 | White Pine Trail Gets a Facelift
After years of wear and tear, more than 15 miles of the Fred Meijer White Pine Trail in Osceola County are getting a major facelift.
No longer will you have to worry about flooding after a little rain. Team Elmer’s is improving the drainage as well as laying down a unique asphalt top built to withstand snowmobile stud degradation. What this means is you’ll have a smoother trail for a longer period of time.
And what does it take to lay down this silky smooth trail? Roughly 35,000 tons of gravel. Hard limestone with low absorption. A higher 7.5 percent liquid asphalt content. Not even your commercial roads have a design so indestructible. This trail is getting hot!
You might have already noticed the construction going on, but it will only last until October. So it looks like you’ll have some plans come fall. I hear northern Michigan is pretty nice that time of year.
Want to get your own project started in time for fall? Call (231) 943-3443 or email info@teamelmers.com.
| | Earth Shelter Project Michigan An underground earth dome shelter being built in Mt Pleasant, Michigan has used more than 860,000 pounds of Team Elmer’s concrete to complete the shelter’s facade.
Earth sheltering is the architectural practice of using earth against building walls for external thermal mass, to reduce heat loss, and to easily maintain a steady indoor air temperature.
Known as “Earth Shelter Project Michigan,” the project is the largest of its kind in the nation at nearly 13,000 square feet. It features five domes that include a residence, guesthouse, barn, greenhouse and connecting units. Animals in the barn will range from chickens and turkeys to a few Scottish Highland cattle.
“Our goal is to be completely self-sustaining,” said Basheen Baker, owner of the residence. ”We’re off the grid completely—we make our own food, make our own power. We’re going to do a lot of teaching and knowledge to share our experience.”
The project is being led by Adam Bearup of Hybrid Homes LLC, a sustainable builder who has been recognized by Michigan’s governor as serving as a leader in renewable energy and sustainable building. 
The concrete mix was applied with a shotcrete pump gun over a rerod mat covered with burlap mesh. A long, slow, and steady process, the material was placed four to five inches thick, similar to an inverted swimming pool.
To say this project is unique would be an understatement. Team Elmer's has never been involved with a project quite like this, but as always, we welcome the challenge!
A video documenting the concrete application is available by clicking here. A documentary about the process of building the residence is planned for release in 2011. | |
