Oldcastle Stormwater provided an underground rainwater detention system at the Atlanta Braves’ new SunTrust Park stadium, which opened in spring 2017.
The detention system includes two distinct sites—East Deck Lower, representing 88,056 cu ft, and East Deck Upper, representing 96,992 cu ft. While those sites may seem expansive, the height of cover, compactness of space and need for a 40% smaller footprint made other conventional detention systems impractical, and a cast-in-place system would have added more than six weeks to the project timeline.
The Oldcastle Stormwater team—led by Julie Bertils, southeast territory manager—believed that the company’s proprietary StormCapture system would be a suitable solution. Offering up to 1,260 cu ft of storage per module, the system will retain rainwater runoff from the site for 24 hours before slowly releasing it into the downstream storm water system. The system will temporarily store runoff from all perimeter drives and parking areas.
Requiring only 2 in. of leveling sand under each module helped make StormCapture an appropriate solution. It also made the most sense given the tight timeframe, budget and scope of the project. A proven timesaver, the placement of a StormCapture module typically takes only about 15 minutes. The East Deck Upper site required placement of 78 modules, and the East Deck Lower site required 65 modules. Installation of both sites took five days each—the first in February 2016, and the latter following in March 2016.
Bertils said the StormCapture system goes “hand-in-hand with water quality, and given their lifecycle cost, [they] are extremely cost-effective. Made of concrete, they are built to last, with a service life of 100 years. They are great for maintenance, with access points at the top offering the ability to walk around inside.”
Challenges
Of course, the project was not without its challenges, the largest of which was getting Georgia Power to move one line that powered everything in the stadium. Electricity had to be turned off for only 30 minutes to get one of the modules set, meaning all other construction activities were temporarily put on hold—another testament to the speed with which StormCapture modules can be set.
Although Oldcastle Precast has been actively designing and constructing below-grade detention systems for more than 20 years, Bertils credits the relationships the company has built with landing this project. Project partner Plateau Excavation initially installed StormCapture modules onsite for a cistern under the dugout in 2015. The company then recommended the StormCapture system for the east parking area detention system in 2016.
“To have an edge for higher-profile projects, it’s important to already be a resource to other firms,” Bertils said. “It all begins with seeking ways to save owners time and money, and they’ll become advocates for you too. We offer modular bioretention, tree box filters and the PermeCapture system, which is a unique product blending permeable pavers with our StormCapture modules. At Oldcastle, we are constantly developing innovative new solutions.”
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John Osterland, senior project manager at Plateau Excavation, agrees. “It was a seamless process to install the StormCapture modules at the site. Given the placement of modules in 15-minute increments, this was an extremely efficient project. In addition to the chance to partner with the team at Oldcastle Stormwater, we’ve been granted the opportunity to work with some of the best engineering firms in Georgia and the United States. Because of the scope, complexity and high-profile nature of this project, SunTrust Park is the job of a lifetime for us.”
