The development of Pin Foundation’s unique technology began more than two decades ago in an effort to design foundation systems that would eliminate excavation and minimize the disruption of the existing soil’s state and natural topography. These soils have developed over many centuries and provide critical natural storage and filtering for rainfall. Digging alters these soil characteristics, and Diamond Piers offer a cost-effective solution for installing a reliable and durable foundation without degrading streams and water quality.

The piers can be installed in any native soil or compacted fill—even in frost, expansive, or saturated soils often deemed too marginal for traditional construction. Predetermined pin lengths are driven through slots in the pier that has been installed at grade. There are two pier sizes: The DP-50 and DP-100, weighing fifty and one hundred pounds, respectively. The DP-50 can achieve a maximum capacity of four thousand pounds, while the DP-100 can achieve a maximum capacity of eight thousand pounds. The soils encountered and the length of the pin installed will determine the pier’s capacity.

Contact: Pin Foundations, Inc., Gig Harbor, WA, USA.
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Stabiligrid is lightweight but highly durable, and may be adjusted to fit existing contours using standard tools, such as an angle grinder or circular saw. The grids are typically laid on a 1 to 4 inch (2.5 to 10.2 centimeter) gravel base, depending on the porosity of the substrate below. The grid can be backfilled with gravel, sand, or top soil for vegetated surfaces. The grid facilitates a structural base for green roof systems and reduces both storm-water runoff and the urban heat-island effect.

Contact: Eco-Terr, Bainbridge Island, WA, USA.
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While each polyhedral unit is a static object with basic properties, the assembled system behaves like a flexible fabric that can be finely tuned to match complex topographies. The porosity of the mesh also yields an assembly that is permeable without sacrificing structural integrity. According to the manufacturer, Flextegrity is suitable for the construction of load-bearing three-dimensional materials, flexible structural blocks, and hybrid material sheets.

Contact: Flextegrity, Portland, OR.
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Patrick Blanc’s vertical garden, known as Le Mur Végétal in French, was conceived after thorough studies of a variety of natural environments. The wall-afforestation system relies on a new way to grow plants without any soil.

Since it is very light-weight, it is possible to install the vertical garden on almost any wall, whatever its size. The vertical garden can be implemented outdoors or indoors, in any climatic environment. The plant species are selected according to the prevailing climatic conditions. For an indoor location, artificial lighting is usually required, and watering and fertilization are automated.

Contact: Patrick Blanc, Paris, France.

In vegetated systems, the perforations increase root lock-up, creating a more stable vegetated mass and overall healthier soil environment. The perforations allow lateral drainage through the system, thereby enhancing performance of the system in saturated soil conditions.

The Geoweb system enhances system performance in slope and channel protection, earth retention and load support applications. The multi-layered earth retention system is used for a wide range of design requirements and site conditions. The system’s flexibility allows it to withstand large differential settlements and conform to a contoured landscape while typically using on-site infill materials. The system’s outer cells, when filled with topsoil, provide an ideal environment to support vegetation.

Contact: Presto Products Company, Appleton, WI, USA.

Plasphalt technology is a patented process demonstrating the innovative use of Treated Recycled Plastic Aggregates (TRPA) as a synthetic aggregate component used in hot mix asphalt. The addition of TRPA to conventional asphalt yields an increase in toughness, long-term durability and increases the volume of the mix. The process uses any/all types of unsorted waste plastic products, which are granulated to 1/4″ material, then conveyed through the treatment system to create TRPA. The treatment process renders all plastics into a standardized solid binder material. TRPA, when mixed with asphalt cement forms a chemical bond, which creates a structural matrix around the natural aggregate fraction of the asphalt blend.

Contact: Plasphalt Project, Albuquerque, NM, USA.

The pavement is comprised of a special blend of Portland Cement, coarse aggregate rock, and water. Once dried, the pavement has a porous texture that allows water to drain through it at the rate of 8 to 12 gallons per minute per square foot. For reference, tests conclude that a square foot of bahia sod drains at the rate of 2 1/2 to 3 gallons per minute. According to the manufacturer, this rapid flow-through ratio inspired the phrase “the pavement that drinks water.”

Contact: Central Concrete Supply, San Jose, CA, USA.