Light rail developers in Utah are cutting costs and timelines with a new and unlikely track base: foam.
"It looks like the construction workers are stacking giant LEGO blocks, but it is actually the base of what will be a bridge for the West Valley light-rail line."
"Terry Meier, with ACH Foam Technologies, says the giant foam blocks might be lightweight, but they can hold a lot of weight. 'The density they're using on this project will withstand over a thousand pounds per square foot. So, that's a tremendous amount of weight. Much stronger than people would realize,' he said."
"Plus the lightweight fill and stabilizer saves money in project time. Dirt and other types of fill can take too long to settle. 'It takes months to get the settlement out,' said UTA Project Manager Jim Webb. 'So it helps to use Geofoam.'"
Thanks to Reconnecting America
FULL STORY: Foam blocks helping UTA save time and money
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
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City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research