Today’s post from monthly guest author Ellyn Shea is about a truly important, but often overlooked, issue: protecting existing trees during construction. I’m a sucker for success stories, and this is a great one. -LM Every time we lose a mature tree, we lose those benefits. A young replacement tree takes up to 30 years… More
Our recent Silva Cell installation at Rodney Square in Wilmington, DE is an excellent example of how Cells can be installed on a site without access from the sides.
We previously took a look at how to do an emergency utility repair where a Silva Cell system is installed. Today we’ll look at how to do a planned repair. Broadway Avenue, in Winnipeg, which went in the ground in July 2007, was one of our first Silva Cell installations. Several years later, they had a planned… More
Today we’ll look at how to do an emergency repair of a Silva Cell system. This simulated repair was done at a demonstration site in Toronto and was a joint test site between Toronto Water and the City. First, a water pipe was installed. A hole was cut in to the pipe. Once the water was… More
The Silva Cell works with all types of paving. During a recent webinar, one participant asked if settlement is a concern in areas where unit pavers have been installed continuously over both Silva Cells and the adjacent soil subgrade. Good question.
Man. The day is finally here. The Silva Cell installation guidelines are now available on our YouTube channel.
As an urban trees and soils consultant, I am always looking for studies that examine how trees survive and adapt to the built environment. One of the biggest questions and confusions I encounter is the issue of whether organic matter (something that I discussed in a previous post) needs to be added to urban… More
The Silva Cell product is designed for use in the urban environment, so integrating Silva Cells and underground utilities is an important topic to us. In a previous post we discussed basic design strategies and construction methods for integrating Silva Cells and utilities. The next question we’re most often asked usually starts something like this:… More
In my experience, conversations about utilities usually put everyone a little bit on edge. And once we start talking to folks about sticking a product like the Silva Cell underneath the sidewalks where their utilities run, some people would love to stop the conversation altogether. But using the Silva Cell in areas with utilities isn’t… More
The Silva Cell system was developed with the goal of improving the urban environment by providing a means for trees to have access to the soil volumes they need to thrive, and by which stormwater can be absorbed back into the ground. At issue with integrating green infrastructure and products such as Silva Cells into… More
By Patrick Greeley Now that we’ve seen about 200 Silva Cell projects go in the ground, we’ve learned a thing or two about different ways to go about making these installations a success. Last week we discussed using concrete screws for on-structure sites. Today, we take a look at other innovative ideas we’ve seen along the way.
Click here for a general overview of the factors that influence how deep tree roots grow. Or, continue reading below to dig in to the science a bit deeper. By James Urban, FASLA Here’s an objection we face a lot when working on Silva Cell projects: “Tree roots don’t grow more than 24″ (65 cm)… More
Soil. Stormwater. Sustainable Infrastructure.
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