Redesigned Product for a Redevelopment Project
The Horsham Business Park District allows for mixed-use development via a zoning overlay. This overlay recently allowed for a redevelopment project at 200 Witmer Road. For the project, T&M Associates served as the land development engineer. The project entailed the removal of a commercial office building centered around a new 256-unit residential complex and a 400-space parking lot. The site’s need to meet current stormwater management regulations presented the challenge of maximizing development space while incorporating new facilities.
To meet the new regulations, the design incorporated best management practices (BMPs). These BMPs included some pervious pavement parking stalls and intermixed rain gardens to provide further stormwater treatment. Finally, a subsurface stormwater storage system provided rate control. For the subsurface system, T&M Associates specified Brentwood Industries’ StormTank Module.
During the bidding phase, the resulting design was over cost. The initial specification was for the Module 25 Series. As with most over cost projects, the question of whether to pursue other manufacturers arose. Instead, Brentwood offered a new alternative product. Released in early 2020, the Module 20 Series became an instant solution to reduce project costs.
Brentwood has a history of creating multi-industry leading products. This includes the Module 25 Series, which features a full-factored HS-25 load rating. This load rating exceeded the strength required for many everyday applications. With the Module 20 Series, Brentwood leveraged their plastics expertise to deliver a second solution designed to help project professionals lower costs while still meeting site-specific requirements.
The Module 20 Series has a fully-factored HS-20 load support. It optimizes the layout of its structural members, reaping material cost savings around 15%. It also boasts quicker assembly and installation times. The time reduction comes from two areas: the roughly 30% larger footprint per unit and the relocation of support columns to the perimeter of the product.
This substitution provided the developer with the savings needed to complete the project. The engineer supported the use of a HS-20 product in the parking lot, and the construction team appreciated the reduced installation costs and time.