By NORMA Group
NDS Gravel Pavers Provide Perfect Permeability for Wetland Area Walking Trails
In the spring of 2019, construction began on an expansive community park in the heart of Lafayette, LA. Setting out to preserve and enhance a vital greenspace and wetland ecosystem, the park was designed with 100 acres of walking trails, splash pads, and a playscape for children, as well as lawn areas that integrated into the wetland’s natural environment.
With significant rainfall events in Lafayette and Louisiana in general, NDS was brought in to recommend the best stormwater management product for the walking trails, especially since the development is part of a wetland ecosystem and extra care and regulatory standards must be met.
The product specified needed to offer as much as 95% permeability as well as meet H-20 load ratings. The trails – while meant mostly for pedestrians – would also be used from time to time for maintenance trucks or emergency vehicle access.
Project Summary
Project Type
- Infiltration
Property
- Municipality
NDS Products Used
- 22,000 sq. ft. of EZ Roll Gravel Pavers
Permeable Pavers Easily Minimize Runoff
NDS team members specified NDS EZ Roll® gravel pavers for the trails as they are engineered to meet the heavy load ratings, while effectively infiltrating water and significantly minimizing runoff, which would help reduce additional erosion and pollution.
These high-strength ADA-compliant gravel pavers look more natural in a park setting than concrete sidewalks, but don’t cause extra runoff like real concrete. The gravel pavers would minimize the impervious surface area of the park and keep water infiltrating into soil instead of infiltrating sheet flow into the nearby waterways.
Using the pavers would provide a 40% void space reservoir layer, which allows for significant stormwater detention. That’s because NDS’s product is designed with an 8-inch base stone layer – meaning that the first six inches of a rainfall wouldn’t create any runoff at all.
The design team also appreciated that NDS had several successful installations in the region and that the gravel paver product was proven to perform in demanding applications, such as walkways, golf paths, and emergency vehicle access roads. Construction of the park began in spring 2019 and concluded later that year.
Tan Colored Pavers Blend Well with Stone and Park's Surroundings
Installation went smoothly and the construction company responsible for installation noted that the product’s roll format allowed nearly 600 sq. ft. to be placed at a time. Made from 100% recycled HDPE, the pavers also have a geotextile backing that makes it a superior-performing product.
The walking trails meander throughout the park and have several locations for pedestrians to stop and admire the scenery. The design team chose tan-colored pavers as they blended in well with the open graded stone used in the base for the infill material.
This solution provided an ideal balance – a surface that is both walkable and drivable – while allowing for effective stormwater infiltration and runoff prevention.
