Technical Description:
ArmorFlex
Newland Communities was in need of an aesthetically pleasing product to stabilize the spillway system located in the stormwater management pond at the main entrance to the 900 acre Briar Chapel development in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
The spillway system serves as both the principal and emergency spillway for the facility and provides a primary outlet for storm events up to and including the 100-year storm event.
The John R. McAdams Company, Inc. provided engineering, design and survey services for Newland Communities and chose the ArmorFlex system for the spillway due to its ability to accommodate significant flow velocities and shear stress without eroding.
“In addition to reducing cost and ease of installation, a big reason why the ArmorFlex spillway system was selected was due to aesthetics” said Jeremy Finch, Project Manager with Eco Engineering, a division of The John R. McAdams Company, Inc. “Typically, stormwater BMP facilities utilize a traditional riser/barrel system to serve as the main entry point for this community. It was important that the facility look as aesthetically pleasing as possible”
The porosity of the blocks allows for it to be backfilled with soil and seeded, thus promoting the establishment of vegetation within the concrete blocks. The flexibility of the system is also highly advantageous because it can bend and flex to follow natural grade, similar to a traditional geotextile liner installation, but can withstand much higher velocities and shear stress than a traditional geotextile liner.
“We chose ArmorFlex because of the ability to plant soil and seed in the block openings” said Finch. “The grass will disguise the spillway, creating a green and aesthetically pleasing solution for the community”
ArmorFlex provided a cost-efficient spillway design solution for the Briar Chapel subdivision and was installed quickly.
Technical Description:
ArmorFlex