by Platipus Inc | Nov 18, 2022
The Commons – Minneapolis, MN
Project Overview
The Commons is a 4.2-acre green space located in downtown Minneapolis adjacent to US Bank Stadium. The park, funded by public and private contributions, opened in 2016 and is designed to accommodate large numbers of Minnesota Vikings fans on game day, children playing or a place for nearby city employees to enjoy lunch.
Based on a large amount of expected pedestrian traffic, the landscape design specified the Platipus Rootball Fixing System. This system was the perfect solution to provide tree stabilization without unsightly above-ground guys while ensuring the safety of all those enjoying the park.
by Platipus Inc | Nov 18, 2022
Project Overview
Navy Pier is one of the Midwest’s most visited sites and is one of Chicago’s top tourist attractions. The pier boasts shopping and dining options along with a botanical garden, a ferris wheel and many seasonal activities. Restricted space, extreme wind gusts off Lake Michigan and high pedestrian traffic made subsurface tree anchoring a necessity.
To alleviate stability and safety concerns on the pier, 100 Marmo Maples were secured using the Platipus Deadman Rootball Fixing System. The system provided a fast and efficient method of securing the trees, by their rootballs, in an urban environment resulting in the safe and natural appearance desired by the project owner.
by Platipus Inc | Nov 17, 2022
WM Atlantic Waste Landfill, Waverly, VA
Project Overview
Engineers working on a closed and capped cell at the WM-Atlantic Waste Disposal landfill in Waverly, VA were challenged with the task of effectively conveying stormwater collecting on top of the landfill to detention ponds at the bottom of the cell until a permanent solution could be implemented into adjacent cells to be constructed in the future. To minimize erosion and the extra site work required to excavate ditches or bury the pipe, the decision was made to use berms to divert stormwater to temporary above grade slope drains.
Solution
It was determined that 24” corrugated plastic pipe would be well suited for the task, though concerns about horizontal movement and general pipe instability would need to be addressed. Platipus assisted the engineers in selection of the S6 2 Ton temporary pipe kits to successfully, and economically, stabilize the pipe. Crews were able to install the S6 anchor kits at 10’ intervals using lightweight electric demolition hammers, while anchors were tensioned by hand to a nominal load. The temporary anchored slope drain performed flawlessly.
by Platipus Inc | Nov 17, 2022
TVA Stilling Pond Closure – Kingston, TN
Project Overview
Four 48” stormwater conveyance pipes were to be placed side by side in a mass excavated service road/dike structure crossing. The design called for the pipes to be backfilled with flowable fill in multiple stages.
Solution
The GC worked with TVA’s consultants and Platipus engineers and sales team to develop an anchored solution to reduce the number of flowable fill lifts. It was determined that the clay soils below the pipe, together with the buoyant forces present during the backfill phases would require the Platipus B8 10 Ton Pipe Kits with a frequency of every 10’. The GC stated they were extremely pleased with their decision to use the Platipus pipe buoyancy control kits, as they were relatively easy to install using conventional equipment that was already on site, and they were able to eliminate several days from the backfill operation that would have required curing between lifts.
by Platipus Inc | Nov 17, 2022
Mesquite Street By-Pass Stormwater CIP Improvements
Project Overview
The purpose of the project was to mitigate flooding in the area by improving drainage conveyance toward the Gulf of Mexico. The project required a combination of single and double barrel runs of triple wall 60” HDPE pipe in order to provide additional drainage capacity for the town of Rockport.
Solution
Based on an engineered required load of up to 11,000 lbs per location, Platipus offered both 2 ton and 10 ton capacity anchor solutions, depending on the required loads in a particular area. The soil was a dense, well-compacted sand which allowed for high loads to be achieved. Approximately 270 pipe anchoring kits, or 540 anchors, were supplied over a 3-mile long drainage line. The anchors were installed with a traditional jack hammer. Each anchor was loadlocked and the load was recorded in order to field verify that the design load was achieved on-site. The ability to field-verify loads, in addition to the small amount of equipment required to install, allowed the Platipus system to be selected in lieu of a combination of poured concrete footings and stainless steel strapping mechanisms.
