AirDrain Drainage and Shock Pad Rooftop Athletic Field and Parking Complex
What drains better than air !
MSOE breaks ground on rooftop athletic field and parking complex
Milwaukee School of Engineering began construction of a rooftop athletic field and parking complex in the vacant Park East area adjacent to campus. On March 20, the university completed its purchase of land at the northwest corner of Broadway and Knapp St., immediately north of the Kern Center.
An official groundbreaking ceremony was held May 4, 2012.
The rooftop athletic field will be constructed on top of an in-ground, 780-car parking facility. A small, ground-level public park will be developed and maintained by MSOE. The rooftop athletic field will be used for collegiate soccer and lacrosse and youth sports. As an extension of the Kern Center, it further supports MSOE’s commitment to student wellness and development as a whole person.
This project not only benefits MSOE, but also provides an important catalyst for additional development in the Park East. It will create an attractive green space in the Park East and provide much-needed parking, both of which will prove beneficial for other commercial development.
The $30 million project will have a significant impact on the Park East Corridor, as the first major development of its kind in the area. The development is largely supported with a very generous donation from Drs. Robert and Patricia Kern. Uihlein-Wilson Architects are the project developers.
Installation of the AirDrain for Synthetic Turf completed by F.J.A. Christiansen Roofing Co., Inc. a founding member of Tecta America a nationwide roofing company. See an Article about the MSoE Project.
Airfield Systems AirDrain 100% recycled synthetic drainage cell was chosen to meet the drainage and ecological needs of the synthetic turf project, allowing synthetic turf replacement many times over the useful life of the AirDrain layer. A 92% open space, 1 inch profile with a 233 psi rating the AirDrain is tops in the industry.
Synthetic Turf Rooftop
An AirField Systems AirDrain grid creates a GMAX that is consistent across the entire field. Some factors that might influence a change in GMAX would be an inconsistency of the infill or wear of the synthetic turf fibers. Unlike traditional shock pads or e-layers the AirField Systems AirDrain grid is 1″ high, extremely light weight at 3.1 lbs per 7 sqft., 233 psi (unfilled) and has a 92% air void. This unmatched vertical and lateral drainage all but eliminates standing water and moisture trapped on the rooftop.
Benefits of AirField in a green roofing system include:
AirDrain creates and helps maintain a constant Gmax for Synthetic Turf
Shock absorption reduces the strain on joints and ligaments
AirDrain can be reused when the Synthetic Turf must be replaced
Can help qualify for LEED and other green building credits
A smaller carbon and development footprint with reduced site disturbance
Water harvesting reclamation and reuse is possible
AirDrain is a 100% recycled copolymer with the impact modifier “metallocene” qualifying it as a “No Break” plastic
Resins can be made to the following specification “Flammability UL 94, 30% Fiberglass Reinforced, High Impact, Flame Retardant Polypropylene Copolymer Resins”