Sustainable Land Development Today - September 2008 - (Page 35)

using Millenia to replace a deteriorating timber retaining wall for a homeowner in a southern suburb of Minneapolis. Jackson, owner of Jackson Landscape Supply (Lakeville, Minnesota) had a more immediate problem: difficult access on a steep site. The property slopes up from the street. There is only ten feet from the back of the house to a six-foot-high rock wall and embankment. The retaining wall site itself is above the rock wall, and the area varies in width from four to eight feet. “I wondered how we would get conventional retaining wall materials to the back of the house and up to the wall site without breaking our backs,” said Jackson. “So, I initially thought about Millenia because its lightweight units would be easier to get up on the site and install there.” Jackson recommended this alternative to the homeowner and showed her how the product would complement the lower rock wall. “When I told her that it is a green product, she was very enthusiastic,” said Jackson. “In addition, by using Millenia we could do less extensive excavation, and that saved three trees behind the retaining wall that the homeowner did not want to lose.” The finished retaining wall is 100 feet long and 6.5 feet high at its tallest. From the time that the old timber wall was demolished and removed and the site was prepared, Jackson’s four-man crew installed the new wall in just three days. He estimates that it would have taken at least six days to construct it if he had used stones or concrete blocks. That would have increased the costs of the project for the homeowner. “We didn’t have to haul and lift heavy rocks or blocks. The Millenia units only weigh five pounds each, so we tossed them up to the guys,” said Jackson. “After we locked them into place, we filled them with crushed stone to add weight to the wall.” “It looks great and blends in nicely with the rock wall. Each style of the product is delivered with five different patterns on the faces so the wall has nice variations in texture and fine detail.” No magic green bullets There are no magic green bullets to achieve sustainability. No one product or technology is sufficient in and of itself. As noted, an integrated approach to project planning is required to maximize the impact of the green practices and materials selected for a project. Sustainable development plans often include retaining walls as an element of erosion control and storm water management. When retaining walls are required, it makes good sense to use an earthfriendly alternative – especially one that meets a project’s aesthetic and cost requirements. SLDT About the author: Paul Forsberg is president of Millenia Wall Solutions (www.milleniawalls.com) Minneapolis, Minn.. He can be reached at info@milleniawalls.com. Circle 162 • or www.SLDTonline.com/webcard www.SLDTonline.com 35 http://www.milleniawalls.com http://www.SLDTonline.com/webcard http://www.SLDTonline.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Sustainable Land Development Today - September 2008

Sustainable Land Development Today - September 2008 Contents Our Voice The Bottomline Editorial Board SLDT Resources Digging Deep Oases of Capital Build a Better Business on an Interactive, Virtual Landscape Regulation SLDI in Focus �� SLDI Sponsored Summit �� Workshops �� Bookstore Tee’d Up for Sustainability Retention Solutions Wastewater Redevelopment Industry News Marketplace Products/Services Showcase Advertiser Index The Last Word

Sustainable Land Development Today - September 2008

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