Take a spin around Shirley Chisholm State Park in Brooklyn, New York and you will be impressed by this beautiful space. Bound by the beautiful Jamaica Bay and Belt Parkway, this gorgeous state park is a sight for sore eyes, providing truly breathtaking views. All in all, the park spans 407 acres. However, the park has a secret of sorts. Most people are unaware that Shirley Chisholm State Park’s eye-popping design and construction is the result of the strategic implementation of Geofoam.
A Remarkable Transformation Made Possible by EPS Geofoam
Prior to the construction of Shirley Chisholm State Park, the area was far from the visually striking space it is today. In fact, the park is situated atop what used to be the Fountain Avenue Landfills, a site many Brooklyn-area residents have either driven by or heard about in passing. This part of town was used as a dump landfill going all the way back to the 1960s.
The little-known truth is the area we now know as Shirley Chisholm State Park was originally used as a space where New York City including its surrounding boroughs dumped massive amounts of refuse. Some of the area’s local businesses and governments would even dump hazardous materials into the landfill. Such excessive dumping caused considerable pollution, eventually leading to the closure of the landfill.
In fact, the damage was so significant that an order was placed to clean up the surrounding space so a subterranean barrier could be installed. In addition to this barrier, an impermeable cap was also implemented to facilitate the use of the site in the future.
The Challenge of Building Atop a Landfill
As most would guess, it is not easy to construct anything, let alone a beautiful park, atop a garbage dump. Such a feat is inherently challenging in a number of regards. Add in the fact that the landfill where Shirley Chisholm State Park was constructed is positioned on a fairly steep slope and the project proved even more difficult. Such instable soil presented problems in terms of slope stabilization and settlement. However, design professionals were able to successfully prevent these problems from compromising the construction project.
The design team made use of highly innovative materials to safely build at the site in a manner that proved stable across posterity. In particular, Geofoam was used for stable construction. In fact, the design team was able to formulate undulation in an artful manner within the landscape design. Geofoam is largely responsible for this amazing feat of engineering and design.
Details About the Geofoam Used to Design and Build the Park
Poly Molding is proud to have supplied the EPS Geofoam blocks used in the Shirley Chisholm State Park construction project. To be more specific, Geofoam blocks of the ASTM D6817, EPS29 variety were used for this unique construction project. This type of Geofoam has 1.8 pounds per cubic foot density. This is just one small example of how geofoam suppliers are helping builders across the United States and the rest of the world construct reliable sites, buildings and other structures.
Geofoam helped to generate the contouring and elevations at Shirley Chisholm State Park, forming landscaping while decreasing the new construction’s net load. In short, the use of geofoam to create a design with distinct elevations allowed the engineers to step the foam, ultimately generating a finished gradual slope along with undulation across the Sky Bowl. Geofoam was used quite extensively in the Sky Bowl segment of Shirley Chisholm State Park.
The transformation of the Shirley Chisholm State Park site is a truly remarkable feat. The engineers responsible for converting this space from a landfill into a popular state park deserve credit as their hard work and ingenuity has greatly enhanced the look and feel of an area that once seemed destined for irrelevance due to an abundance of pollution and waste. What was one a space of ugly blight is now a beautiful, natural setting poised to flourish even more across posterity.
The combination of scenic bike trails with open green spaces for outdoor activities and lovely views of the nearby Jamaica Bay make Shirley Chisholm State Park a truly eye-pleasing landscaped public space. Take a look at the before and after pictures of the park for yourself and you will be amazed as to the extent of this public space’s amazing transformation.
Recognizing the Merits of Geofoam
As time progresses, more people and businesses are learning about the benefits of Geofoam. The average person is shocked to learn Geofoam expanded polystyrene is significantly lighter than soil. This is only one of the many reasons why builders and property owners of all types are using Geofoam at sites throughout the world.
The little-known truth about Geofoam is this unique material is around 100 times lighter than regular soil as well as other lightweight fill materials. The weight difference is one of the primary reasons why this material is becoming that much more popular with each passing day. Geofoam’s high strength and low density are added bonuses as they significantly decrease the material’s net load, facilitating support for building projects of varying types. The reduction in net load considerably reduces the potential for settlement as well as bearing failure.
If you would like more information about the benefits of Geofoam, reach out to Poly Molding by sending a message to info@polymoldingllc.com.
