Posted by Roger Murphy on Mon, Feb 20, 2012 @ 09:32 AM
Porphyry paving is seen in some of the most romantic places. A recent blog by Kaid Benfield showcases these magical romantic urban settings around the world. What is common to all of these is that they contain stone to walk on. Why is it that when a place, a setting, stirs you and wants you to stroll, sit and watch, and share the experience, that it will be upon stone. Stone is an emotion evoking material and the material of memories. In a highly visual post for the romantic urbanists of the world, Benfield suggests some walkable places where you might want to celebrate Valentine's Day with someone special.
Benfield discusses the qualities that make for a romantic place, and he focuses on walkability. In an extensive gallery of images, Benfield spreads the love to some of his photographer friends.
If you had the good fortune to be in one of these special places on this recent Valentines Day, congratulations. If you did not, there is almost a year to make your plans for 2013.
Click below to read his blog.
http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/kbenfield/a_gallery_of_walkability_part.html
Kaid Benfield writes (almost) daily about community, development, and the environment. Kaid is with the National Resource Defense Council. The staff blog is called Switchboard. For more posts, see his blog's home page Photo Credit - La Citta Vita
Porphyry's composition determines its high compression strength, resistance to stains, slip resistance, and high freeze/thaw ratings. The stone is the most popular paver in Europe, and is favored for its flexibility in design, beauty, durability and low maintenance requirements. ADA Compliant Porphyry pavers are also adaptable to a permeable paving set. The stone is by far one of the most durable pavers in the world. These materials are available from Milestone Imports. - www.milestoneimports.com
Posted by Roger Murphy on Thu, Feb 16, 2012 @ 04:27 PM
The Stone Notebooks
Stone, including Porphyry, has long been favored for public space because of its feeling of grandeur and beauty. Both traditional and contemporary designs benefit from natural stone. From the Not for Profit association, Pierres et Marbres de Wallonia is an exceptional 20 page design booklet of examples of the use of stone in public spaces. These are the urban parks and squares that are so special they are woven into the identity of the city. Old fashion social media.
THE STONES AND MARBLES OF WALLONIA
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The PIERRES ET MARBRES DE WALLONIE association provides information about stone and its applications to the general public, architects, contractors and public authorities. The promotion platform for natural Belgian stone recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. The association’s target public remains architects, businesses and public services, but also private individuals who have access to quality information on stone and its applications, both in old buildings and in more contemporary constructions.
The quarrying of ornamental rock remains one of Wallonia’s main economic activities. Frequently called upon for questions of identification or the selection of stones for restoration works or construction projects, it is often involved in teaching programs and training initiatives. The association also collaborates with official bodies, developing reference documents, standards, technical approvals etc. The association’s main role is the overall coordination of activities for the promotion of ornamental stone both in Belgium and abroad.
Those activities include the publication of works and brochures, the organization of events, exhibitions and conferences and participation in national and international trade fairs.
Wallonia
Wallonia is the predominantly French speaking southern region of Belgium. It is governed as the Walloon Region, which makes up 55% of the territory of Belgium but with only a third of its population.
Porphyry paving stones, shown on the pages of this design booklet are no longer produced in Belgium. For the North American marketplace, Porphyry paving stones in many sizes and colors are available from Milestone imports. www.milestoneimports.com
The quarrying of Porphyry in the Walloon area goes back to the 16th century. In 1844 M Zaman purchased the best quarries and in 1864 he grouped the seven quarries into one society, the SA Carrières Unis de Porphyre de Quenast. Today the quarry has become an immense operation, in area and depth one of the largest quarries in Europe with an annual capacity of 2 million metric tons but at the moment averaging about 1.6 million metric tons a year.
Originally, because of its durability, the Porphyry was used for the production of cobble stones for roads, one can still see them in many old roads in Belgium and France (the annual speed cycling event Paris-Roubaix is an epic event due to the many strips of cobble stones (Pavés or Kasseien) that are very hard physically on the athlete but also ruin many bikes)
Nowadays the main product is gravel for projects where hardness, durability and resistance of the gravel is of great importance.
Porphyry from the area has been used for instance in the huge Delta Works in Holland, in the "Chunnel" (the tunnel under the channel linking France to the United Kingdom) and for the high-speed TGV tracks (they exclusively use Porphyry)
Porphyry's composition determines its high compression strength, resistance to stains, slip resistance, and high freeze/thaw ratings. The stone is the most popular paver in Europe, and is favored for its flexibility in design, beauty, durability and low maintenance requirements. ADA Compliant Porphyry pavers are also adaptable to a permeable paving set. The stone is by far one of the most durable pavers in the world. These materials are available from Milestone Imports. - www.milestoneimports.com
Posted by Roger Murphy on Mon, Feb 06, 2012 @ 11:12 AM
Landscape Architecture firms are recognized for their designs of public spaces, and privately operated parks (POP). The use of stone is prevalent due to its unique ability to convey beauty, permanence and sustainability. Porphyry can be useful in all of these designs. Here are winners and updates on shortlisted design competitions.
St. Petersburg
As The Architect’s Newspaper reported, Michael Maltzan Architecture has won an international competition to redesign St. Petersburg, Florida’s iconic pier. The firm with “The Lens,” a project composed of a group of interconnected bridges and pathways arranged along a figure eight plan. The project will frame the city through its sweeping, looped structure, connect downtown St. Petersburg and its waterfront, and create several new recreational opportunities, including the chance for visitors to get much closer to the water than they had in the past.
“We saw this as an unusual, once-in-a-lifetime sort of thing,” said Raul Quintana, city architect for the City ofSt. Petersburg. “It’s something that cities the size of St. Petersburg don’t normally do. It’s very risky and forward thinking.”
A jury of three design experts (including San Francisco architect Stanley Saitowitz) and two local officials selected Maltzan’s concept after studying the entries for more than a month. The competition began in June with 30 registered teams and was narrowed down to three at the end of last year. The project will also include a new tidal reef, a civic green, raised walking paths, an amphitheater, a water park and other leisure activities. “It’s not a traditional architecture project. It’s not a tradition landscape project. It’s really a hybrid,” said Maltzan, echoing what has been said about others in a new generation of urban-scaled projects, like New York’s High Line. Maltzan is also on a team that is shortlisted in the current National Mall Design Competition.
New York City
A design called “Infinite Forest” that calls for a grove of trees reflected infinitely by 12-foot-long mirrors was selected for New York’s first large-scale AIDS memorial. The winning proposal, from Studio a+i, ( http://studioai.com/ ) a Brooklyn, N.Y. architecture firm, beat out 474 other entries in the AIDS Memorial Park competition. Hosted by Architectural Record, Architizer, and the AIDS Memorial Park organization, the competition challenged designers and non-designers to create a park for an unused triangular lot in Manhattan’s West Village neighborhood.
Rudin Management, the owner of the park in NYC's West Village at the center of a design competition for an AIDS Memorial, rejected the design just hours after it was announced. Rudin Management, which won City Planning Commission approval on Jan. 23 for its plans for the former St. Vincent's Hospital site, said it will work with the AIDS Memorial Park coalition, Community Board 2 and locals on plans for the park, but that its current design by landscape architect Rick Parisi (M. Paul Friedberg and Partners) will provide its basis. Rick Parisi has designed parks, plazas, waterfronts, and educational, health and recreational facilities in his 22 years of practice. He is now leading the design team on “The Yards” Southeast Federal Center in Washington, D.C.
Existing Rick Parisi Design
Rudin CEO and vice chairman Bill Rudin said in a statement. "We stand ready to continue our work with all stakeholders to determine how best to realize these memorial elements as part of the approved park design in a timely manner,” he said.
Chicago
Updating the activities of the shortlisted teams for the Navy Pier Design Competition, starting February 1, 2012, the five design teams selected to redesign the outdoor spaces of Chicago’s Navy Pier will begin to reveal their schemes to the public. Lead by AECOM, Aedas Architects, James Corner Field Operations, !melk and the Xavier Vendrell Studio, each team will be given thirty minutes to present their ideas, followed by a ten minute question and answer session.
The process began with 52 design teams and is down to five. The presentation process is open to the public. Officials hope to have a winner chosen by late February or early March.
Austin,Texas
The Waller Creek Conservancy has narrowed down the Waller Creek design competition pool to nine. Waller Creek Flows from North of the University of Texas, past the state Capitol, through the downtown Music District and into Lady Bird Johnson Lake on the Colorado River. The organization had received 31 submissions from design teams around the world interested in designing Waller Creek. Three Austin companies are among the design teams selected — Miró Rivera Architects, who partnered with Spanish firm Burgos & Garrido Arquitectos Asociados; architectural and engineering design practice PageSoutherlandPage, who teamed up with New York-based landscape architecture and urban design firm !melk; and Ten Eyck Landscape Architects, which has offices in Austin and Phoenix, along with New York-based Workshop: Ken Smith Landscape Architect and Rogers Marvel Architects.
Other design teams selected by a jury of five design experts to continue on to the next stage of the competition are:
•San Antonio-basedLake| Flato Architects and Chinese design company Turenscape;
•San Francisco-based landscape architecture firm CMG and nonprofit organization Public Architecture;
•New York-based landscape architecture and urban-design firm James Corner Field Operations and ShoP Architects;
•Denver-based urban design firm Civitas and the Bjarke Ingels Group’sNew York Cityoffice;
•Boston-based Stoss Landscape Urbanism and Canadian architectural design firm Saucier & Perrotte;
•New York-based landscape architecture firm Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates and Thomas Phifer and Partners.
Porphyry's composition determines its high compression strength, resistance to stains, slip resistance, and high freeze/thaw ratings. The stone is the most popular paver in Europe, and is favored for its flexibility in design, beauty, durability and low maintenance requirements. ADA Compliant Porphyry pavers are also adaptable to a permeable paving set. The stone is by far one of the most durable pavers in the world. These materials are available from Milestone Imports. - www.milestoneimports.com
Posted by Roger Murphy on Mon, Jan 30, 2012 @ 12:25 PM
As we look at the timeless designs on the pages of this 2008 book, we can imagine the various uses of Porphyry paving stones. As the preeminent landscape architecture firm in the United States, Olin has been at the forefront of developing new urban outdoor space and reconfiguring existing designs. This book highlights their completed projects across the country and in Europe.
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Cover image courtesy OLIN
From Random House
“Well-known for the restorations of Bryant Park behind the New York Public Library and the landscape of the Washington Monument, Olin is also recognized for the dramatic transformation of a derelict, brownfield site into the vibrant Canary Wharf, now the financial center for all Europe, and for the landscape design of the J. Paul Getty Center in Los Angeles and Columbus Circle in New York. The firm has also designed sculpture gardens for the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and the Toledo Museum of Art in Toledo, Ohio.
In dialogues with noted colleagues and collaborators, each of the partners articulates a personal vision and philosophy of landscape and design. Laurie Olin, founding partner, speaks with the poet Michael Palmer, while Susan Weiler reflects on her collaboration with artist Jenny Holzer. Other dialogue participants are Kim Tripp, former director of the New York Botanical Garden; Niall Kirkwood, chair of the landscape architecture department at Harvard; Sean Timmons, founder of Simmons Design Engineering; and Charles Waldheim, a leading proponent of landscape urbanism. Taken together, these conversations provide a unique window into the creative process.”
About OLIN
“OLIN is dedicated to affecting positive change through landscape architecture, urban design and planning. We are advocates for the artful creation and transformation of the public realm, and practice in a range of scales, including ecological and regional systems, urban districts, campuses, civic parks, plazas, and intimate gardens.
From our studios in Philadelphia and Los Angeles, OLIN crafts timeless spaces that promote social interaction and enhance life. We successfully realize projects locally and internationally, each one reflecting its unique context. Through rigorous research, analysis and a dynamic design process, OLIN incorporates the intrinsic qualities of a site to generate a landscape that is embraced by its community. Sustainability is a central tenet of our holistic approach, uniting natural processes with technical innovation to produce contemporary and beautiful places.”
Available from AMAZON
Porphyry's composition determines its high compression strength, resistance to stains, slip resistance, and high freeze/thaw ratings. The stone is the most popular paver in Europe, and is favored for its flexibility in design, beauty, durability and low maintenance requirements. ADA Compliant Porphyry pavers are also adaptable to a permeable paving set. The stone is by far one of the most durable pavers in the world. These materials are available from Milestone Imports. - www.milestoneimports.com
Posted by Roger Murphy on Mon, Jan 23, 2012 @ 10:28 AM
In the new proposed rating system for landscaped sites, Porphyry rates high as a wise material to select for increased ranking. The Sustainable Sites Initiative aims for landscape-specific standards and designs, practices that help to preserve and restore ecosystems.
What is a sustainable site?
A “site” is a built landscape that encompasses all land in a designated space. Like green buildings, sustainable sites use less energy, water and natural resources; generate less waste; and minimize the impact on the land compared to traditional design, construction and maintenance techniques. Unlike buildings, sustainable sites can even give back by cleaning the air and water, reversing climate change, restoring habitat and biodiversity – all while providing significant social and economic benefits as well to the immediate site and surrounding region.
Box Gallery Site by Avant Gardens
From ASLA
“The Sustainable Sites Initiative™ (SITES™) is an interdisciplinary partnership led by the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at The University of Texas at Austin and the United States Botanic Garden to transform land development and management practices through the nation’s first voluntary guidelines and rating system for sustainable landscapes, with or without buildings. The guidelines and rating system represent four years of work by dozens of the country’s leading sustainability experts, scientists, and design professionals and incorporate public input from hundreds of individuals and dozens of organizations to create this essential missing link in green design.
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System - guidelines and standards for sustainable building - gives builders bragging rights. But no comparable standards exist for sustainable landscapes: city parks, transportation rights of way, industrial and office parks, residential and commercial landscapes, business, medical and academic campuses. These guidelines—The Sustainable Sites Initiative:Guidelines and Performance Benchmarks 2009—acknowledge that different regions of the country will have different requirements and therefore include performance levels appropriate to each region as needed.
It's relatively easy to quantify the sustainability of commercial buildings thanks to the U.S Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, which has been giving its seal of approval since 1998. Up until now, landscapes have lacked a similar rating system. The Sustainable Sites Initiative, a so-called 'LEED for Landscapes' designed by the American Society of Landscape Architects, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, and the U.S. Botanic Garden, aims to change that.”
Sustainable practices in materials:
In the important selection of materials, Porphyry natural stone pavers score high in these catagories:
- Products that do not contain known or probable carcinogens, reproductive or developmental toxicants.
- Design for deconstruction, also called Design for Disassembly, is the design of buildings or products to facilitate future change and the eventual dismantlement (in part or whole) for recovery of systems, components, and materials.
- Reuse is a process of utilizing a used product or material in a manner that generally retains its original form and identity with minor refurbishments. Materials reusable in whole form might include sand-set pavers, segmental retaining walls, (e.g., avoidance of adhesives and mortar).
Additional Key Material Selection Criteria:
Consider the full life cycle of materials
Consider the environmental and health effects of a product, from the raw material extraction phase all the way through the end of the product life. Select products that are less damaging throughout their life cycle, especially those that can be recycled or deconstructed and reused rather than disposed of in a landfill.
Work towards zero net waste
During the construction and demolition, look for materials that can be reused or recycled, both on-site and at other nearby sites. Continue looking for options to reduce waste throughout the life of the site, by mulching and composting landscape trimmings and offering collection spots for recyclable materials and compostable food waste.
Reduce air pollution
To reduce harmful health effects associated with air pollution, select paints, sealants, adhesives, coatings, and other products used in site development that contain reduced amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs contribute to forming ground-level ozone, which is the primary component of smog.
Sustainable Sites Initiative
Go to the link below to find PDF Downloads of all reports, Guidelines and benchmarks
http://www.sustainablesites.org/report/
Porphyry require less energy and water in its produciton process than concrete, asphalt, granite, brick, and many other paving materials. The production process maximizes the use of the raw material. Its durability, and history of recycling and reuse make it an excellent choice in sustainable projects.
Porphyry's composition determines its high compression strength, resistance to stains, slip resistance, and high freeze/thaw ratings. The stone is the most popular paver in Europe, and is favored for its flexibility in design, beauty, durability and low maintenance requirements. ADA Compliant Porphyry pavers are also adaptable to a permeable paving set. The stone is by far one of the most durable pavers in the world. These materials are available from Milestone Imports. - www.milestoneimports.com
Posted by Roger Murphy on Mon, Jan 16, 2012 @ 01:29 PM
Stone Streets Research – Updated
Porphyry stone paved streets, along with other stones are the subject of amazing research in documenting old world techniques for laying this material that had previously only been an oral tradition, now based on engineering guidelines.
Due to previous interest in the stone paving guidelines from the Society of Chief Officers in Transportation in Scotland (SCOTS) we have sought out additional research and updated companion material to the SCOTS - NATURAL STONE SURFACING, Good Practice Guide, 2nd Edition, December 2004
You will want to download this further research and companion documents to add to your library of this important material.
Examples:
- Further Research - An evaluation of the technical, economic, and aesthetic performance of a selection of completed natural stone streetscape projects around the country (Scotland)
- Development of a robust Whole Life Cost Model for natural stone streetscapes.
- A review of street-cleansing practice around Scotland and how those practices impact the quality and durability of natural stone streetscapes.
The six new sections will round out and enhance the original document. If you did not have an opportunity to get the original guide, the download site can provide this document as well.
Porphyry's composition determines its high compression strength, resistance to stains, slip resistance, and high freeze/thaw ratings. The stone is the most popular paver in Europe, and is favored for its flexibility in design, beauty, durability and low maintenance requirements. ADA Compliant Porphyry pavers are also adaptable to a permeable paving set. The stone is by far one of the most durable pavers in the world. These materials are available from Milestone Imports. - www.milestoneimports.com
Posted by Roger Murphy on Mon, Jan 09, 2012 @ 10:29 AM
Porphyry is the surface of choice in the famous Hidalgo Plaza. Stone, which has been associated with public spaces forever, has been used to create timeless spaces while meeting the requirements of beauty and permanence in design.
The Project for Public Spaces lists Plaza Hidalgo as one of the “Worlds 10 Best Squares”
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Copper Mountain Porphyry surrounds the Fountain in Hidalgo Square
“This square is an important center of community life in the Coyoacán neighborhood of Mexico City. (Coyoacán refers to one of the sixteen boroughs (delegaciones) of the Federal District of Mexico City as well as the former village which is now the borough’s historic center.) A neighboring church, Iglesia San Juan Bautista, is an oft-visited site for both residents and tourists, but the park is the real glue that holds the area together. Although the design consists of a formal set of linear paths, Plaza Hidalgo functions quite flexibly, allowing visitors to circulate freely between different sections. On a typical day, one side of the plaza throngs with people at market stalls; vendors at another spot draw people with their fresh lemonades and ices; in still another area, they congregate around benches and a small fountain under the shade of trees. These artfully placed amenities act as focal points, which create activity throughout the plaza. Rather than dictating where people can go, these linear paths act as connections between various destinations in the park. It is consistently active and we think it is one of the finest destinations anywhere in North America.”
Copper Mountain porphyry around statue base
Public Squares
With historical roots in cultures all over the world, the public square is being rediscovered as an effective tool for bringing people together. In cities and towns around the world, people are crying out for lively gathering places where civic life flourishes and different cultures mix. Public squares are important to cities’ social and economic future because they are where people experience their neighborhoods and each other. The benefits go far beyond just making better spaces for people:
About the Project for Public Spaces
Project for Public Spaces (PPS) is a nonprofit planning, design and educational organization dedicated to helping people create and sustain public spaces that build stronger communities. Our pioneering Placemaking approach helps citizens transform their public spaces into vital places that highlight local assets, spur rejuvenation and serve common needs.
Photo Credits: Coyote Fountain - Thelma Hatter, Hidalgo Statue - Alejandro Linares Garcia
Porphyry's composition determines its high compression strength, resistance to stains, slip resistance, and high freeze/thaw ratings. The stone is the most popular paver in Europe, and is favored for its flexibility in design, beauty, durability and low maintenance requirements. ADA Compliant Porphyry pavers are also adaptable to a permeable paving set. The stone is by far one of the most durable pavers in the world. These materials are available from Milestone Imports. - www.milestoneimports.com
Posted by Roger Murphy on Tue, Jan 03, 2012 @ 09:47 AM
With Porphyry in mind, there are opportunites with remnant pieces of our cities to create long lasting beauty for the benefit of our cities and their inhabitants.
How do urbanism, parks and infrastructure intersect? How does the need for a drainage canal and a freeway exit give us a chance to create something more? There can be a chance to leverage multiple legitimate purposes from the spending on infrastructure. More and more cities are starting to think about their infrastructure in this way, demanding more utility from the utilitarian structures that have for so long served solely their own specific roles. It’s a design concept increasingly explored by landscape architects, who’ve gradually embraced the idea as “landscape infrastructure.”
New Book from SWA
Landscape Infrastructure: Case Studies by SWA, edited by Gerdo Aquino and Ying-Yu Hung
“Summary:
INFRASTRUCTURE, as we know it, no longer belongs in the exclusive realm of engineers and transportation planners. In the context of our rapidly changing cities and towns, infrastructure is experiencing a paradigm shift where multiple-use programming and the integration of latent ecologies is a primary consideration. Defining contemporary infrastructure requires a multi-disciplinary team of landscape architects, engineers, architects and planners to fully realize the benefits to our cultural and natural systems. This book examines the potential of landscape as infrastructure via essays by notable authors and supporting case studies by SWA landscape architects and urban designers, among them the technologically innovative roof domes for Renzo Piano’s California Academy of Science in San Francisco, the restoration of the Buffalo Bayou in Houston, and several master plans for ecological corridors in China and Korea. Case studies are described extensively with technical diagrams and plans for repositioning infrastructure as a viable medium for addressing issues of ecology, transit, urbanism, performance and habitat.”
Image and Summary – courtesy SWA
This book is available at Amazon and other fine booksellers. Here is the direct link to the book on Amazon
Porphyry's composition determines its high compression strength, resistance to stains, slip resistance, and high freeze/thaw ratings. The stone is the most popular paver in Europe, and is favored for its flexibility in design, beauty, durability and low maintenance requirements. ADA Compliant Porphyry pavers are also adaptable to a permeable paving set. The stone is by far one of the most durable pavers in the world. These materials are available from Milestone Imports. - www.milestoneimports.com
Posted by Roger Murphy on Mon, Dec 26, 2011 @ 10:33 AM
The repair of Porphyry pavement is one of the benefits of using the stone. In this piece on repairing utility cuts we see there are some procedures to be followed, but when the repair is finished, there is no noticeable difference between the original and the repaired area, like there would be with asphalt or concrete.
Pavement Patch
In 2002, the Construction Practices Subcommittee of the American Public Works Association (APWA) was assigned to research available documents related to pavement degradation caused by utility cuts. A summary of the major findings of their literature review follows:
• Factors influencing the performance of a patch include the pavement material, soil conditions, climate, traffic and repair techniques. These roughly correlate with the same factors influencing the life of a new pavement.
• Poor construction techniques, such as rocking the jackhammer while cutting the boundary of the patch, can damage the area adjacent to the cut and further degrade the patch and surrounding pavement. Studies showed this zone of influence to be 1.5 to 6 feet beyond the patch.
• Pavement cut repairs made using quality materials and sound engineering and construction techniques tend to perform as well as the surrounding pavement.
• Poor performance of the patch tends to be a result of inadequate compaction of the materials, insufficient thickness of materials, poor quality of materials, and damage to the side of the cut.
• Most of the reports included a cost analysis associated with the cuts ranging from $2 per square yard to $540 per square yard.
• The estimated reduction in pavement life due to a utility cut was found to be from 20 to 56% of the original life of the pavement.
Dallas Street Repair Standards Manual
The drawing above is from the Dallas Street Repair Manual and includes variable thickness stone such as porphyry. The excerpt below is also from their document and details the critical need for particular attention to be paid to the base and sub-base in this type of repair.
“That portion of the backfill which lies more than 12 inches below and portion of any sidewalk, driveway, alley, or roadway or other pavement shall be compacted by mechanical compaction to a density of 95% of Standard Proctor density to minus 2% to plus 4% of optimum moisture of samples of the backfill material as determined by the ‘maximum density optimum moisture test’ as provided for in ASTM designation D698. If hand pneumatic tampers are used, the backfill shall be placed in layers not exceeding three (3) inches and thoroughly tamped in place.
In addition to the provisions above, the portion of the backfill which lies within 12 inches below any portion of any driveway or ‘improved’ roadway shall be compacted to secure a density of not less than 98% of standard proctor density to minus 2% to plus 4% of optimum moisture of samples of the material as determined by the ‘maximum density optimum moisture test’ ASTM designation D698. The backfill material shall be moistened when required to obtain satisfactory moisture content and compaction. If the flowable fill method of backfill is used, the flowable fill material shall be placed to the base of the pavement.”
Porphyry's composition determines its high compression strength, resistance to stains, slip resistance, and high freeze/thaw ratings. The stone is the most popular paver in Europe, and is favored for its flexibility in design, beauty, durability and low maintenance requirements. ADA Compliant Porphyry pavers are also adaptable to a permeable paving set. The stone is by far one of the most durable pavers in the world. These materials are available from Milestone Imports. - www.milestoneimports.com
Posted by Roger Murphy on Mon, Dec 19, 2011 @ 01:33 PM
Nothing elevates the lowly alley into public space like the integration of natural Porphyry stone pavers. Porphyry, the timeless stone, known for its beauty, either as cubes or dimensional stone can immediately provide the atmosphere of elegance and permanence. Surrounded by plantings or sculptures in the context of contemporary or traditional, the upgrade of these dense urban pedestrian areas should be done in a beautiful material whose qualities will enable it to be in place for a century or more.
Activating Alleys for a Lively City
This Seattle Integrated Alley Handbook was produced by Mary Fialko and Jennifer Hampton of the University of Washington who collected data for 300 alleys in Seattle and had this to say:
![Alley Shapes Sizes[1]](/Portals/17478/images/Alley-Shapes-Sizes[1].jpg)
“Alleys are an important part of our city network, providing space for trash, service trucks, underground parking access, deliveries, and fire access. While alleys serve many valuable and irreplaceable functions, they are often wrongly ignored in the day to day city life of Seattle citizens! Alleys can become places for recycling centers and bike storage. They have the potential to foster small business owners and cafés, provide shelter from the elements, create settings for festivals and nightlife, and strengthen the city experience and identity of Seattle. These small but mighty spaces could play an important role for the city, as places for the public, ecological corridors, and community builders.
Over the summer of 2010, we set out to learn more about Seattle alleys and also the alley projects around the world. To be able to propose change, we first needed to discover what was currently happening in alleys. We visited a few hundred alleys in Seattle, San Francisco, Cincinnati, Brooklyn, London, and Cambridge, taking notes all the while. Armed with our research and data, we are evaluating the current role alleys have within different parts of the urban environment in order to understand and build on the potential. Our goal is to provide urban inspiration for people looking to influence cities all over the world.
Our alley research began as a project sponsored by the Scan Design Foundation, UW Green Futures Lab, and Gehl Architects. We heart alleys and are truly excited to work with and invigorate these great urban spaces.”
This guidebook provides inspiration and tools for reclaiming this extensive network for the public realm.
About Green Futures Lab
The University of Washington Green Futures Lab (GFL) develops innovative approaches to the ecological planning and design of public space through interdisciplinary research, design and education. Faculty and students advance solutions related to urban green infrastructure - streets, trails, parks, open spaces, drainages and shorelines - systems that together comprise interconnected networks of the public realm.
About Gehl Architects of Copenhagen
“We focus on the relationship between the built environment and people’s quality of life. Gehl Architects is an urban research and design consultancy. We address global trends with a people-focused approach, utilizing empirical analysis to understand how the built environment can promote human flourishing. We apply this analysis to strategic planning and human-centered design to empower citizens, decision makers, company leaders, and organizations.”
Porphyry's composition determines its high compression strength, resistance to stains, slip resistance, and high freeze/thaw ratings. The stone is the most popular paver in Europe, and is favored for its flexibility in design, beauty, durability and low maintenance requirements. ADA Compliant Porphyry pavers are also adaptable to a permeable paving set. The stone is by far one of the most durable pavers in the world. These materials are available from Milestone Imports. - www.milestoneimports.com
