PaveDrain | Atlas Avenue, Grand Rapids MI
Project Summary
Atlas Avenue in Grand Rapids, MI was at its life expectancy and in need of an upgrade. Frequently, during heavy rainfall, the infrastructure of Atlas would fail and the street would become flooded. The City of Grand Rapids wanted resilient infrastructure in their city. They looked to PaveDrain® as the solution. PaveDrain® is a permeable articulating concrete block that allows for stormwater to fully infiltrate, thus completely mitigating the risks associated with flooding. Carrie Rivette, the Wastewater & Stormwater Maintenance Superintendent at City of Grand Rapids, said about the project, “This is Grand Rapids’ first omni-porous street. We’ve made it something to be proud of. I’m so glad people are talking about how much better it is to infiltrate. We will be infiltrating nearly 220,000 gallons of water per year, simply from this project.
Hoffman Brothers Excavating, one of Michigan’s most reputed excavation companies, was chosen to excavate for the $275 Million Dollar Red Cedar Development Project that will connect the Lansing State Capitol to Michigan State University and adjacent communities along the Michigan Avenue corridor. The mixeduse downtown development district will create greenspace, tech hubs, cultural attractions, and include two hotels, market rate housing, senior living, student housing, restaurant, retail space and a public park. Redevelopment of the Red Cedar golf course will serve as a powerful catalyst and will be one of the most economically impactful projects in Lansing’s recent history.
Challenge
During excavation and subsurface construction, equipment exposure to hazardous substances from chemicals that had once been used on the golf course site, and cross-contamination of existing surface substrates must be taken into consideration by Hoffman Brothers Excavating. Excavation equipment and heavy traffic exiting the construction site can also cause pollutants to enter surface runoff, and treacherous construction trackout and rocks to enter onto busy adjacent Clippert Street.
Solutions
- A non-permeable surface on Atlas Ave. was causing significant flooding issues.
- PaveDrain® was chosen as a green solution to stormwater management due to its multi-functional design.
- After the old surface was removed, the subgrade was leveled and a multi-filament geotextile was installed. Then an open graded aggregate was installed leveled and compacted. Lastly the PaveDrain® system was installed and ready for rainfall and traffic.
- PaveDrain® was installed in the Fall of 2018 and provided immediate protection against flooding. The picture above depicts City employees and local residents performing a “bucket pour” on the recently installed surface.
Project Partners & Details
Client: City of Grand Rapids
Location: Red Cedar Development Project, Lansing, Michigan
Product: FODS® Reusable Construction Entrance
