RESI (Rehbein Environmental Solutions, Inc.) completed the installation of the Environmental Passive Integrated Chamber (EPIC System™) storm water management system and Netlon Advanced Turf System (Netlon ATS) outside the new open-air University of Minnesota Gophers’ TCF Bank Stadium with the grand opening in September of 2009.
To maximize useable space, RESI created a multi-functional plaza that eliminates the need for a traditional storm water holding pond. Designed and built into the beautiful turf grass and landscape plaza are RESI’s Netlon ATS and the EPIC System.
Netlon ATS stabilizes soil, improves load bearing capacity, reduces compaction and decreases the potential for rutting and deformation when it will be used for media vehicle parking. The EPIC System located within the subsurface of the landscape plaza filters, stores and controls storm water runoff from 3.75 acres of TCF Stadium’s drainage area. This watershed is seven times the footprint (0.54 acres) of the underground EPIC System, will manage all runoff from a 3.5” rain event and filter and hold over 140,000 gallons of water.
Water treatment capability of the EPIC System removes pollutants from stormwater by filtering runoff through the plants roots and sandy soil. At TCF Bank Stadium, the EPIC System can remove over 85% of Phosphorous pollutants in the water. RESI’s design and the EPIC System will prevent downstream water bodies from having excessive algae growth and maintain the health of the Mississippi River.
“Within this highly urban site, space is at a premium and we added value to the landscape function” said Mark Apfelbacher, Senior Sustainability Consultant and LEED AP at RESI. He continued “The system provides a beautiful solution that improves water quality, enhances natural turf grass strength to support the weight of media trucks and can still be a usable space for Minnesota Gopher Fans.“
“RESI is proud to have ‘given back’ to the University of Minnesota by having two Alumni working on this project. Mark Apfelbacher and Jason Lamers, both are graduates of the U’s College of Design – Landscape Architecture Masters Program; Lamers is also a former Gophers Football player.” stated Charles J. Pappas, CEO of RESI. “Our RESI Design Team is excited to have provided an environmentally conscious and cost effective way for the University of Minnesota to manage storm water runoff within the confines of a newly constructed urban stadium.”
About RESI – Headquartered in Minneapolis, RESI (Rehbein Environmental Solutions, Inc.) is a green-build environmental company that consults and designs with proprietary technology to create usable green spaces, such as parks or athletic fields, grass parking areas and green roofs that clean, store and re-use storm water and other water resources. RESI projects include the Houston Texans Stadium, Southern Methodist University (SMU), the Minnesota Twins Stadium Plaza and the FIFA 2010 World Cup Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. For more information, visit www.RESIsolutions.com.