An unsightly and heavily eroded storm channel at Morehead State University in Morehead, Ky., got a much-needed upgrade that transformed the eyesore into a beautiful part of campus.
The area was “completely hemmed in” by existing infrastructure. “We really couldn’t afford to use a product that required a lot of geogrid,” said designer Chris Howard, RLA and senior project manager for Carman Landscape Architects.
Designers chose Redi-Rock for several reasons:
Gravity design: The gravity walls harness the power of gravity with 1-ton blocks that stack up like giant Legos, requiring no geogrid reinforcement in many applications. This allows walls to be installed closer to existing infrastructure or property lines. “There was no room for geogrid and no room for over-excavation, so the product worked very nicely in this scenario,” Howard said.
Engineered strength: Although this stream bed often is dry, high flow is a fairly common occurrence and the channel needed a product that could handle it. Redi-Rock is capable of handling this level of high flows.
Efficient installation: The installation team also was challenged with tight working conditions. “There was very little room to work on the surface,” said Martin Fister of Free Contracting. “Installing this project was challenging, but it turned out to be a great project.”
Aesthetics: The natural stone texture and color of the Redi-Rock Ledgestone blocks “blends in well with the adjacent buildings,” Howard said.
Once an unsightly part of campus, this 9-ft-tall gravity storm channel now keeps storm water from damaging the campus—and looks great.
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