Rehbein Environmental Solutions Inc. (RESI) completed the installation of the Environmental Passive Integrated Chamber (EPIC) storm water management system and Netlon advanced turf system (ATS) outside the new open-air University of Minnesota Gophers’ TCF Bank Stadium, with the grand opening scheduled for this September.
To maximize useable space, RESI created a multifunctional plaza that eliminates the need for a traditional storm water holding pond. Designed and built into the turf grass and landscape plaza are RESI’s Netlon ATS and the EPIC System. Netlon ATS stabilizes soil, improves load bearing capacity, reduces compaction and decreases the potential for rutting and deformation when it will be used for media vehicle parking. The EPIC System, located within the subsurface of the landscape plaza filters, stores and controls storm water runoff from 3.75 acres of TCF Stadium’s drainage area. This watershed is seven times the footprint (0.54 acres) of the underground system, which will manage all runoff from a 3.5-in. rain event and filter and hold more than 140,000 gal of water.
The EPIC System removes pollutants from storm water by filtering runoff through the plants roots and sandy soil. At TCF Bank Stadium, it can remove more than 85 percent of phosphorous pollutants in the water. RESI’s design and the system will prevent downstream water bodies from having excessive algae growth and maintain the health of the Mississippi River.
“Within this highly urban site, space is at a premium and we added value to the landscape function” said Mark Apfelbacher, LEED AP, senior sustainability consultant at RESI. “The system provides a beautiful solution that improves water quality, enhances natural turf grass strength to support the weight of media trucks and can still be a usable space for Minnesota Gopher fans.“
“RESI is proud to have ‘given back’ to the University of Minnesota by having two alumni working on this project--Mark Apfelbacher and Jason Lamers, both are graduates of the U’s College of Design Landscape Architecture Masters Program. Lamers is also a former Gophers football player,” said Charles J. Pappas, chief executive officer of RESI. “Our RESI Design Team is excited to have provided an environmentally conscious and cost-effective way for the University of Minnesota to manage storm water runoff within the confines of a newly constructed urban stadium.”
Source: Rehbein Environmental Solutions Inc.
