While hard to notice, the ground is considerably more stable in parts of Maurie Jacobs Park. Public Works Maintenance crews earlier this month mixed thousands of sheets of tiny fibers into a sandy soil mix near the underground stormwater vault inside the park.
The fiber sheets, each slightly larger than a postage stamp, are intended to reinforce the ground around the stormwater facility, specifically for heavy machinery. Large trucks are used to empty the vault which can contain up to seven tons of debris. Because of the combined weight of the truck and debris, they can do a number on the soil, especially during the rainy season.
The fiber sheets work by allowing grass roots to grow together, which then spreads the surface load out across a broader area. This should keep the soil intact during the vault cleanouts and keep soil repair to a minimum.