GEOWEB Geocells for Shoreline Protection

Project Name: George M. Steinbrenner Field

Project Location: Tampa, FL

Repair Stormwater Detention Ponds of Severe Erosion

Tampa’s George M. Steinbrenner Field (formerly Legends Field), the spring training facility of the New York Yankees, was experiencing severe erosion at the stormwater detention ponds throughout the facility. The ponds are not only used for stormwater containment but are also designed as native wildlife ponds sponsored by Busch Gardens. Decorative fountains add to the aesthetics of the facility. The ponds began to experience a type of slope erosion that many Florida lakes and ponds are subjected to where the constant daily wave chop generated from wind eats away at the sandy soils from which they are constructed. Erosion of these slopes can be accelerated when drought conditions lower water levels below the vegetation that help to stabilize the soil.

As part of an expansion project for the stadium, R. H. Moore & Associates, Inc. was contacted by Charlotte Engineering to recommend an aesthetically appealing way to stabilize the slopes and control the erosion, while still providing access to the water.

Problem Solved with the GEOWEB Shoreline Protection System

The four-inch-thick perforated GEOWEB® Soil Stabilization System, manufactured by Presto Geosystems, was chosen to provide erosion protection.

One of the most unique and beneficial features of the GEOWEB system is the ability to use various infill materials to meet a variety of erosion control requirements while satisfying the aesthetic concerns of the surrounding environment.

For this project, a red-colored rock was chosen to fill GEOWEB cells from the bottom of the system up to one foot above the mean high water line. The red-colored rock selected as a close match to the color used for the warning tracks of the fields. Above the high water line, the cells were filled with existing onsite soil and then sodded. Since the GEOWEB shoreline protection system can be installed easily without the need for large construction equipment, the ponds were reconstructed and finished in time for the 2008 spring training season.