In the spring of 2019, construction began on an expansive park in the heart of Lafayette, LA. Setting out to preserve and enhance a vital greenspace and wetland ecosystem, Moncus Park was designed with 100 acres of walking trails, splash pads and a playscape for children as well as lawn areas that integrated into a natural environment of a wetland.

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. 

MINIMIZING RUNOFF EASY JOB FOR PAVERS

NDS specified 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 paver 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’ product is designed with an 8-inch base stone layer – meaning that the first six inches of a rain fall wouldn’t create any runoff at all.

The designer liked that NDS had several other project sites in the region and that the gravel paver product was proven to work in demanding applications. Moving forward with the recommendation, construction of the park started in the spring of 2019 and concluded later that year.

TAN COLOR GRATES BLEND WELL WITH STONE, SURROUNDINGS

Installation went smoothly and the contractor loved that the product was delivered in rolls so that almost 600 sq. ft. could be placed at a time. Made from 100% recycled HDPE, the pavers also have a geotextile backing that makes it a more superior performing product. 

The walking trails meander throughout the park and have several locations for pedestrians to stop and admire the scenery. The designer chose tan color grates as it blended in well with the open graded stone used in the base for the infill material.   This solution provided the designer with the best of both worlds – a surface that is both walkable and drivable and allows for the prevention of runoff.