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(Continued from page 16) h a rd s c a p e s Above, Left & Right UMD deemed the test to be favorable for the new recycled-content permeable pavers in Spring 2008, and six years later, the university is still encouraged by the new pavers' performance in all three locations. The school's facilities division went on to complete 990 square feet of pavers in the loading dock area of the Civil Engineering Building, and the school also retained the test installations. Middle The soil at the installation site has high clay content and is not conducive to absorbing water, UMD Sustainability Coordinator Mindy Granley said. Without the permeable installations, "rainwater from the campus can get from the top of the hill to Lake Superior in just 10 to 15 minutes," Granley added, noting that by controlling the volume and speed of the water flow, hill erosion and waterway pollution caused by runoff is reduced. Bottom Unlike concrete pavers in the same areas, the permeable paver installations were unaffected by several tough Minnesota winters and freeze-thaw cycles, showing no cracks or color fading. 20 Landscape Architect and Specifier News The test was set up in two high traffic areas. The first was a 600 square foot loading and storage area expansion of UMD's plumbing shop, where truck deliveries are made. UMD engineer Erik Larson said this was an appropriate test area since it had poor drainage and was frequently muddy after heavy rains, and had vehicle, forklift and truck traffic. Set into their unique 16 x 16 inch interlocking grids, the permeable pavers were installed next to traditional concrete pavers on the same engineered base. The second area covered a 75 square foot triangular space outside the Sports and Health Center, where the unloading of sports teams and student foot traffic took a toll on the area. Despite attempts by the building and grounds division of facilities management to landscape the space, students kept walking through the area. It provided a good proving ground to see how the new permeable pavers handled foot traffic in winter conditions. According to Mindy Granley, UMD's sustainability coordinator, the new pavers have been an effective solution to UMD's soil conditions, and have stood up to the extreme winter conditions and foot traffic. "We intend to use the pavers on future projects," said engineer Erik Larson. According to the manufacturer, the production of these permeable pavers uses 95 percent less energy and produces 96 percent less in CO 2 emissions than conventional pavers, plus has diverted more than 10 million pounds of scrap rubber and plastics from U.S. landfills. Note: In December 2012, AZEK bought out VAST Enterprises. 18-21.indd 20 2/27/14 9:00 AM