The pre-installation meeting is one of the most important — and free! — services offered by DeepRoot. They provide an opportunity for a DeepRoot representative to meet with installing contractors prior to the start of their Silva Cell installations to help ensure that they’re comfortable with the installation process. What are the details of these… More
Do you need to have prior Silva Cell experience to install the system? No! Our Standard Specifications call for Silva Cells to be installed by a “qualified installer whose work has resulted in successful installation of planting soils and planter drainage systems, underground piping, chambers, and vault structures.” In other words, contractors can meet these… More
At DeepRoot, we’re very comfortable in the cold – in fact, Minneapolis is the home base for our technical and marketing teams (with even more hardworking DeepRooters spread across the Canadian landscape). This is equally true of our Silva Cells, which have been supporting urban forests and treating stormwater in some of the world’s coldest… More
Introduction How do we build functional, sustainable urban communities? This is an increasingly critical question as the proportion of global population tilts more and more to city living. Urban density is an unignorable component in the equation — but not all density is created equal. Successful, eco-friendly city space can be dense; indeed, in some… More
Introduction Green infrastructure has become a widely adopted component of stormwater treatment initiatives across the globe — but can GI be integrated even in the tightest-space built environments, where numerous priorities are competing for the same area? Yes! With a little creative design and the right strategic partners, GI can be utilized in just about… More
Introduction A red maple tree rises forty feet above the park across the street from my Minneapolis house, a centerpiece around which the children play in its ubiquitous shade. For decades it’s been anchoring the neighborhood’s busiest intersection, its flourishing canopy providing coverage for both the grassy park and its adjacent streets. Few would argue… More
There are many factors that contribute to the failure of urban trees, and many are related to soil issues, such as lack of viable soil, soil volume, and compaction. For my entire career, Landscape Architects have been working with Soil Scientists, Engineers, and Arborists to design urban tree planting techniques to meet specific horticultural, structural,… More
Introduction What are the benefits of city trees? One of the first (and most reasonable) responses is that they have a positive environmental impact: not only do mature trees sequester atmospheric carbon, but they improve air quality and assist in stormwater treatment. Trees likewise have an important economic influence, reducing energy usage by providing natural… More
Introduction As the sun blazes on another hot summer day, the thermometer on the east side of town is likely to display the same number as its counterpart three miles west — but this doesn’t tell the whole story. The way we experience heat, particularly in developed urban areas, is influenced by a number of… More
Introduction The space constraints of dense city environments present a challenge for project planners implementing an urban forestry element. There are, however, a number of solutions to help improve conditions for healthy tree growth. The Silva Cells are one such choice, a suspended-pavement system allowing for maximum soil volume. Another option is structural soil —… More
Silva Cells and On-Structure Installations The DeepRoot Silva Cell system has been installed in dozens of rooftop and on-structure projects around the world. Whether on top of existing structures — such as parking garages — or a garden terrace atop a new construction project, Silva Cells can help create structure as well as bioretention for… More
We get asked to compare Silva Cells to CU Soil with some frequency. It’s a comparison that we always hesitate to make, because to us it’s really a case of apples and oranges. While they may seem to be solutions to the same challenges, there are some very significant differences that affect their value and performance for tree growth… More
Soil. Stormwater. Sustainable Infrastructure.
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