Case Study: William J. Antheil Elementary
REINFORCED TURF BECOMES GO-TO SOLUTION FOR NJ ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FIRE LANE BY ELIMINATING NEED FOR PAVING
Located in Ewing, NJ, William L Antheil Elementary School was scheduled for a parking lot renovation in the spring of 2023. With the largest K-5 student body in the township, the school was expanding the size of the lot to enhance traffic flow for parents, buses, and faculty. As part of this project, a fire lane would need to be added to the building to comply with accessibility.
In place of a typical paved fire lane, the project specifier Pennoni & Associates determined the most ideal solution was a reinforced grass paving system that would not add any impervious surface area. It would need to be strong enough to provide emergency vehicle access and still meet local codes and regulations. Pennoni’s local branch office was aware of NDS’ full line of permeable paving solutions based on its success with affiliate offices.
TUFFTRACK PAVERS OFFER BEST LOAD RATING
Out of the various NDS solutions, they determined NDS TuffTrack pavers were the best option since its paneled design can withstand the highest load ratings when compared to competitive products.
TuffTrack pavers have consistently and successfully been utilized to provide turf reinforcement to create permeable fire lane access for public school buildings, hotels, and many retail and corporate offices. The product comes in 24X24 in. panels and is 1.5 in. thick. Specifiers are attracted to TuffTrack pavers because of their larger, thicker profile compared to other products on the market. TuffTrack pavers have a compressive strength of 86,563 psf when empty, while cells filled with soil have a compressive strength of 400,000 psf (tested with a 12X12 in. plate), which is easily capable of handling large vehicles – like school buses filled with children or heavy fire trucks.
QUICK TURNAROUND KEEPS PROJECT ON TRACK
The landscape contractor, S&G Paving, worked with Ewing Irrigation & Landscape Supply, a longtime partner and distributor of NDS products, to secure product for installation. NDS with its short lead time was able to drop-ship material to the job site to ensure the project started on time. When more panels were needed partway through the installation process, NDS worked quickly to expedite shipping of an additional 200 sq. ft. of material, helping keep the project on track.
More than 5,400 sq. ft. of TuffTrack pavers were installed and filled with soil and grass seed on the side of William L. Antheil Elementary School between April and June 2023. The pavers feature an integrated, easy-to-assemble clip that greatly reduces installation time, which according to the contractor made the system simple to install.