Citygreen Specifier Update 17

SPECIFIERUPDATE

ISSUE 17

Contents CASE STUDIES

2 Jurong Smart Bus Station4 Bankstown CBD6 Olde Walkerville

8 Singleton Town Centre10 United Arab Emirates12 Macquarie Mall

PRODUCT

15 Stratavault 45 Series

A group of young architects from DP Architects (DPA)

thought that bus stops need not be just functional.

By adding imagination, creative design, and technol-

ogy into the mix, bus stops can go beyond their utilitarian function,

and make waiting a fun and enriching experience for commuters.

They approached the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) with

the idea to design a prototype bus stop as a fun social space and

Project Bus Stop was born.

Singapore’s Architecture & Urban Design Excellence (AUDE)

programme facilitated a multi-agency partnership comprising the

Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore, Land Transport

Authority, National Environment Agency, National Library Board,

National Parks Board, Singapore Land Authority, and URA. This

ground-up bus stop design features built-in WiFi, mobile phone

charging points, interactive smart boards that provide bus info

content, e-books, journey planners, a green roof, solar panels, bi-

cycle parking, a book exchange corner, and even a swing. It also

showcases artwork by local illustrator Lee Xin Li. Located along

Jurong Gateway Road at Jurong East Central, Project Bus Stop

was officially opened in August 2016.

Fred Lee, Senior Manager at a leading urban landscaping solutions

provider, Elmich Pte Ltd, said, “This is a very unique Corporate So-

cial Responsibility project, initiated by DP Architects (DPA) examin-

ing ways to redesign a bus stop and re-imagine the way people

interact with them, creating various fun and enjoyable experiences

for the community.”

Innovative Smart Bus Stop Features a Tree, Supported by Stratavault™ — Singapore“One key element was the incorporation of a 3-metre mature Cratoxylon

cochinchinensis tree within the bus stop as a greenery feature”

Smart Bus Stop features tree and integrated green roof

Smart phone charging stations . . . A swing . . . Reading material . . .

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“One key element was the incorporation of a 3-metre mature Cra-

toxylon cochinchinensis tree within the bus stop as a greenery fea-

ture to express slices of distinctive environments, such as a garden.

As such, we required a system to support healthy tree growth and

maximise soil volume in a removable precast planter box. Strat-

avault was chosen as the ideal solution, fitting into the existing pit

size, providing the soil volume, and featuring a rain funnel to irrigate

the tree under the hardscaped surface.”

“The tree has not been planted for long, but tree growth so far

seems to be healthy as seen in the photos. We believe this product

assists the healthy growth of trees, and Citygreen were fantastic to

work with – providing valuable advice on the soil volume and size

of the tree pit.”Extended soil vault for tree features a removable lid

Innovative ‘rain funnel’ for treeSmart bus stop under construction

Not just a bus stop - this is a world class multifunctional space

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Citygreen® SPECIFIER UPDATE 3

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Nine years since its completion, the Bankstown City

Council CBD streetscape upgrade has been heralded

an enduring success. In 2008, both the CBD Bus

Corridor and Transport Interchange were refurbished with a

reconfigured street layout and circulation, new granite pavements,

street furniture, and trees. The project won first prize in the Local

Government / Public works category of the 2009 Engineering

Excellence Awards of the Institute of Public Works Engineering

Australia NSW (IPWEA), and also first prize in the Cement and

Concrete Association of Australia (CCAA) 2009 Public Domain for

Streetscape.

Each tree pit was linked by a linear trench backfilled with media

suitable for optimum tree growth, allowing sub-soil drainage and

passive irrigation. The Council also invested in tree grates and

guards to enhance the prestige of the tree planting, selecting the

heelsafe Duraplate in Paseo design for top plate, and a custom

vase-shaped tree guard in ‘Bronze’ finish to protect the tree trunks

and increase tree presence.

Emily Forrest, Landscape Architect in the Sustainable Development

Unit at Bankstown City Council, said, “The combination of both

these details has resulted in healthy trees that have performed well,

are in optimal condition, and provide high amenity value as urban

tree assets. As a result, Council has since leveraged the Citygreen

Stratacell product in multiple streetscape projects.” One such

Value of the Bankstown CBD Upgrade continues to grow - along with the green canopy

Ornamental Pear species showing excellent growth in soil vaults

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example is the advanced street tree planting works in nearby South

Terrace / Chapel Road South, known locally as Saigon Place.

Twelve 200 litre advanced Sapium Sebiferum were planted within

the widened footway, and – like the Bankstown project – were

linked by a trench allowing optimal lateral root growth, sub-soil

draining, and passive irrigation. Planted in 2010, these Chinese

Tallows are now strong, healthy, and show excellent growth vigour

and form.

Council has again specified Citygreen Stratacells in the

Fetherstone Street project, which is currently under construction.

Unlike Bankstown and Saigon Place, the cells are located within a

trafficable parking lane rather than a pedestrian footway. Stratacell

is up to the job though, being the strongest module of its kind

globally by a significant margin. Fetherstone Street will only have

four advanced Ulmus parvifolia ‘Todd’ as feature specimens, so

Council has specified Stratacell knowing that it will enable these

trees to quickly establish and reach the desired raised canopy.

Emily Forrest concluded by describing the original Bankstown

project as, “…a leap of faith which has definitely worked out for

us. All of the trees planted using the Stratacell system are looking

fantastic.”

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Walkerville District in Windsor Ontario, known to

locals as Olde Walkerville, offers the perfect blend

of hip and history. As one of the most unique

neighborhoods around, Walkerville has a rich history steeped in

the early days of Prohibition-era smuggling. Now a modern and

lively part of Windsor, Walkerville retains its heritage and the innate

sense of “small town” welcome. With vibrant boutique shopping

and dining nestled among Windsor’s largest collection of heritage

properties, Walkerville is a one-stop for all shopping, dining, and

entertainment needs.

The Business Improvement Association’s goal for the Walkerville

redevelopment was to transform Walkerville into an upscale

shopping and entertainment area. Only a river-crossing away from

Detroit’s 4.2 million population, Windsor’s immaculate riverfront

parks and world-class casino have always been popular attractions

for Detroit area residents, in addition to the city’s own populace.

Ontario’s Olde Walkerville given new life withArborSystem

Citygreen patented Stratacell system is supporting

trees in pavements globally

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The $3 million makeover, constructed by J&J Lepera Infrastructures,

started in 2014 and took the districts quaint characteristics and

historic culture to new heights. The revitalization encompassed

five blocks along Wyandotte Street between Chilver Road and

Devonshire Road. Plentiful tree plantings along Wyandotte Street,

in addition to new street furnishings and site amenities, were a

vital part of achieving the desired goal for the area. The project

utilized a completely custom selection of street furnishings – a new

assortment named the Wyandotte™ Collection which is now offered

through GreenBlue’s street furnishing range.

Wyandotte™ tree pit fences protect new landscape elements, and

with the use of ArborSystem® for tree planting, the trees have been

given everything they need to thrive and reach full maturity – without

sacrificing the structural integrity of the paved surface.

By creating what BIA Coordinator Veronica Samek calls, “the

hottest area in the region”, Walkerville has been said to share many

features with nearby Toronto’s famous Yorkville – one of the most

prestigious shopping districts in the world. When asked about

the new Walkerville being referred to as Windsor’s Yorkville, the

BIA representative replied, “I’m good with that!” The Wyandotte

Street revitalization project is another example of how GreenBlue

is leveraging Citygreen technology to, “establish the future urban

landscape.

To contact GreenBlue, please phone 1 866 282 2743, email

[email protected], or visit http://www.greenblue.com/.

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Citygreen Strataflow™ consultants assisted and

supported the project Landscape Architects and

Engineers with cutting-edge design concepts that

included coupling the tree pits and rain gardens to water filtration

pits, enabling the removal of pollutants, flood mitigation, and passive

watering.

Having involvement in streetscape projects internationally, Citygreen

believes this project is positioned at the cutting edge of best practice

for integration of trees with stormwater management and treatment.

Detailed environmental modelling was conducted during design of

the stormwater treatment train. As a result, Singleton Council has

become a showcase for good environmental design in the built

environment.

Chris Houghton, formerly Associate Director and Landscape

Architect at Spackman Mossop Michaels, said, “Singleton Council,

who initiated and managed the project, wanted to create a town

centre that was iconic in the region, expressed the aspirations of

the local community, provided amenity to local residents, improved

environmental quality and water management, bolstered tourism,

and ultimately contributed to local commerce.

“The town centre focused on John Street, and had suffered from

heavy vehicle traffic, a gradual decline in architectural quality, a

reliance on “pit and pipe” infrastructure and a poor quality pedestrian

environment dominated by traffic movements. Redirection of heavy

vehicle movements, combined with a clear staging program,

allowed the re-envisioning of the public street and a return to the

“hustle and bustle” of pedestrian activity as you would expect in a

thriving regional town.

“The reductions in heavy vehicle traffic meant that the broad road

pavement could be reduced through the widening of footpaths

and the introduction of raised crossings and rain gardens. The

rain gardens were designed to receive runoff from the footpaths

and road surface, filter out heavy sediments and nutrients, before

returning the water to the stormwater system. In addition, the tree

pit design benefited from the introduction of soaker pits which

Cutting-edge Water Sensitive Urban Design showcased in Singleton town centreSingleton is a regional coal mining town, located in the upper Hunter Re-gion west of Newcastle, around two hours north-west of Sydney, Australia. In 2015, Singleton Council led a cutting-edge green technology streetscape upgrade of John Street, in the Singleton town centre – the largest public domain redevelopment project undertaken by council at the time

A range of tree species planted - all performing very well

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captured road runoff, filtered the water, and allowed a controlled

volume of water into the vaulted tree root matrix.

“The systems offered by Citygreen satisfied the objectives of the

design team from the outset. The material made available to us by

Citygreen allowed us to confidently ‘sell’ the ideas to the client.

The systems employed comprised the Stratacell root vaulting and

soaker pit systems, along with associated fittings and fixtures.

Citygreen offer a comprehensive solution from below-ground to

surface.”

Today, the finished project speaks for itself. Chris said, “The water

sensitive urban design component has helped to create a new,

fresh town centre, satisfying council’s objectives and something

that the vast majority of local residents are now very proud of.”

Praising Citygreen’s efforts, Chris said, “Citygreen are able to

supply the technical detail necessary, in terms of structural and

hydraulic design, for the design team to prepare construction

design documents. Citygreen staff were available throughout the

design and construction phases to assist with design queries,

discuss precedents and alternatives. We see this as critical to the

success of such projects.”

Citygreen are able to supply the technical detail necessary, in terms of structural and hydraulic design, for the design team to prepare construction design documents.

Rapid green canopy growth, with custom road pits feeding clean water to the tree vaults - Citygreen Strataflow™

New trees in vaults harvesting

and filtering rainwater

Trees in rain gardens with

extended soil vaults Town centre revitalisation under construction

A fully functioning stormwater treatment train, with healthy trees

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Leading developer, Al Wasl Properties, has set a new

standard in innovation by being the first developer to

implement Citygreen’s Stratavault™ solution in the

United Arab Emirates (UAE). A public space within a medium-rise

but high density development, the project in Muhaisnah – a region

of Dubai close to Sharjah – is yet to be completed but has already

caused a stir in the design and construction communities.

Laith Wark, Founding Partner at Verdaus Landscape Architects,

says, “This is a complex of 3000 apartments, offering affordable

housing. The client wanted to provide a quality park for future

residents, with large trees needed to provide shade and privacy

between the apartment blocks. Shade will increase the duration

that outdoor spaces will be useable, which is especially important

for the children who will live in these apartments and would

otherwise have little access to quality outdoor space.”

Planting large trees was therefore very important, but there was

restricted space so trees needed to be planted in the pavement.

The challenge was finding a solution that would provide the

required soil volume and prevent trees from damaging surrounding

infrastructure. The developer was keen to embrace an innovative

solution, so Stratavault was selected due to a combination of good

performance and because it was less expensive than Stratacell.

“Nine matrices of 3.6 x 3.6 x 1.22m (LWD) will house one tree

each, two matrices of 19.35 x 3.6 x 1.22m will house four trees

each, and one matrix of 8.1 x 3.6 x 1.22m will house two trees.

Tree species include: Azadirachta indica, Zizihus spina-christi,

Ceiba speciose, and Cassia roburghii. This is the first Stratavault

installation in the UAE, so there’s a lot of excitement around the

people involved in design and construction, and pride in being part

of creating something that’s truly innovative with long-term value.

The construction crews, consultants, and client had never seen

this kind of technology being used previously.

Al Wasl Properties leads the way with first Stratavaultinstallation in the UAE

Assembling the Stratavault™ matrix

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James Palmer, Sales Manager Landscape at W T Burden agrees,

saying, “This is the first installation of Stratavault in Dubai and

shows a growing appreciation for trees and the space they

require for growth. Previous projects in the region have given little

consideration for trees and the space they require, so hopefully

this is the beginning of a change in attitude towards trees and their

role and potential in the landscaping of projects.

“Overall, working with Citygreen was simple and easy, and there

is a clear application for their products. They have global project

references, with proven results, and great knowledge and technical

support. They also assisted with site visits and provided installation

supervision during the initial construction phase.”

With this first project drawing to a successful close and praised for

leading the way in innovative urban tree design, we hope to see

many more similar projects in the UAE. Stay tuned.

This will create a clear point of difference between this development and other affordable housing developments. In this market, rental rates are fixed by a central authority, so clear points of difference – such as large healthy trees – will give this development a competitive advantage over others.”

THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION TEAM ON SITE


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Innovative soil trench with waterharvesting, for healthy trees inupgraded Macquarie Mall

Commenced in 2015, the Macquarie Mall upgrade

aimed to create a vibrant communal hub to

accommodate the city’s rapid growth and stimulate

jobs and investment. Featuring a huge outdoor digital movie

screen, a children’s water play space, and a giant chess set, the

rejuvenated mall is surrounded by a number of revamped outdoor

dining areas and feature trees for shade and visual appeal.

With the objective of providing a good, healthy tree canopy for

visitors to enjoy, Stratavault was selected for its cutting-edge water

harvesting abilities – giving trees both the water and uncompacted

soil they need to thrive in a hardscaped, urban environment.

Ben Gooden, Design Leader and Founder of Citygreen, said, “One

of the overall intents with this plan was to provide a good healthy

tree canopy for the residents as part of a brilliant streetscape

upgrade to make this a really nice place to be. There is a real focus

on healthy trees in this design.”

Mark Wilson, Senior Project Manager – Infrastructure and

Environment at Liverpool City Council, agreed, saying, “Trees are

essential to revitalizing any centre of any city to bring back that

green that we were lacking. It’s acting as a catalyst for encouraging

not only businesses but also the public to come back to Macquarie

Mall.”

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Mark Kuhn, Director at Urbis, said, “The Macquarie Street Mall is

a really well loved and well used space. Our design strategy is to

hang on to all of the components that are working well in the mall

and rearrange them, and fundamental to that is providing shade to

the space. With the several different options that were available,

the Stratavault product is the most effective and efficient product

on the market and we’re familiar with the success of this product

from projects of over 10 years ago. So, we were very keen to use

this in an urban environment.”

Mark Wilson said, “We’re lining the mall both sides with 70 trees

and those trees will enhance the look of the mall. Most of those

trees will be deciduous so it will allow the sun in during winter

and give shade in summer by having the continuous root growth

through the Stratavault system. It allowed us to have healthy

trees for the entire mall. It also enables us to have irrigation within

that trench, and the agricultural drains to make sure it’s properly

draining.”

Mark Kuhn said, “Water harvesting has been around for the last

10 years or so and it’s just integrated into everything that we do.

What we wanted to do was try to be responsible and capture

as much water on-site before discharging it into the surrounding

drainage system. We integrated the water strategy with the tree

alignment within the mall, and directed all of the surface water run-

off towards the trees, trying to capture as much of that as possible

within the Stratavault cells below the surface.”

Ben Gooden said, “The Stratavault and Stratacell systems are

both made from 100% recycled polypropylene. The strengths that

we can provide are double that of similar offerings. Given we can

achieve that with recycled plastic, it delivers massive benefits from

a green building point of view. Every project is removing tons of

industrial waste in landfills. The public are becoming more and

more aware of the benefits of healthy trees and at the same time

the cost of this system is decreasing. So now what we are seeing

is projects no longer with city councils only, but also with big stores

and shopping centre car parks implementing the system.”

The Stratavault product is the most effective

and efficient product on the market and we’re

familiar with the success of this product.

Multiple services were integrated into the

Stratavault structure

The Stratavault and Stratacell systems are

both made from 100% recycled polypropylene.

The strengths that we can provide are double

that of similar offerings. Given we can achieve

that with recycled plastic, it delivers massive

benefits from a green building point of view.


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Mark Wilson concluded, “At the end of the day, when we

have this Macquarie Mall complete, it will give back to

the community – not only with the trees, not only with the

Stratavault system, but also with all of the amenity that is

provided. There will be a street market and lots of activities

that will attract the community back into the CBD.”

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New Stratavault 45 system delivers 50% strength improvement

Citygreen’s structural soil system, Stratavault, set

the bar on two fronts: strength and sustainability.

100% stronger than other brand soil cells, it is

also constructed of 100% recycled plastic polymers – ensuring

maximum environmental benefit and ‘Green Building’ contribution.

Today, Citygreen is taking this product to the next level –

announcing the launch of Stratavault 45.

An exciting evolution of the existing Stratavault product, Stratavault

45 is 50% stronger again – making it suitable for use in more

demanding, highly-trafficked locations. Stratavault 45 offers the

same benefits as the existing product, providing adequate vault

space and uncompacted soil for urban trees to thrive under

pavements.

Stratavault 45’s increased strength performance has been

achieved by using a different resin – ABS. A stiffer resin, ABS has

less give and offers a higher strength load. In line with Citygreen’s

commitment to sustainability, it is still 100% recycled and therefore

offers the same environmental benefits as the original Stratavault

product.

With comprehensive testing completed in registered laboratories,

Stratavault 45 is as strong as it claims to be. Citygreen’s stringent

Quality Assurance process also ensures the structural integrity of

the product, with one part out of every two pallets pulled apart and

tested in the factory using a hydraulic press. Impressively, a single

600mm x 600mm module can withstand 14 tonnes of down force.

A full-scale trial is about to commence in Lynwood Avenue in

the City of Sterling, Perth. A collaborative trial with the council,

Citygreen is sponsoring this research and development project.

Citygreen’s range of different structural systems will be placed

under a road pavement, with scientific load cells under the matrix

connected to cables that will come up through the pavement and

give accurate readings of strength performance. Whilst thorough

testing has been completed in the lab and factory, nothing

compares to real-life testing in situ, so Citygreen looks forward to

seeing how its innovative new technology performs. Stay tuned

for the results.

Citygreen systems are supported by a significant

investment in engineering research and development


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www.citygreen.comStrataCell® and Stratavault® has worldwide patents registered and pending. © Copyright 2017 Citygreen Systems Ltd. All rights reserved.

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Citygreen Specifier Update 17

Engineering

Transcript of Citygreen Specifier Update 17