MINNEAPOLIS, MN, Oct. 31, 2008 -- Rehbein Environmental Solutions Inc., (RESI) recently installed its Environmental Passive Integrated Chamber (EPIC™) stormwater management system and a reflex mesh turf system outside the new open-air University of Minnesota Gophers' TCF Bank Stadium slated to open in fall 2009.
"At the stadium, space is at a premium," said Mark Apfelbacher, RESI sustainability consultant.
To maximize usable space, RESI constructed a multifunctional system that eliminates the need for a traditional holding pond.
"Once the sod is laid this spring, our system will create a lush, green, park-like space strong enough to support heavy maintenance vehicles," Apfelbacher said.
The EPIC system resides below the green space, quietly doing its work beneath the surface while supporting the multipurpose green space that can double as parking for heavy broadcast trucks and as an emergency vehicle staging area.
With 589 chambers in the system designed to store, filter and discharge stormwater runoff, the drainage area served by the EPIC system at TCF Stadium (3.78 acres) is seven times the footprint (0.54 acres) of the underground EPIC system itself and features a below-ground capacity of over 60,000 gallons.
The water treatment capability of the EPIC System is similar to but more effective than sand filter technology, which removes pollutants from stormwater by filtering runoff through a sand bed. At TCF Bank Stadium, the EPIC System may remove up to 70 to 85 percent of total suspended solids and up to 35 percent of pathogens including coliform, streptococci and E. coli.
Meanwhile, the reflex mesh used underneath the grass planted above the EPIC system stabilizes soil, improves load bearing capacity, reduces compaction and decreases the potential for rutting and deformation.
"The system provides a sustainable surface that improves turfgrass rooting and health while providing a surface strong enough to support U of M fans and the media and emergency vehicles that will be on-hand on game days," Apfelbacher said. "The EPIC system provides an environmentally conscious and cost-efficient way to manage stormwater runoff within the confines of a newly constructed urban stadium."
Headquartered in Minneapolis, Rehbein Environmental Solutions Inc. (RESI) uses proprietary products and design to positively impact stormwater management through conservation, filtration and reuse.
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