Has there been any success implementing a structural soil mix for a parking lot area
capable of being compacted to 95%. While still providing spaces in which roots will be successfully produced? I am familiar with the research from Cornell, ASCA, ISA, mix ratios, materials, ect..
Are there any actual constructed sites?
Are there any companies that prepare these mixes?
Any sucsess stories in central CA.?
Help me Mr. Wizard!

Reply to post by R Brendan Nelson, on September 14, 1998 at 17:44:57:

Sorry for the slow response to your question (I don't get much of a chance to get back to this site lately)

The answer is definitely YES. But here in Sydney, Australia. The Olympic Boulevard at the Homebush Bay site for the Olympics 2000 has had Structural Soil (SS) installed for almost 12 months (the last stages were completed only a few months ago).

The main area of SS is principally a pedestrian route but to satisfy the various engineering requirements, the SS at Homebush Bay had to meet the load requirements for construction of a main road. It has satisfied these and was designed to take regular heavy vehicle traffic. Since then, sevberal other sites have also utilised SS in the pavement design.

A number of important issues were dealt with in developing and installing SS on this site. The approach was somewhat different (but similar in most respects) to the Cornell method.

If you want more details please contact me directly. The specifications for the Homebush Bay SS were developed based on access to our local materials but this information may still be of some help.

Use of SS on the Olympic site has stimualted interest among the rest of the landscape community here. This has some positives and negatives. There are now several landscape material supply firms now marketing some form of SS. One problem that worries me is a lack of control over the products being sold (ie do that meet the specs. used at Homebush Bay site?). Also, is the material being transported and installed corectly so as to avoid seperation of components?

If the idea / material is taken up too quickly I am concerned that not everyone will fully understand what it is meant to do and therefore, it may be inappropriately used as a "cure all".

If you want more information, please get in touch.

Regards,

Garry Clubley

Reply to post by Garry Clubley, on September 14, 1998 at 17:44:57:

Check the subject index in the ISA website for info on porous asphalt paving. It has been in use in South Carolina, Delaware, and other states for some years. //mt