of rainwater runoff from their recent hub expansion in Lexington, Kentucky. After engaging general contractor Louisville Paving and engineering firm Luckett & Farley, the company ultimately selected the revolutionary StormCapture® system from Oldcastle Infrastructure.

The immense size of the site, sheer volume of stormwater runoff, deep backfill requirements and tight timeframe necessitated the system cover three separate sites. The first site measured approximately 200’x88’ with a storage capacity of 99,899 cubic feet using one-piece, 6’ StormCapture modules connected by link slabs. The second and largest site covered about 200’x160’ with a storage capacity of 244,574 cubic feet using larger two-piece, 8’ StormCapture modules also joined by link slabs. The third and smallest site measured around 80’x160’ with a storage capacity of 70,943 cubic feet also using larger two-piece, 8’ StormCapture modules attached by link slabs.

In total, the project included 390 precast concrete StormCapture modules and 247 link slabs, plus risers and castings for each system, all supplied by the local Oldcastle plants in Lexington, Kentucky and Lebanon, Tennessee. Incorporating link slabs into the design allowed for a significant reduction in the overall number of StormCapture modules and associated costs, while still meeting the project’s massive stormwater management requirements.

StormCapture is the featured solution offered by Oldcastle Infrastructure for capturing and managing stormwater runoff. It maximizes developable land by allowing the full complement of stormwater management solutions to be placed efficiently and easily under parking lots and roadways with very little cover, in both traffic-rated and nontraffic applications.

The StormCapture precast concrete system is designed and engineered for superior performance. Its modular nature provides countless configurations for site-specific layouts while simplifying the design process and accelerating construction. Whether your site needs a simple detention system to prevent storm drain overloading, a groundwater recharge system for Low-Impact Development (LID), a stormwater treatment system to improve water quality, or a complete stormwater harvesting system, StormCapture will provide your ideal solution.

www.oldcastleinfrastructure.com

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A Homerun for Atlanta Braves’ New Stadium

Atlanta, Georgia

SunTrust Park Project Partners

Lead Engineer: Kimley-Horn
Infrastructure: Plateau Excavation, Inc.
Construction Management: American Builders

Engineering Georgia magazine recently highlighted Oldcastle Infrastructure’s underground rainwater detention system at the Atlanta Braves’ new SunTrust Park stadium, scheduled to open this spring 2017.

The detention system includes two distinct sites – East Deck Lower, representing 88,056 cubic feet, and East Deck Upper, representing 96,992 cubic feet. While those sites may seem expansive, the height of cover, compactness of space and need for a 40% smaller footprint made other conventional detention systems impractical, and a cast-in-place system would have added more than six weeks to the project timeline.

The Oldcastle Infrastructure team – led by Julie Bertils, Southeast Territory Manager – believed that Oldcastle’s proprietary StormCapture® system would be the ideal solution. Offering up to 1,260 cubic feet of storage per module, the system will retain rainwater runoff from the site for 24 hours, before slowly releasing it into the downstream stormwater system. The StormCapture system will temporarily store runoff from all perimeter drives and parking areas.

Requiring only two inches of leveling sand under each module helped make StormCapture the perfect solution. It also made the most sense given the tight timeframe, budget and scope of the project.

A proven time-saver, the placement of a StormCapture module typically only takes about 15 minutes. The East Deck Upper site required placement of 78 modules, and East Deck Lower site required 65 modules. Installation of both sites took five days each – the first in February 2016, with the latter following in March 2016.

Bertils says the StormCapture system goes “hand-in-hand with water quality, and given their lifecycle cost, are extremely cost-effective. Made of concrete, they are built to last with a service life of 100 years. They are great for maintenance, with access points at the top – offering the ability to walk around inside.”

Of course, the project was not without its challenges, the largest of which was getting Georgia Power to move one line that powered everything in the stadium. Electricity had to be turned off for 30 minutes to get one of the modules set, meaning all other construction activities were temporarily put on hold – another excellent testament.

Although Oldcastle Infrastructure has been actively designing and constructing below-grade detention systems for more than 20 years, Bertils credits the relationships the company has built with the landing of this project. Project partner Plateau Excavation initially installed StormCapture modules onsite for a cistern under the dugout in 2015. The company then recommended the StormCapture system for the East parking area detention system in 2016.

“To have an edge for higher profile projects, it’s important to already be a resource to other firms,” said Bertils. “It all begins with seeking ways to save owners time and money, and they’ll become advocates for you too. We offer modular bioretention, tree box filters, and the PermeCapture™ system – which is a unique product blending permeable pavers with our StormCapture modules. At Oldcastle, we are constantly developing innovative new solutions.”

John Osterland, Senior Project Manager at Plateau Excavation, agrees. “It was a seamless process to install the StormCapture modules at the site. Given the placement of modules in 15-minute increments, this was an extremely efficient project. In addition to the chance to partner with the team at Oldcastle Infrastructure, we’ve been granted the opportunity to work with some of the best engineering firms in Georgia and the United States. Because of the scope, complexity and high-profile nature of this project, SunTrust Park is the job of a lifetime for us.”

www.oldcastleinfrastructure.com 

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Gets On-Board with Storm Water Harvesting Solution

Santa Monica, CA

DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION TEAM

Lead Designer: Maintenance Design Group, Pasadena, CA
Civil Designer: W2 Design, Inc., Pasadena, CA
General Contractors: Kiewit Building Group, Inc., Santa Monica, CA
Installing Contractor: Murray Company, Newbury Park, CA
System Manufacturer: Oldcastle Infrastructure, Fontana, CA

California’s struggle with drought has emphasized the need for sustainable water use; an issue that transcends its borders. The U.S. Drought Monitor reports that at some point over the past decade, nearly half of the U.S. has been in some form of severe drought.

Rainwater or storm water harvesting is one approach to meet the challenge. Case in point is the construction of the Expo Rail Operations & Maintenance Facility in Santa Monica, California for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (METRO). While it meets operational demands for the region’s increased transportation needs, it also creates impermeable surfaces that require innovative storm water management approaches.

Located on 8.3 acres, the new Operations & Maintenance Facility complex includes a 75,000-square foot main building, a 9,500-square foot secondary structure, a 6,000-square foot maintenance building with an automated vehicle washer that includes a reverse osmosis rinsing machine with a 100% water reclamation system, a 4,500-square foot servicing platform, a paved roadway and two adjacent parking lots.

THE CHALLENGE

Landscape irrigation, vehicle washing and other water needs required an estimated 5,500 gallons per day at the new facility. Focusing on “green” building and energy efficiency, METRO officials sought a Low Impact Development (LID) design with zero storm water runoff. Poor soil conditions precluded soil infiltration to replenish aquifers. As a result, the best option was a storm water harvesting system for non-potable uses to reduce reliance on city water.

THE SOLUTION

Oldcastle Infrastructure assembled a team to provide the total storm water management system including a 400,000 gallon StormCapture cistern, an upstream pretreatment unit, and a downstream storm water harvesting system from Water Harvesting Solutions (WAHASO). The Murray Company installed the pretreatment and StormCapture systems during the spring of 2014. The harvesting equipment was later installed in August 2014. The facility finally became operational in May 2015.

The solution leverages across-the-board efficiencies in water use by reducing the impact on the municipal water supply, land footprint, system maintenance time and budgetary concerns. “Oldcastle has a diverse portfolio of products that afforded the project economies of scale and met the required 50-year design life,” notes Patrick Wong, W2 Design president and senior project manager.

The 400,000-gallon StormCapture system – occupying a small footprint under the parking lot due to large storage capacity per square foot of area – utilizes 29 StormCapture precast concrete modules measuring 12-feet high x 7-feet wide x 15-feet long. One unique aspect of the project: one module in the layout is deeper than the others and houses an integrated pump station to supply water for the harvesting system.

“Our standard modules for the project are 12-feet deep. We supplied one 7-foot x 15-foot module which is 13-feet deep. It is used to completely drain down the system and allow full utilization of the entire 400,000 gallons of storage capacity,” notes Jason Herrman, engineering manager for Oldcastle Infrastructure.

Other components included nine precast concrete link slabs measuring 9-feet wide x 17-feet long that were used at interior locations instead of full modules, and five standard rings up-to-grade with cast-iron lids (manholes) located at ground level for maintenance access. The system also has a 40- mil HDPE liner, with geotextile fabric.

Storm water runs from the rooftop downspout leaders and impermeable ground surfaces into the onsite storm drain system. The baffle box screening and hydrodynamic separation is designed to effectively remove sediments, Total Suspended Solids (TSS) and hydrocarbons. Trash and debris, organics and gross solids collect in a raised screening basket, where pollutants dry out between storm events.

Pretreated storm water flows into the StormCapture system’s concrete cistern modules, temporarily storing it for harvesting purposes. Water from the cistern exits into the concrete pump station module which also serves as an internal storm system overflow bypass should the cistern be filled to capacity during an extreme rain event.

In response to increased non-potable water demand, a drop in the system pressure signals the pump station’s main pressurization submersible pumps – duplex variable frequency drive pumps providing 70 GPM at 67 PSI – to begin operating to meet the demand. The pumps cycle back and forth to equalize wear. Should one pump fail, the second pump can meet demand.

The pumps direct storm water up through the WAHASO harvesting equipment package located in an above-ground enclosure. In the first step, a mechanical filter removes particulates down to 50 microns. In the second phase, a bag filter removes remaining particulates down to 5 microns. Water is then sanitized with ultraviolet light rated to handle 70 GPM to kill harmful bacteria or pathogens, ensuring safe water for public exposure during irrigation and vehicle washing.

“We are able to capture all of their runoff in this one underground system, allowing them to keep their parking lot intact and provide the space they need, as well as the desired sustainable benefits of harvesting water. In addition, the 400,000 gallon cistern was leak tested to confirm water tightness after installation,” Hermann points out. “It passed the test.“

The harvested water will be used for irrigation of facility landscaping and for train washing. The extensive train wash system features both manual and automated wash stations with reverse osmosis and water reclamation, and has a capacity of six rail cars at once. “Out of 10 gallons of water, only two are ‘wasted’ through evaporation or splashing onsite. The water harvesting system is designed to capture close to 50% of the annual rainfall typical to the area, which historically is dry in mid-summer,” notes Wong.

“California gets seasonal rains but the cistern is large enough for us to harvest retained water over a period of months to maximize the system’s value,” says John Bauer, WAHASO president. A municipal water bypass valve automatically opens when water in the pump station and StormCapture cistern drops below a pre-set level. WAHASO’s WCS100 control system logs and reports the amount of water available in the cistern, how much is captured for harvesting purposes, and the amount of municipal water demanded by the system.

WAHASO also integrates OptiRTC technology from GeoSyntec into its storm water harvesting systems, which uses predictive modeling to actively determine storm water detention requirements and release only as much stored water as necessary to meet capacity requirements for each forthcoming storm event. OptiRTC monitors local weather forecasts and onsite device inputs to anticipate storm flows to detention within 24 hours of occurrence. It lowers cistern storage levels ahead of the precipitation event in proportion to the expected storm volume, and closes the outlet valve during storm events to capture and retain water for harvesting.

“Without the OptiRTC capability of actively managing the cistern level, we would have been required to meter out all detained water over a short period of time, minimizing any real value of the harvesting system,” explained Bauer. All systems designed by WAHASO achieve NSF/ANSI 350 standards for water reuse treatment systems, which defines acceptable water quality for surface irrigation, toilet flushing, cooling tower make-up and other nonpotable uses.

GOING FORWARD

The system was designed to minimize maintenance by onsite personnel. Sediment and other debris captured by the pre-filter must be periodically evacuated to keep the cistern free of sediment and organic matter, especially first-flush debris after major rain events. In the filtration skid, bag filters are typically changed every four to eight weeks and the UV bulbs are replaced ,every 10,000 hours, which equates to a year of continuous use.

“The storm water management techniques are set to contribute from one to four points toward a LEED gold rating,” says Renee Azerbegi, president and project manager for Ambient Energy, a consultant engaged by Maintenance Design Group for LEED project facilitation.

“Because of the drought, water conservation issues are being significantly heightened,” notes Wong. “Technology for pre-treatment, post-treatment and storage is available today. Storm water treatment and management is certainly here to stay.”

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Takes Root in Tampa Thanks to StormCapture® System

Tampa, Florida

DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION TEAM

Owner: Tampa Bay Housing Authority
Engineer: Cardno TBE
General Contractor: Malphus and Sons, Inc.
Project Manager: ZMG Construction
Precastor: Oldcastle Infrastructure
Manufacturing Facility: Oldcastle Infrastructure, Orlando

To help create a sustainable, environmentally friendly community, Tampa Bay Housing Authority turned to a unique, solar powered stormwater harvesting system for their new Ultra-Green Inner-City Development known as “Encore Tampa” in Florida. The elite stormwater management system, located under the new community park, controls and harvests stormwater runoff to irrigate the new open space park. The $450 million development includes 28-acres of sustainable, mixed-use properties that are all designed to create an environmentally sensitive ecosystem that meets current residents’ needs while preserving resources for future generations.

“One of the coolest features that we have done from a sustainability perspective. I just don’t think anything can top the stormwater vault. This is one of the most unique stormwater management systems in the state because of its size – 18,000 square feet of vault which accommodates 33,000 cubic feet of stormwater”, said Marc Marlano, Assistant Director of Site Development, Cardno TBE, in a YouTube video featured on the ENCORE site. “If they had used a conventional stormwater system, they would have lost three developable sites. It is by far one of the slickest stormwater harvesting features in the state. There is no question about it. It’s just not done at this scale.”

CONSTRUCTION CHALLENGE

Oldcastle Infrastructure designed and provided the modular underground retention system for the new stormwater management system, engineered by Clearwater-based Cardno TBE to store, treat and harvest stormwater runoff on the 28-acre site. The precast concrete StormCapture retention system controls the volume and discharge rate of stormwater runoff. The engineered design maximizes storage volume while minimizing the project’s footprint and cost. Furthermore, the innovative design allowed for a quick and efficient installation.

PRECAST SOLUTION

The 18,000-square foot stormwater harvesting system includes 146 StormCapture modules that can hold up to 33,000 cubic feet of water before recycling it for irrigation use, two nutrient-separating baffle boxes with adjacent sediment chambers for pre-treatment, and irrigation equipment. All surface stormwater runoff is collected from the site, piped into the nutrient-separating baffle boxes and sediment chambers, and stored in the StormCapture modules for irrigating the open space.control system – with a long term design focused on accessibility for inspection and maintenance. System owners will be required to certify proper operation, as well as annual inspection and maintenance of the system as per local building permits.

SCOPE OF WORK

Complete manufacture and installation of a new stormwater management system, including:

• 146 10-foot tall StormCapture modules
• Perimeter walls for the sand filter assembly
• Precast ramp assembly into the sand filter
• Two nutrient-separating vaults
• Two sedimentation vaults

Oldcastle Infrastructure also supplied precast perimeter walls for the sand filter assembly, precast ramp assembly for equipment access into the sand filter, as well as sanitary manholes and inlets. Oldcastle also supplied 120,000-square feet of Belgard pavers for intricate hardscape and permeable walkways for the main thoroughfare to reduce the heat-island effect and aid in stormwater management.

KEY POINTS

• StormCapture modules for detention and harvesting
• Treatment-train system for pretreatment and irrigation
• Maintenance modules for long-term service and maintenance
• Impermeable membrane for watertight system
• 15,000-square foot park on top of StormCapture system

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Disses Pollutants in Disston Avenue Drainage Basin

Orlando, Florida

DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION TEAM

Owner: City of Clermont, Florida
Engineer: BESH Engineering Consultants
General Contractor: Allstate Paving, Inc.
Precastor: Oldcastle Infrastructure
Manufacturing Facility: Oldcastle Infrastructure, Orlando
Start Date: Mid-January 2012
Completion Date: April 2012

The City of Clermont and Lake County Water Authority collaborated on a stormwater management project to capture and treat stormwater from the Disston Avenue drainage basin before it enters Lake Minnehaha. The project reduces pollutant loadings and improves water quality in Lake Minnehaha, while also providing an element of flood control.

The project is a treatment-train system that includes precast concrete baffle boxes for pre-treatment and StormCapture underground concrete retention modules. The baffle boxes remove sediments as well as floatables such as trash, leaves and grass to prevent them from entering the storage system and plugging the exfiltration surface. The StormCapture units capture and retain the stormwater, before slowly allowing it to percolate through the sandy soil under the open-bottom modules to remove unwanted nutrients before providing groundwater recharge.

PRECAST SOLUTION

Oldcastle Infrastructure’s scope of work entailed designing three separate drainage systems for the project. Each system included an upstream baffle box for initial treatment of the stormwater runoff before entering a series of StormCapture modules for detention and exfiltration into the ground. For the Disston Avenue project, the StormCapture modules were 5-feet tall open-bottom modules with internal conveyance passageways to allow stormwater to freely flow amongst all units.

INSTALLATION

The three systems were installed underground, down the middle of Disston Avenue, a heavily traveled residential street in Orlando, Florida. Trench boxes were used to support the sides of the excavation while the precast concrete baffle boxes and StormCapture modules were installed using an excavator. Each of the three systems had to be installed individually with the roadway re-opened to local traffic between installation of each system.

SCOPE OF WORK

Oldcastle Infrastructure provided structural design and engineering drawings for the entire treatment-train system. Precast concrete and other products provided included:

• Six each modified curb inlets
• One each 5-foot diameter manhole
• Three each 4-foot x 14-foot x 7-foot
  baffle boxes
• Sixty-two each StormCapture modules
• Six each maintenance modules
• Cast-iron frames and covers for
  all structures

COMPLETED SYSTEM

Oldcastle Infrastructure provided all associated structures for the Disston Avenue drainage improvement project. Infrastructure runoff now flows into the storm drainage system through precast concrete curb inlets, before being piped through storm manholes and eventually to the treatment train system consisting of the inline baffle boxes and StormCapture modules. During rain events, stormwater exfiltrates from the modules into the ground to replenish local aquifers.

The baffle boxes are a non-proprietary design which allows for gross solids in the water to be removed through sedimentation and screening in the baffle boxes. Sediment and floatables can then be removed from the baffle boxes through any of the three access openings per box using a standard vacuum truck. By keeping sediments and debris out of the StormCapture modules, system maintenance is confined primarily to the baffle boxes for greater efficiency. This prevents the exfiltration surface under the modules from plugging up, while providing for maximum groundwater recharge as intended with the StormCapture modules. Access manways are also provided into the maintenance StormCapture modules in the event future servicing is required.

The Oldcastle StormCapture system and pre-treatment chambers provide a valuable dual function for Disston Avenue – a groundwater recharge and flood control system – with a long-term design focused on accessibility for inspection and maintenance. System owners will be required to certify proper operation, as well as annual inspection and maintenance of the system as per local building permits.

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Gets U.S.-Made StormCapture® Detention System

Triangle, VA

DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION TEAM

Client: W.C. Spratt, Fredericksburg, VA
General Contractor: Leebcor Services LLC, Williamsburg, VA
Precaster: Oldcastle Infrastructure, Fredericksburg, VA
Civil Designer: AMEC Foster Wheeler, Kennesaw, GA

Quantico National Cemetery’s new administration building expansion, just inside the cemetery’s main gate on Joplin Road, includes about 4,500 square feet of office and administrative space and a covered portico of about 2,500 square feet.

For civil designer AMEC Foster Wheeler in Kennesaw, Georgia, key concerns were to control runoff from newly constructed impervious surfaces preventing storm drain overloading as well as other downstream issues such as flooding and erosion, and to achieve this with minimal footprint on the compact project site. AMEC specified the StormCapture® stormwater detention system to manage the post-construction rainwater runoff.

Oldcastle Infrastructure provided the StormCapture system as the ideal solution for the underground stormwater detention system at the new administration building site at Quantico National Cemetery. Quantico National Cemetery is a military cemetery for veterans of the United States Armed Forces and was established in 1983 adjacent to the Marine Corps Base Quantico. Construction Challenge The StormCapture detention system was selected because of its unique ability to handle large volumes of water in a restricted footprint as well as its traffic-loading capabilities. In addition, the owners wanted a precast concrete system due to its durability and longevity.

PRECAST SOLUTION

The precast concrete stormwater detention structure included (16) sixteen 7-foot x 15-foot x 7-foot tall modules and an integrated outlet control structure. The underground, high-strength structural concrete storage modules, which were installed in the early fall of 2013, provided 12,336 cubic feet of underground detention, and the outlet control structure provided controlled discharge and overflow capabilities. The StormCapture modules incorporated several inlet pipes, as well as four manway access points to allow maintenance access into the stormwater management system. An impermeable, polyethylene membrane was then used to wrap the entire StormCapture system.

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Coming to Southern California

Nashville, Tennessee

DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION TEAM

Site Owner: LS-OC Portola LLCL
General Contractor: Landsea Holding Corporation
Engineer: Hunsaker & Associates
Manufacturing Plant: Oldcastle Infrastructure, Perris, CA

Bigger is better! Oldcastle Infrastructure is collaborating with site owner LSOC Portola LLCL, general contractor Landsea Holding Corporation and engineering firm Hunsaker & Associates to create one of the largest and deepest StormCapture® rainwater detention systems designed to date.

The massive structure includes a network of individual StormCapture modules arranged to create a vast underground precast concrete stormwater management system. The pre-engineered components allow for site-specific configurations while providing tremendous stormwater storage capacity in a smaller footprint.

Portola Center is a 195-acre community development, divided by Glenn Ranch Road into “Portola North” and “Portola South” in Lake Forest, California. The 95.5-acre Portola Center South community features both new single-family homes and mixed-use buildings. The community also features a 10,000-square-foot ground floor commercial space as well as a five-acre public community park and perimeter trails.

The magnitude of this project and its increased impermeable areas made managing hydromodication (stormwater runoff) a top priority. Infrastructure is managed throughout the project through ten separate “Basins”, providing a total detention storage volume of 820,886 cubic feet (18.85 acre-feet). Basin No. 5, the first StormCapture detention system installed at Portola Center South, was designed to store 198,152 cubic feet (4.55 acre-feet) of stormwater, which can detain up to a 10-year storm event with an internal orifice designed to slowly discharge the water volume to a downstream biofiltration system.

The Basin No. 5 StormCapture system, manufactured at the Oldcastle Infrastructure plant in Perris, California, has an inside height of 14 feet and was designed to withstand 16-feet of backfill over the entire system. The system was fully encased with an impermeable geotextile liner. Along with the StormCapture detention system, Oldcastle Infrastructure plants in Southern California also manufactured and delivered large biofiltration units to address the water quality requirements for the project.

Shelby Hull, Director of Oldcastle Infrastructure for the Southwest Region stated, “Oldcastle Infrastructure is the perfect design partner for all stormwater needs, big and small. Our team of stormwater experts, design engineers and national manufacturing capabilities make Oldcastle Infrastructure the clear choice for developing custom solutions to meet the specific regulatory needs for projects like this. Unlike other companies that only design systems and then use third-party manufacturing, Oldcastle Infrastructure maintains control and ensures quality throughout the design, manufacturing, installation and life of the system.”

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Nashville, Tennessee

DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION TEAM

Owner: Stonehenge DCM
Civil Engineer: Civil Site
General Contractor: Cambridge Builders
Precastor: Oldcastle Infrastructure
Manufacturing Facility: Oldcastle Infrastructure, Lebanon

The Pine Street Flats project in “The Gulch” section of old Nashville included construction of a new 296-unit apartment building and an adjacent parking garage that was to be sandwiched between the Velocity retail space and Icon, a mixed-use property.

Due to a relatively small amount of open space on the site, an underground stormwater management system was designed to manage post-construction stormwater runoff. The system, manufactured by Oldcastle Infrastructure, included a collection system consisting of multiple drainage structures, reinforced concrete pipe (RCP), as well as a StormCapture detention system.

CONSTRUCTION CHALLENGE

The original design included an RCP detention system to be installed under the parking garage. Once it became apparent that the footprint of the RCP system would interfere with footings for the parking garage, the StormCapture system was selected to improve storage efficiency with a reduced overall footprint.

PRECAST SOLUTION

In collaboration with Cambridge Builders, Oldcastle Infrastructure provided the design and final submittals for the StormCapture system to integrate with the proposed stormwater drainage system. Precast concrete components supplied by Oldcastle for the project included: 10 drainage structures, 516 linear feet of 15-inch RCP, 344 linear feet of 24-inch RCP, as well as 44 6’ x 12’ x 5’ StormCapture modules to provide 15,800 cubic feet of underground stormwater detention.

The drainage structures and pipe were installed to transport stormwater from the rooftop and surface collection areas to the StormCapture detention system, and then to the downstream stormwater drainage system.

INSTALLATION

Installation of the StormCapture system consisted of 44 two-piece, clamshell-style modules configured in four rows of 11 modules. An impermeable, polyethylene membrane was used to wrap the entire StormCapture system to provide a watertight, self-contained unit.

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at Nashville Fire Station

Nashville, Tennessee

DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION TEAM

Client: City of Salisbury, MD
Project Coordinator: Bill Sterling, Dept. of Public Works.
Utility Contractor: Drainage Protection Systems (DPS), a Division of Oldcastle

In order to detain stormwater runoff at Metro Fire Station #21, the City of Nashville and Davidson County elected to remove an above ground detention pond and construct a new underground stormwater detention system to regain valuable land for a parking lot during renovation of the facility.

Oldcastle Infrastructure provided the stormwater detention system for the reconstructed fire station. The detention system was a key component of the overall renovation project of the 21,000-square foot facility. Thanks in part to the stormwater retention system, the new fire station achieved LEED® silver certification.

CONSTRUCTION CHALLENGE

The first design of the new stormwater detention system specified 36- inch corrugated metal pipe, but concerns regarding fire truck traffic loading on the system resulted in a change to 36-inch reinforced concrete pipe. This in turn ultimately could not be used either as it would not fit in the required footprint under the facility’s driveway.

In the final design, a StormCapture underground stormwater management system was chosen and subsequently constructed under the entrance road since it reduced the detention system width and overall footprint by more than 40%, and easily fit under the fire station roadway.

PRECAST SOLUTION

In total, 16 StormCapture modules measuring 3-feet tall were installed offering 3,700 cubic feet of stormwater storage. The 3-foot tall design was desirable due to the presence of shallow bedrock beneath the site. A low-profile, high-capacity system was needed in order to minimize excavation costs and to fit within the tight site footprint.

In addition to the StormCapture system, Oldcastle Infrastructure also provided five catch basins, 15-inch and 18-inch reinforced concrete pipe, and three sanitary manholes. The Oldcastle plant in nearby Lebanon, Tennessee manufactured the precast concrete components.

INSTALLATION

Installed in a single day, the StormCapture detention system was wrapped with a 60-mil polyethylene membrane to provide a watertight system. Excavation and hole prep were both completed the day before the installation, with 6-inches of #57 stone and 2-inches of leveling sand placed at the bottom of the excavation. A layer of filter fabric was installed, then 60-mil membrane, followed by another protective layer of filter fabric.

The StormCapture modules were set on top of the final filter fabric layer. Each module was set in less than 15 minutes, providing an opportunity for the contractor to place and backfill the entire system in a single day, offering a significant time savings over the originally planned pipe system.

The system is designed so that stormwater flows into the catch basins, then into the StormCapture modules. In addition, a grated inlet provides direct water entry from the parking lot, roadway and roof drains. Water then slowly discharges from the system into downstream storm drains.

The StormCapture standard design is HS-20-44 for full truck load plus impact, which allowed the system to have earth cover down to 6-inches in some places with minimal base stone and paving over the top. One of the modules had a thicker top slab (14-inches in total) along with a 4-inch tall collar at one corner to support cast-iron frames and grates for direct entry of roadway water into the StormCapture system. The direct water entry also reduced requirements for additional onsite drainage infrastructure.

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for StormCapture® System at Horizon Bay

Tampa, Florida

DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION TEAM

Engineer: Fuxan Engineering, Inc.
Contractor: Ripa & Associates
Precastor: Oldcastle Infrastructure, Orlando

Horizon Bay is a five-story, 30,000-square foot shared living facility in Tampa, Florida. Once engineering plans and permitting were completed, site work provisions called for five inlet structures to capture stormwater and redirect it to 6,572-cubic feet of stormwater detention under the parking area at the northeast corner of the property. Due to limited available space, underground detention was the only practical choice according to the design engineer Fuxan Engineering of Odessa, Florida. An overflow pipe led to storm sewers, but most of the stormwater would be infiltrated back into the ground, a common Low-Impact Development (LID) practice in Florida to help recharge the local aquifer. Although a plastic chamber system was originally specified for the underground detention system, Oldcastle Infrastructure proposed the stronger StormCapture precast concrete system instead.

A BETTER SOLUTION

There were several key factors that influenced the owner to ultimately select the StormCapture system. First and foremost was the project’s location – a very dense area of Old Tampa. The proposed building would occupy most of the developed site, making open space and parking hard to come by, and the engineer and owner were both looking for ways to increase “green” space.

Another space-related concern was that all available area was going to be needed for construction traffic and to be used as a lay-down area during the year-long construction. Since the detention system was going to be needed to manage stormwater runoff during construction, it needed to be installed during the first phase of construction. The StormCapture system is ideally suited for this type of application since its stand-alone, traffic-bearing design does not rely on final paving for structural integrity. Conversely, due to structural concerns, the typical footprint of an underground plastic system is usually off-limits during construction until the final base and paving are completed. Since the StormCapture modules are constructed of high-strength precast concrete, their ability to support traffic allowed a 50% reduction in thickness of base rock required between the pavement and modules, as well as a 20% reduction under the modules, as compared to the originally planned plastic chambers.

Accessibility for long-term maintenance, as well as the following points, factored into the final decision to use the StormCapture system:

• Smaller footprint with more storage capacity
• No inspection ports to break or pieces to replace during construction
• Modular design allowed flexible, bestfit configuration to provide for more landscaped space
• Much more rapid installation due to elimination of select backfill requirements, as well as reduced number and square foot of modules to get same storage capacity
• Elimination of the five inlet structures originally required with the plastic chambers since the StormCapture modules allow direct entrance of stormwater runoff through three grates

THE FINAL SOLUTION

The completed system design included 37 StormCapture modules in total. Each module was constructed of precast reinforced concrete with interior dimensions measuring 6’ wide x 12’ long x 2.5’ tall, with open bottoms for infiltration. Modules were installed on a setting bed of 7-inches of clean #57 stone.

Four of the modules incorporated standard inlet grates to allow direct entry of runoff from the parking lot into the system. This eliminated the need for the four separate inlet structures originally designed into the project. A precast splash pad was installed below each inlet grate to prevent scour of the bedding material. In addition, the inlet grates could be used for direct access to the modules for inspection and cleaning, as needed. Each module also had large conveyance windows into adjacent modules to allow flow equalization, as well as access for maintenance.

CONSTRUCTION & RESULTS

Construction of the site began in October 2009. After one day for excavation and site preparation, which included placement of the 7-inch stone layer, the 37 modules were installed over the course of one-and-a-half days. All top and perimeter joints between modules received a layer of 3/4 inch preformed sealant, as well as 8-inch wide fabric joint wrap.

After backfilling, a lime rock base was placed over the modules that served as the roadway surface during construction. After construction was completed, the lime rock base was re-graded, and then asphalt was installed. The entire facility was completed in the fall of 2010 and opened for residents in early 2011.

This was the first project where Ripa & Associates used the StormCapture module system. According to their project managers, the modules were key in providing access to a very limited site, and did not require ongoing maintenance or cleanout during construction. The initial savings experienced from the reduction of aggregates in the foundation, backfill and under the pavement are measurable, tangible costs. Ripa believes that coupling those savings with the experience they gained in the ease and speed of installation and lack of construction maintenance will make them even more competitive on future projects.

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Helps Grow “Green” Affordable Housing at Forest House

Bronx, New York

As part of New York City’s new housing marketplace plan to provide affordable housing to 500,000 low-income residents, Oldcastle Infrastructure joined Blue Sea Development in building the new Forest House apartments. The development is part of the largest municipal housing plan in the nation.

Forest House is a “green” energy-saving precast concrete building, containing 124 affordable units only available to households making 60% or less of the Area Median Income (AMI). The 109,000-square foot building also contains landscaped open space, underground parking and a unique commercial rooftop greenhouse that will yield up to 100,000 pounds of fresh produce annually to be distributed to residents and local supermarkets.

PRECAST SOLUTION

Oldcastle Infrastructure, relying on its expertise in precast concrete structures, manufactured 136 precast concrete hollow-core planks for the floors and roof, which were all specially designed to handle the tremendous load of a rooftop greenhouse. Another 70,000-square feet of precast concrete wall panels were supplied for the energy efficient exterior of the eight-story Forest House building. The exterior walls were cast with a sandblast-type finish with colored concrete to provide a visually appealing look.

In addition to the housing structure, Oldcastle Infrastructure manufactured and installed a StormCapture water harvesting system. The system included special StormCapture retention modules that hold about 16,000 gallons of captured stormwater each, and an equipment package that treats the captured water, making it available for irrigation to the rooftop hydroponic greenhouse This is the fifth precast concrete building the developer Blue Sea Development and Oldcastle Infrastructure have collaborated on over the past 10 years. Oldcastle Infrastructure worked closely with Blue Sea and ABS Architects, the project architect, during the design phase to develop a cost-effective solution that met all of the project’s many requirements.

The development team consisted of Blue Sea Development, Blue Sea Construction, ABS Architects and T.Y. Lyn International Group, a global engineering firm. The team was selected due to its storied history of affordable public housing that is both attractive and sustainable.

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