Hardscape North America Recognizes Three Projects With Products Manufactured by County Materials

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Nov 19, 2017

County Materials Congratulates Shawano Lawn and Stone of Shawano, Wis., PICS Inc. of Rhinelander, Wis., and TMS Landscapes Inc. of Muskego Wis., for receiving recognition in the 10th Annual Hardscape North America (HNA) Awards on October 19, 2017 in Louisville, KY. Hosted by the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (ICPI), the awards program recognizes the best-of-the-best projects in the industry by contractors building residential and commercial walkways, patios, driveways, and commercial plaza, parking lots, streets and more. The competition pits hardscape projects from across North America against each other for top honors. This year judges select projects from a pool of a record 149 entries for their design, construction challenges, and site integration. Three projects utilizing materials manufactured by County Materials were selected as top in the nation.

Shawano Lawn and Stone won top honors in the Concrete Permeable Paver Residential Category for their work on the Emile Court Residence permeable patio featuring H20 Pro Pavers®. This project was selected for its clean modern look and the challenges it took to integrate a permeable paver system on the site. The patio was made up of 4x8 pavers in Vision and Reflection colors. The combination of solid colors helped create a sleek modern appearance for the circular patio. Properly integrating the permeable paver system on the site was a major, yet important challenge to effectively prevent runoff and protect the lake’s water quality. Special design consideration was given to the selection and installation of base materials to ensure the system would effectively capture and filter storm water.



PICs Inc. won in the Combination of Hardscape Products-Commercial Less Than 20,000 sq. ft. for their work on the Church Mutual project. Designed by Carrey Owen, currently a freelance landscape designer, the project features a stunning expanse of Grand Milestone Pavers™ and a retaining wall built with County Block® Retaining Wall System. The project was selected for its unique installation challenges and for meeting the owner’s needs. Because the site is a rented space, the building’s property could not be physically altered; if the tenant leaves the building, their site needs to be in the same condition. In addition, the business owner wanted the option to take anything invested into the project to a new location if they ever moved. To overcome these challenges, the patio project was carefully designed and constructed to integrate on top of an existing concrete slab. While the slab defined the size of the project, it also presented other challenges: the ground could not be dug up to create a level foundation for pavers and retaining walls. To solve this, the contractor mortared the retaining wall into place on top of the concrete slab. Each wall unit was individually leveled then mortared because of the slab’s uneven surface.



TMS Landscape Inc. received an Honorable Mention in the Segmental Retaining Walls-Commercial category for their installation of a retaining wall for Lake Edge Apartments in Madison, Wis. This project was selected for its practical and aesthetic integration to the rest of the site. The project utilized nearly 3,400 sq. ft. of Integrity™ Retaining Wall System to meet two distinct needs—a 14’ tall retaining wall creating access for a fire lane along the side of the apartment complex, and a unique multi-tiered wall that forms a stunning backdrop to the patio area adjacent to the lake. The massive retaining wall proved to be a challenge because of its large size and the sheer amount of soil weight it had to retain. The contractor utilized a steel I-beam behind the wall for added support, helping prevent washout. In addition, geogrid was installed in layers behind the wall for added soil reinforcement. The building owner gave the contractor free reign on the wall design for the back-patio area. The contractor decided on a two-tiered wall with a curved theme throughout. The retaining wall’s blended color subtly matches the apartment’s brick, and paneling features. The raised patio, made possible with segmental retaining wall gives residents an unprecedented view of the lake.

The HNA Award program is the only national award program that celebrates the work of hardscape contractors. County Materials is pleased to be recognized as a manufacturer in the 2017 HNA Awards, and applauds these contractors for their quality of work, innovation, and creativity.

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