Interlock Design Summer 2014 by ICPI

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE INTERLOCKING CONCRETE PAVEMENT INSTITUTE

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PICP Residential Rebates Increasing Job Site Efficiency Preventing Bans on Charity Car Washes volume 21 number 3 GREAT PRESERVATION IOWA CITIES PROVE PERMEABLE PAVEMENT IS A SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION FOR INFRASTRUCTURE REHABILITATION

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Charles McGrath, CAE PUBLISHING DIRECTOR: Jessica Chase, CAE MANAGING EDITOR: David R. Smith CONTRIBUTING EDITOR: Robert Bowers, P.Eng. ART DIRECTOR: Kathleen Wilson

Charles City, IA, utilized permeable pavers to redesign and refurbish two of its historic city streets. The finished project near the west end of Clark Street abuts a cable-stayed pedestrian bridge over the Cedar River.

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Photo Credit: Charles City Department of Engineering

SUMMER 2014

EDITOR: Brad Causey

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FEATURES 08 GREAT PRESERVATION

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Iowa cities prove

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permeable pavement is a sustainable solution for infrastructure rehabilitation.

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14 HOME ADVANTAGE Rebate program helps a Maryland county boost use of permeable pavers.

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Interlock Design is published quarterly by the members of the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (ICPI) for producers, suppliers, contractors, specifiers and users of interlocking concrete pavements.

03 INTERLOCKUTOR 04 KNOWLEDGE BASE

The opinions expressed in Interlock Design articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the position of the editor or ICPI.

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20 CONTRACTOR FOCUS

ADVERTISING SALES Trey Higgens Arlington Publishers Representatives, Inc. 303 Main Street #100A Antioch, IL 60002 847.963.8624 thiggens@ix.netcom.com The acceptance of advertising in Interlock Design magazine does not constitute or imply the endorsement or recommendation by ICPI or its members, staff, editors or the publishers of any product or service mentioned, referenced or advertised in the publication. ICPI accepts no responsibility for any claims made in any advertisement. ICPI further reserves the right to refuse to accept any advertisement.

22 THE MAIN EVENTS

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ISSN 1087-9862 Canada Post Agreement No. 41567031

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interlockutor FINANCIAL INCENTIVES TO USE PAVERS REWARD EVERYONE

Let’s Not Dry Up Car Washes An article in a recent Washington Post reported that a city in Northern Virginia is banning ad hoc fundraiser car David R. Smith washes sponsored by charities. The article noted such bans are common in western states, but new to the nation’s capitol area. The reason cited, not surprisingly, is uncontrolled water pollution entering storm drains, streams, rivers and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay. However, such regulations send an inadvertent blow against volunteer groups wanting to raise money for good causes. Their fundraising options are reduced to passive and possibly financially riskier activities such as yard and bake sales. There’s another side to these types of car washes. Where are they are held? Often on commercial parking lots such as a bank, coffee shop, gas station or a fast food restaurant. Business owners must like the attention drawn to their businesses as well as the civic support message. Some water exchanged for publicity? Not a bad public relations deal. So with regulations closing down ad hoc car washes, businesses that host them lose as well. Instead of nixing a viable revenue source for often financially-strapped volunteer organizations, why couldn’t regulations allow such car washes only on permeable pavement? Granted, there aren’t a lot of commercial properties with permeable pavement right now, especially on highly visible sites conducive to attracting customers. But there is hope. A growing number of municipalities are providing cash rebates to residential and commercial property owners to install permeable pavements. Municipalities realize that it might be less expensive to revert the earth’s surface from impervious back to permeable to break the vicious financial cycle of upsizing storm sewer pipes. Montgomery County, MD, (pop. 1 million) is one such place providing financial incentives to install permeable interlocking concrete pavement (PICP) in residential driveways and commercial parking lots.

Called RainScapes Rewards, the financial incentives aren’t huge, but they are a positive start. This issue features an article on what the County and its residents have accomplished. Stormwater utilities abound across the U.S. and Canada where property owners pay their municipality a fee—like trash and sanitary sewage—to carry away and dispose of stormwater. The fee is often paid with the water and sewer bill. About half of the stormwater utilities offer as much as a 50 percent reduction in fees if permeable pavement or other practices are installed to reduce the amount of runoff the municipality must transport via its storm drainage system. Beyond stormwater utility fees, what if municipalities offered property tax relief for installing permeable pavement for the purpose of supporting charitable organizations? Relief could be offered for the permeable area for a period of years or as long as the permeable pavement exists. A more generous approach might include tax relief on the impervious surface(s) draining into it, as well as on the permeable pavement. From the municipal perspective, they would want to know the extent to which their drainage system benefits by giving up a few to several thousand dollars annually in tax revenue. For cities with minor flooding areas, adjacent high-value rivers and lakes, or combined sewer overflows, it might be worth it. If municipalities went this route, or even the more benign stormwater utility fee route, they could incentivize car washes on permeable pavements. Example: install PICP, host 10 car washes annually and receive a property tax or utility fee break. Wouldn’t that send a positive signal to volunteer organizations? Many of these organizations already do public sector-type activities, saving municipalities time and money. Keeping such organizations going with a range of revenue options while protecting the environment is good for everyone.

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SUMMER 2014

KNOWLEDGE base Hardscape North America 2014 What’s the Buzz? Events, workshops and conference sessions are being finalized for the hardscape industry’s largest trade show, Hardscape North America. This year’s show will take place Oct. 22–24, at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville. HNA offers many favorite events from previous years, including the Installer Championship and HNA Hardscape Project Awards breakfast, as well as new workshops and hands-on hardscape demonstrations. Highlights include:

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 Learn best practice techniques from

experts in the field during the six Hardscape Demonstrations in the HNA Outdoor Arena. The live demonstrations address a variety of skill levels, starting with the Basics of Concrete Paver Installation to Fire Pit and Outdoor Fireplace Construction, Safety and Design.  This year’s show marks the second year for the Hardscape North America Installer Championship. Top hardscape contractors from North American countries compete to determine the best-of-the-best in the industry. Up to 24 teams will start the competition in a preliminary round, with only the top four moving on to the championship round. Only one team will be named the 2014 champion!  The Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (ICPI) will host conference sessions approved for continuing education credits for ICPI Certified Installers. The six sessions, plus two hardscape-themed GIE+EXPO Workshops, will take place on Thursday, Oct. 23 and Friday, Oct. 24 at the Kentucky Exposition Center.

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ICPI Certified Installers can earn continuing education credits by attending training sessions at HNA.

The HNA Installer Competition returns for its second year to determine the 2014 North American champion.

2014 HNA Hardscape Project Award winners will be announced Friday, Oct. 24 (2013 award winners above).

Industry experts will lead courses to help grow your business and market, sell your services, and increase efficiency among employees and on jobsites.  HNA 2014 co-locates with GIE+EXPO (Green Industry & Equipment Expo) and all HNA attendees receive free access to the indoor and outdoor areas at GIE+EXPO. Offering more than 750 exhibits and a 19-acre Outdoor Area, access to GIE+EXPO allows HNA attendees to browse the latest in outdoor power equipment, excavation equipment, trucks, trailers, landscaping products and tools.  The HNA Hardscape Project Awards will take place on Friday, Oct. 24 at the Hyatt Regency Louisville. While enjoying breakfast, all participants will see some of the nation’s best projects in new walkways, patios, plazas, driveways, parking lots, roadway projects and more.  On Wednesday, Oct. 22, the HNA Distributor & Dealer Education Program titled “Examining the Dealer’s Brain” will take place at the Kentucky Exposition Center. Five speakers will present sessions on Inventory Management, Community Partnership, Contractor Development, Effective Merchandising and Traits of Our Customers. Following the program, dealers and distributors join exhibitors on the tradeshow floor for a preview of HNA 2014 and GIE+EXPO from 3 to 7 p.m., before the show opens to the industry the following day.  Continued on page 6

Airfield Pioneer Passes Civil engineer and airfield interlocking concrete pavement pioneer John A. Emery passed away earlier this year in Bedfordshire County, England. Mr. Emery pioneered airfield applications as the airport engineer at Luton International Airport near London, England. In 1983, he rehabilitated the deteriorated surface pavement at several commercial gates with an overlay of interlocking concrete pavers, a cost-effective alternative to completely replacing the existing, structurally sound Portland cement concrete (PCC) pavements. Mr. Emery load tested the existing PCC alone and then with the overlay. The concrete pavers contributed an additional 15 percent structural capacity. Further test areas at Luton led Mr. Emery to a study on the resistance of pavers to Harrier jet blasts for the U.K. Ministry of Defence. He later promoted a urethane joint sand stabilization product and developed a tongue-and-groove rectangular paver design. He consistently published his findings at conferences and in engineering technical journals, including those from ASCE. Mr. Emery used concrete pavers in military and commercial airports in the United Kingdom and in many other nations. He co-authored the ICPI manual, Pavement Design with Concrete Pavers, available for free download at www.icpi.org. His projects likely inspired a demonstration project and manual on airfield use of concrete pavers by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the U.S. Air Force. Pilots, passengers and airlines utilizing the 12 million sf of concrete pavers in military and commercial airfields around the world today owe their thanks to pioneer John Emery.

John Emery (right) with Dr. Brian Shackel (center), ICPI member Ann Hunnicutt, and Dr. John Knapton (left) observe skid resistance tests on concrete pavers at a NASA testing facility in Langley, VA, in the mid-1990s.

KNOWLEDGE BASE SUMMER 2014 ®

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TECH SPEC 19 DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE OF INTERLOCKING CONCRETE PAVEMENT CROSSWALKS Tech Spec 19 summarizes the interlocking concrete pavement crosswalk research sponsored by the ICPI. Four assemblies were monitored for performance and total loads estimated between 700,000 to 7.5 million ESALs. Assemblies included aggregate, asphalt bound and concrete bases using concrete sand and bituminous bedding layers. Design and construction considerations included paver selection, paver shape and laying pattern, selection of bedding sand and joint sand, use of geotextiles and drainage requirements. Maintenance recommendations specifically considered subsidence/settlement, rutting, asphalt subsidence, replacement of damaged or cracked pavers and reinstatement of the ICP system. ORDER INFO To receive a free download visit www.icpi.org and click on Design. To purchase printed copies visit www.icpi.org/node/4483.

WE HAVE A WINNER!

 Specifically for hardscape contractors and installers, two

days of ICPI and NCMA paver and wall installation courses will take place at the Hyatt Regency Louisville on Tuesday, Oct. 21 and Wednesday, Oct. 22. Courses include classroom training, a student manual and an exam, and are approved for continuing education credits.  A Welcome to Louisville reception for distributors and dealers takes place on Tuesday, Oct. 21 at Tavern on Fourth in the center of Louisville’s premier dining and entertainment district, Fourth Street Live!  Three free concerts will rock the Nissan Commercial stage at Fourth Street Live! – Montgomery Gentry, Wednesday, Oct. 22 – The Crashers, Thursday, Oct. 23 – Olivia Henken, finalist on “The Voice,” Oct. 24 DON’T MISS OUT! To register online for HNA 2014, visit www.HardscapeNA.com. Get HNA updates on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HardscapeNorth America or on Twitter @HardscapeNA.

JAMES HUGHES OF HUGHES PROPERTY SERVICES IN SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, PA, IS THE WINNER OF AN iPAD MINI FOR PARTICIPATING IN THIS YEAR’S INTERLOCK DESIGN READER SURVEY.

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 COVER STORY

SUMMER 2014

By Elizabeth Bandy

great preserv IOWA CITIES PROVE PERMEABLE PAVEMENT IS A SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION FOR INFRASTRUCTURE REHABILITATION

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cross Iowa, cities and towns are using permeable pavement in infrastructure rehabilitation. They are exploiting the multiplier effects (and benefits) that result from combining stormwater management with pavement rehabilitation using permeable interlocking concrete pavement (PICP). These projects not only reduce local flooding and stormwater pollution, they support road rehabilitation and historic preservation.

A permeable paver parking lot in Dubuque along Copy here for caption Washington Street between 17th and 18th Streets tk Copy here for capis adjacent to one of Dubuque’s many green alleys, tion tk Copy here for  Continued on page 00 which utilize permeable pavers to reduce caption tk Copy here stormwater runoff and improve water quality. for caption tk

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vation

CROSS SECTION: — 31/8 in. concrete pavers 2 in. ASTM No. 8 stone — 4 in. No. 57 stone base layer — Variable thickness No. 2 stone — reservoir subbase

Three Iowa cities recently completed multimillion dollar PICP projects with local, state and federal government funding. A primary funding source comes from the diversification of Iowa’s State Revolving Fund (SRF). The low-interest loans, normally used for wastewater treatment projects, are now additionally directed toward infrastructure projects that reduce stormwater runoff, specifically flows into wastewater treatment plants and combined sewer overflows (CSOs). PICP has been deemed an eligible project element for infiltration in projects intended to reduce CSOs. Other municipalities, including those in Washington, Oregon, Michigan, California and Washington, D.C. are conducting similar projects with more on the way. GREEN ALLEY PROJECT: DUBUQUE Situated on the Mississippi River and chartered in 1837, Dubuque lays claim to being Iowa’s oldest city. Its location and topography make it prone to damage from stormwater runoff and flooding. In 2011, the city experienced over 13 in. (325 mm) of rainfall in 12 hours, resulting in severe flooding of over 1,300 households. The event was a major impetus for the installation of nine green alleys to reduce flooding and CSOs, which led to planning for another 80 alleys, all built from PICP. “We’re a very sustainable city, and it’s a mantra that resonates with City staff,” says Jon Dienst, civil engineer for the City of Dubuque. “The pavers were a natural fit for clean water and city design.” City officials took cues from Chicago, now home to more than 100 green alleys under a program targeting four initiatives: 1. Stormwater management (CSO reduction) 2. Urban heat island reduction 3. Material recycling 4. Energy conservation Dubuque’s first two alleys were piloted in 2009 using porous asphalt and PICP; funding was through the federal Community Development Block Grant program. “The City council, without even talking about the performance, just liked the look of the concrete pavers in the alleys,” Mr. Dienst recalls of the initial decision. After the launch, the City decided to take advantage of the state’s low-interest loan funds to borrow $64 million for a major overhaul of Dubuque’s wastewater treatment plant. The alley financing comprised $9.4 million in State Revolving Funds designated by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources for wastewater and clean water projects. The alleys qualified. The catch: the funding had to be spent within three years. “That’s a lot of alleys,” Mr. Dienst says. Forty-eight  Continued on page 10

COVER STORY SUMMER 2014 ®

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alleys will be constructed this year with an additional 25 next summer. The 25 alleys next year will have sewer and water mains and services replaced at City cost with the SRFs used for the alley pavement and stone. The alleys are roughly 300 ft (90 m) long and 12 and 14 ft (3.6 to 4.2 m) wide. Each costs about $100,000, depending on topography. The City uses modeling software to determine the reservoir capacity and resulting thickness for open-graded aggregate subbase in each alley. A range of rain events are modeled and the subbase thicknesses determined by extensively testing the soil subgrades for infiltration. Each alley uses 31/8 in. (80 mm) thick concrete pavers over 2 in. (50 mm) of ASTM No. 8 stone. That sits on a 4 in. (100 mm) base layer of No. 57 stone. Under this layer is a No. 2 stone reservoir subbase. The project team employed geotextile on the soil subgrade of each alley to help keep the stone clean. Some of the alleys are next to buildings with foundations over 100 years old. Those installations included new waterproofing to prevent water infiltration. From a cost standpoint, this was well worth the expense, Mr. Dienst says, to prevent water in basements or worse. “We didn’t have experience in Dubuque,” Mr. Dienst says. “We had to talk with others and learn from their mistakes.” Suppliers and contractors were hard to come by at first, but now are abundant in the area, with pricing around $3.75 to $4/sf ($40 to $43/m2). “It’s almost cheaper to put in the pavers than concrete or asphalt,” he says. The alleys are being monitored for water quality performance and are expected to reduce nitrates by 25 percent and phosphorous by 60 to 70 percent, achievements supporting the City’s clean water initiative. An 80 percent reduction of stormwater runoff volume is expected as well. Maintenance costs are low, and the City has invested in a vacuum cleaning truck to help in that effort. Aesthetically, pavers are well suited for a city heavily rooted in its past. “They are historically appropriate,” Mr. Dienst says. “A lot of them are downtown. We are a historic city, recently celebrating 175 years. Historic preservationists are excited about this.” PERMEABLE STREETS: CHARLES CITY About 130 miles (78 km) northwest of Dubuque sits Charles City with a history of flooding and runoff problems. Federal and state funding provided resources to install 27 blocks of PICP in a residential neighborhood slated for street rehabilitation. Through the help of now-retired City Administrator Tom Brownlow, Charles City received $3.6 million in 2010 from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act to install the initial phase of the project. At $2 million, phase two utilized Iowa’s State Revolving Fund and 30 percent forgiveness of the eligible costs, essentially paying for the paving portion of the project. The remaining funding paid for sanitary, sewer and water line improvements. Both projects involved city street renovations with the second phase having learned several lessons from the first. “The first time was a hard sell,” recalls Dirk Uetz, Charles City’s

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superintendent of streets. “People were a lot more openminded after they had seen the first project.” The City commissioned the Conservation Design Forum (CDF) to design the permeable streets. The designers modeled the system to capture runoff from streets, yards and alleys and infiltrate the runoff. Peak discharges for the 10-year storm were reduced by more than 90 percent, according to CDF. This reduction prevented the necessity and expense of upsizing many existing storm sewers. The design took advantage of the sandy soil subgrade by infiltrating much of the runoff rather than directing it to inlets and into storm sewers. Also, the permeable streets were narrowed by 5 ft (1.5 m), thereby increasing the tree lawns and the graceful appearance of the old neighborhood. Phase one spanned 16 blocks and included permeable areas at intersection corners covered with large stones surrounding raised beehive intakes. These areas ultimately proved difficult for the local homeowners and for the city’s maintenance staff to clean. They also presented some risk to children playing nearby. The phase two design of six-anda-half additional blocks reverted to regular storm drainage intakes, which were easier to maintain and presented no risks to children. Additionally, phase one used slightly depressed retention areas with amended soils in the tree lawns behind the curbs. These proved inconvenient for pedestrians and were replaced by an improved, raised design in the second phase. While response to the new streets has been positive, the real success lies in the runoff reduction, Mr. Uetz says. “If we have a heavy rain now, you don’t see any water going down to the river,” he says. “In phase one, we opened the hydrants onto the street and let the water run. The spectators couldn’t believe it.”

“

If we have a heavy rain now, you don’t see any water going down to the river. In phase one, we opened the hydrants onto the street and let the water run. The spectators couldn’t believe it. —Dirk Uetz, Superintendent of Streets, Charles City

The concrete paver installation at the intersection of Spriggs and Iowa Streets in Charles City features new ADA-compliant pedestrian curbs where the sidewalks meet the street.

DOWNTOWN RESTORATION: WEST UNION A farming hamlet about an hour’s drive west of Dubuque, West Union had its share of stormwater flooding problems including contamination of nearby Charles Stream. Moreover, its aged and worn downtown needed an update. West Union took the opportunity to implement its Clean Green Climate Action Plan in six downtown blocks. The U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory weighed in on the project, which included energy conservation, greenhouse gas reduction and pedestrian infrastructure improvements. Geothermal heating and cooling systems were also built as an incentive for businesses to fill the downtown storefront vacancies, and these systems included snowmelt capabilities. Completed in 2013, the project totaled $10 million and used state stimulus money, funding from the Iowa Department of Transportation, the U.S. Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency and others. Both the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and Watershed Improvement Review Board contributed $500,000 each toward the project, with the majority going toward PICP. “Prior to the project, there was nothing for storm drainage in the downtown area,” says Jon Biederman, branch manager for Fehr Graham, an engineering and environmental firm that worked on the project design. “We were looking for a way to clean and cool water [before it runs] into Charles Stream. An easy way to accomplish this was with permeable pavers.” The infiltration system filters runoff through an open-graded stone base to cool it and clean it, accomplishing both goals at once. It also slowed the stormwater runoff substantially. “It can take a few days versus a few minutes,” Mr. Biederman says. West Union’s PICP design differed from the norm. While typical PICP installations include a stone subbase storage layer no more than 1- to 2-ft (0.3- to 0.6-m) thick, West Union needed much more storage. In most areas, the subbase is 3- to 5-ft (0.9 - to 1.5-m) thick to store, infiltrate water into the clay soil subgrade, and release any excess slowly to the downstream waterway. The subbase storage layer was topped with a 6-in (150-mm) layer of clean, crushed stone as a base for the bedding layer of 1½ to 2 in. (40 to 50 mm) limestone chips. The concrete pavers rest on this bedding layer, their joints filled with small permeable aggregate. The clay soil subgrade demonstrated that PICP can be designed to infiltrate into low infiltration soils. The City purchased a vacuum truck for the main thoroughfare and a smaller unit for the sidewalks and to clean the joints twice a year. Ultimately, the design met the project goals for infrastructure restoration, positive environmental impacts and historic preservation. The street previously had been paved with asphalt over brick pavers placed in 1914. The contractor retrieved the old bricks and incorporated them into decorative strips in the intersection centers. They are installed on the same stone base as the concrete pavers with permeable, stone-filled joints. “We’ve had very positive responses,” Mr. Biederman says, noting the initial skepticism of the local residents and business owners who were not initially keen on the change. “They look good.” As demonstrated by West Union, as well as by Charles City and Dubuque, Iowa presents some groundbreaking examples of creatively funding infrastructure renovation projects with PICP. 

West Union’s East Elm Street permeable paver installation included not only the street but also the sidewalks and crosswalks. Brick pavers from the city’s first surfacing of its downtown, dating back to 1914, were reinstalled at the center of the intersection.

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 FEATURE STORY

SUMMER 2014

By Elizabeth Millard

Rebate program helps a Maryland county boost use of permeable pavers

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ometimes, being popular has disadvantages. In Montgomery County, MD, the area’s good schools, low unemployment rate and proximity to Washington, D.C. and Baltimore have led to an increased population density. To construct enough housing and commercial properties to support those residents, numerous neighborhoods have been built over existing streams, leading to erosion, minor flooding and property damage.

Fortunately, new solutions are being employed, and permeable interlocking concrete pavement (PICP) is one of them. PICP emerged as a solution after a pilot project identified tactics for creating healthier local landscapes conducted about 10 years ago. In response, the County’s Department of Environmental Protection created RainScapes, a pioneering program focused exclusively on reducing stormwater runoff and improving water quality in affected neighborhoods. Designed to incentivize and implement projects that reduce stormwater runoff, RainScapes offers technical assistance and advice with a rebate program that pays homeowners and commercial building owners to use PICP among other tools. Other RainScapes techniques include tree planting, conservation landscaping, dry well installation, green roof implementation, rain garden design and cistern installation. One of the most popular aspects of the program has been permeable pavement because the rebate helps offset the high installation costs. For residential projects, the rebate maximum is $2,500 and commercial or multi-family projects can be eligible for a rebate of up to $10,000. To receive a rebate for permeable pavement for residential properties, a homeowner must hire a Montgomery County certified contractor and convert a minimum of 100 sf (9 m2) of hard surface to PICP. For commercial, multi-family and institutional properties, a minimum of 300 sf (28 m2) must be converted.

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advant

age

The pioneering RainScapes program of Montgomery County, MD, offers a maximum rebate of $2,500 for qualifying residential projects, and up to $10,000 for commercial or multi-family projects. Residential PICP installations are among the most popular projects selected under this program.

Photo Credit: Montgomery County, MD, DEP, RainScapes Programâ&#x20AC;&#x2039;

FEATURE STORY SUMMER 2014 ®

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The amount of the rebate is meant to cover the cost difference between traditional pavers and permeable pavers, says Dan Somers, who oversees the RainScapes Rewards Rebates. “This is a way to get homeowners to feel more comfortable with permeable pavers,” he says. “When you remove that cost difference, they’re able to compare the options based on factors other than budget.” In addition to providing the rebate incentive, Mr. Somers visits the project site, talks with homeowners and explains the programs in detail. Sometimes, a homeowner might take on several projects, like installing a rain garden and planting canopy trees, as well as considering permeable pavers. Although PICP doesn’t make sense for every property, they’re often chosen for residential projects, Mr. Somers says. “Permeable pavers are modular, with a predictable quality, and we have good data on them for the scale of projects that we’re doing, so they come with many advantages.” Homeowners in the county consider PICP for a number of reasons, says Ann English, RainScapes Program Manager for Montgomery County. Some want to make the property look nicer, while others might want to reduce runoff because they’ve had runoff problems in the past. Some just want to do something for the environment, she adds. TRAINING PROGRAM When the RainScapes program started, Montgomery County contacted the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (ICPI) for assistance in creating a successful program that would draw interest from homeowners and contractors. The county’s design manual for the RainScapes program was developed with input from ICPI staff who provided technical review of the material. In addition to the manual, the County developed a professional training course geared toward contractors who want to learn the nuances of a permeable paving system. The daylong class covers stormwater basics, installation processes, troubleshooting and rebate specifics, so they can be more familiar with the program. Once they complete the course, contractors are included on the County’s “professionals list,” which can be accessed by homeowners and commercial building owners. The list also includes information on how many rebates contractors have garnered, so those perusing the options can determine level of experience with permeable paver projects and RainScapes rebates. For homeowners and other building owners, the County offers a series of consumer-friendly manuals on the RainScapes website that give more detail about potential projects and show photos of successful installations. For example, on the permeable pavement page, the Department of Environmental Protection includes a slideshow of permeable paver projects, including “before and after” photos that give a homeowner a sense of what installation might include. The website also contains information on how a homeowner can assess a property to determine the best location for a permeable paver project, and actions that can be taken to maintain it after installation.

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HOW TO APPLY FOR A RAINSCAPES REBATE

SITE ANALYSIS AND PROJECT PLANNING Measure the impervious surface and estimate drainage to the project area. Create a preliminary design concept.

APPLICATION AND REVIEW Apply online. Application is reviewed by RainScapes staff and a preliminary inspection is scheduled.

PRELIMINARY SITE INSPECTION Site is visited with homeowner present to review the project location. RainScapes staff will address any concerns and offer suggestions to improve the overall project plan.

PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION Once the application approval letter is received, installation can begin. Upon project completion, request a final inspection.

REQUIREMENTS FOR PAYMENT Provide a signed property owner agreement with original signatures. Submit receipts with sales tax subtracted.

FINAL INSPECTION RainScapes staff performs final inspection. If the project doesn't pass, a list of required actions is given to homeowner with a timeframe for completion.

PAYMENT A check will be mailed within four to six weeks of passing the final inspection.

DETAILS To more about the Montgomery County RainScapes program, visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/DEP/water/rainscapes.html.

Improving the aesthetic appeal of residential property, reducing stormwater runoff and doing something positive for the environment are some of the reasons cited by participants for taking advantage of the incentives offered by the RainScapes program.

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STRONG RESULTS With over 40 residential projects completed, Ms. English and Mr. Somers have a sense of the program’s effectiveness, finding that the RainScapes projects show significant success in handling stormwater. Although there’s some pressure from outside sources to include porous concrete or other alternatives in the program, RainScapes remains focused on PICP because of its numerous advantages, says Ms. English. “They’re easier to clean for homeowners, and we feel very comfortable with a system that includes pavers that must be recognized by the ICPI,” she notes. “There’s an extra level of credibility and support there.” Local contractor Mike Walters, owner of First Impressions Hardscapes in Sandy Spring, MD, installed permeable pavers on about 30 residential properties as part of the RainScapes program. In total, he’s done close to 300 projects with permeable pavers in the county. He shares Ms. English’s opinion that permeable pavers provide several benefits that would be challenging to replicate with other pervious or porous paving materials. “The pavers are aesthetically pleasing, but what’s genius is the system below them,” he says. “That’s driving demand, because people are looking for new ways to handle water problems on their property, and using a permeable paver system dramatically cuts down on water runoff.” Mr. Walters installed a permeable paver system on his own driveway and uses the captured rainwater to water his lawn. As an advocate of better stormwater management, Walters believes the RainScapes program could be a boon for any community, city or county as most have too much stormwater runoff. “The program is awesome, there’s great incentive for people to invest in a greener alternative here, and you’re getting an attractive product at a better cost,” he says. “In this situation, everybody wins.” 

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SUMMER 2014

CONTRACTOR focus

By Andrew Conner

Investing in Efficiency AN EXPERIENCED CONTRACTOR EXPLAINS WHY WORKING EFFICIENTLY IS KEY TO SUCCESS IN THE LONG RUN

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Bill Gardocki, owner of Interstate Landscape Company in Londonderry, New Hampshire, brings his 40 years in the landscape business and over 10 years of ICPI and NCMA teaching experience to this year’s Hardscape North America show in two classes covering efficiency. A hands-on class, Tools for Paver Installation Efficiency, covers efficient paver installation, while an indoor class, Increasing Efficiency on the Hardscape Jobsite, covers efficiency from the initial quote to job site preparation and on-site techniques. The classes offer information for contractors new to the business or experienced ones looking to learn more.

THE RIGHT TOOLS Mr. Gardocki’s hands-on class demonstrates the latest tools and techniques that expert paver installers use, from simple hand tools to big, complex vehicles. Using more efficient tools reduces labor costs and accelerates job completion without compromising quality. All of this creates more time for more projects and more income. Mr. Gardocki stresses this in his classes, as some contractors often are hesitant to buy new tools due to sticker shock. “I can’t tell you how many guys tell me that they can’t afford the extra $10,000 for a higher load-capacity skid steer,” says Mr. Gardocki. With their lower load-capacity machine, they have to remove two or three layers of pavers from each pallet to be able to lift and move each around the job site. So I get them thinking about the two or three layers of pavers they removed from every single pallet and extrapolate that out to how many times a year that’s done, and the total amount of time spent. Beside this, I ask them to consider all the little things they think don’t waste time—they think it’s just a part of what they do—and then add up all that time they waste by using inefficient equipment. They think, ‘it takes just five minutes longer,’ but they’re doing it hundreds of times a week and thousands of times a year. It adds up to wasted time and money.” Mr. Gardocki still remembers coming home from an ICPI class he took 17 years ago and throwing away all of his compaction equipment and completely changing the way his company worked, because it was inefficient. “It was an instant change in our business,”

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“

I always tell my guys: ‘If you see something that’s going to make your job easier and less stressful on your body, let me know.’ I’ve invested a lot in my foremen and I want them to stay healthy as long as possible. —Bill Gardocki, Owner, Interstate Landscape Company

he says. “We were able to extend our warranties. Most guys will offer a one-year, maybe two-year warranty, when you should easily be offering upwards of a five-year warranty.” “Compaction equipment is probably the most important equipment in this industry and guys just don’t look at it as an investment for better compaction and warranty sales, they look at it only as a necessity,” he says. “In my classes, I try to show them how the compaction equipment pays for itself very quickly over time, more quickly than any other piece of equipment in our industry.” Mr. Gardocki sees HNA as a great way to find out about new tools that could help make your business more efficient. That’s why he brings some of his employees there to investigate new tools and techniques. “I always tell my guys: ‘If you see something that’s going to make your job easier and less stressful on your body, let me know,’” he says. “Because I’ve invested a lot in my foremen and I want them to stay healthy as long as possible.” A SOLID PLAN While planning is hugely important for efficient, successful contractors, Mr. Gardocki understands why it is often one of the more overlooked aspects of the business. “Let’s face it, most contractors have never taken a class in business,” he says. “The last thing they want to do is come home at night and sit down and plan things out for the next day, but that’s the way it really needs to be done.” Although planning may not be the most desirable activity for con-

The Pave-Mor suction tool system is used to install concrete slabs for a 500-sf patio in Tyngsboro, MA. Using this system and with one man feeding the slabs, the installation took just over 2 hours.

tractors, Mr. Gardocki emphasizes just how important it is by pointing to a statistic from a book by Charles Vander Kooi that reads, “One hour of planning saves eight hours in the field.” For contractors looking to save money, Mr. Gardocki says the first thing they should look into is more focused planning. He ascribes much of his own success to his ability to plan well. “In my town we’ve been by far the longest running landscape business. It’s not because we’re any better at installation than anyone else—it’s because we’re better at running the office than anyone else,” he says. Mr. Gardocki explains that finishing a job with a healthy profit margin requires careful planning. In his business, he bids jobs based on the hours they take to complete, rather than on square footage or another measurement. To do this, he divides tasks his employees do into 18 labor functions, which he can then benchmark against previous jobs to come up with the right bid. “You need to track [this data] so that in the future you’re bidding accurately and understanding how long it’s taking your crews to do certain tasks,” he says. “The record-keeping really pays off in the long run because you may be bidding too high based on tasks that aren’t taking you as long as you think. All the guys I know that are very successful track their hours.” While some contractors will bid on contracts using square foot pricing as their basis—as opposed to tracking labor hours— Mr. Gardocki says this is a mistake because no two sites are the same.

“There’s no situation where it’s better to do it by square foot,” he says. “One key thing for us is access to the site. You could have two houses right next to each other that both want a 400-square-foot patio, but if one has a fence around the whole backyard and you have to take down the fence and drive across a beautiful lawn and rehab the lawn, the job will cost more. It’s impossible to charge by the square foot and understand whether you’re making any money or not.” Keeping records of your jobs is helpful for all contractors, but Mr. Gardocki says it’s especially important for people who are new to the trade. “For the new guys, they have to know and understand that one crew might not be as quick and efficient as another crew,” he says. “So it really comes down to their foremen and understanding the strengths and weaknesses of their foremen. Can their foreman handle three guys and be really efficient or is he the kind of guy that can only handle one other guy with him? It’s all in the record-keeping and as long as you’re keeping track, it makes [answering those questions] much, much easier.” 

GET EFFICIENT To learn more about Bill Gardocki’s classes at 2014 HNA show and to register, visit www.hardscapena.com.



2014 Oct. 21 Louisville, KY

■ Concrete Paver Installer Course

■ Advanced Residential Paver Course

■ Commercial Paver Technician Course

Oct. 22 Louisville, KY

■ PICP Specialist Course

■ HNA 2014 Distributor and Dealer Program

Oct. 23 Louisville, KY

■ Hardscape Contractor Executive Workshop

Oct. 23-24 Louisville, KY

■ Hardscape North America Tradeshow with Conference Sessions and Live Hardscape Demonstrations

ADVERTISERS IN THIS ISSUE

SUMMER 2014

the MAIN events Advanced Pavement Technology Alliance Designer Products BP Pro Columbia Machine County Materials Dupont Ewing Irrigation Hardscape North America Hess Machinery Kobra Molds Pave Tech Rampf Molds Sek, Inc. Techniseal

11 12,13 Inside Front Cover 5 6 Inside Back Cover 7 24 18 1 Back Cover 17 23 19

ICPI WEBINARS

November 6, 2014 Safety on the Hardscape Jobsite: Protecting Installation Crews from the Dangers of Silica Dust November 18, 2014 Advanced Selling Skills

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December 11, 2014 PICP Maintenance

March 26, 2015 Interlocking Concrete Pavement and Sustainability Rating Systems

December 18, 2014 Constructing Concrete Paver Overlays

April 28, 2015 Structural Design of Streets Using Interlocking Concrete Pavement

January 15, 2015 Benefits and Limitations of Bituminous Set Pavers

May 7, 2015 Stormwater Calculator Demonstration

January 22, 2015 Comparing PICP to Other Infiltration Pavement Systems 2013 HNA Installer Champions: Decorative Paving Company of Loveland, Ohio.

March 3, 2015 Inspection of Permeable Interlocking Concrete Pavement

Looking for attractive and durable concrete paver solutions for your project? ICPI Member Concrete Paver Manufacturers and Contractors offer a variety of shapes, sizes, colors and patterns to meet your project needs!

Bring your HArDSCAPES to lifE WitH DuPont ™ PAvEr Armor Pro™

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architecture students & educators with a flexible, living and

• go to www.icpi.org • select “Manufacturer” on the “Find a Product/Service” box • click search

robust curriculum on segmental concrete pavements. Copyright © 2014 DuPont. All rights reserved. The DuPont Oval Logo, DuPont® and Paver Armor Pro™ are trademarks or registered trademarks of E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company or its affiliates.

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