ODAD Gridworks

02/24/2018

Tired of the rain

08/28/2017

Our hearts and prayers go out to everyone in the path of what was Hurricane Harvey. I went through monsoon season at U-Tapao, but to have that much rain come over the course of days is unimaginable.

It will take months to reopen most of the roads, maybe years. The railroads will probably be the first to recover. This is because their road beds are permeable by design. Even where they have been washed out, the railroads will be able to install new ballast and then replace damaged ties and rails to get the line back into operation.

The railroad roadbed design can work as well for vehicle traffic when combined with permeable grid like StabiliGrid H/D. The width would be wider for trucks and cars. Instead of ties and rails, the top and slopes are covered with grid. Like the ties, a layer of fill hold everything securely in place.

The high water marks from Harvey are probably a good indication of how high the ballast needs to be. Traditional bridges and covered culverts would still be appropriate.

Perhaps the appropriate parties will look into this as a way of restoring the transportation infrastructure in the effected counties? The sooner goods can be brought in, the sooner the people in these counties can start rebuilding.

07/05/2017

Here is another good reason to visit Weston Farmer's Market on Saturdays - the chance at a free sample.

05/10/2017

So this morning I was driving through town and discovered Weston now has a farmer's market. It's right downtown on FM 543 (aka Main Street). John Stufflebeam is the force behind this effort, creating opportunity for local organic and other farmers. John owns Sunny Side Up Farms out on FM 455.

Odad will be there checking out the local produce, honey, and wines of Collin County Texas. Hope to see lots of you there as well!

04/27/2017

Some great projects going on this month with our permeable pavement grid.

A couple of dogs will soon have a mud free run to play in. Since both are known diggers, the grid will also keep them in their new dog run. Thanks to our permeable grid, the run will also keep their run smelling sweet.

Down south our grid is going to allow a driveway over a septic system leach field. The "snowshoe" effect of our interlocking pavers will keep the cars from compressing the field.

One lucky horse is getting a dry paddock and covered stall floor thanks to his human "Grandpa". Grooming will be much more enjoyable for him and the young lady who owns him now that mud removal won't be such a large part of the process.

A favorite project is a retirement home for racehorses that never made it to the breeding stage. These horses now have a dry paddock area as part of their new home.

So what project are you planning? There is still time to take advantage of the April grid sale, and you can buy now and pickup when you are ready to install the grid.

04/14/2017

It takes some serious machinery to unload a full truck of grid (or a tractor with pallet forks on the bucket and a counter weight in back).

Lots of fun playing with the SkyTrack. Yep, men are just boys with bigger toys.

Not sure how we managed to miss hitting the mail box, but we did.

04/04/2017

Permeable grid pavement isn't about cost, although it will save money over its 20+ year lifespan and doesn't cost more than traditional concrete or asphalt solutions.

Permeable grid pavement is about reducing pollution run off, and about keeping rain where it falls. Its about giving your animals and you a mud free area. Its about enabling you to have grass even where you park and drive if you want. Its about being able to have the benefits of pavement without the harm to trees.

Its about the flexibility to add, remove, relocate, and change your paved areas as needs and desires change.

All of which is about treating earth a little better than we have before, and leaving it a little better for our descendants.

04/04/2017

Putting grid pavement in is fairly simple for the DIY. Here are the basic steps based on personal experience:

1) remove mud or other debris until a stable sub-surface is exposed.
2) grade sub-surface smooth (with a slight slope away from the area if possible, although this is not required).
3) place at least 2 to 3 inches of 5/8" to 3/4” clean/clear crushed angular rock in the area. Spread evenly, then compress
the area with a vibrating plate compactor, hand tamper, or roller.
4) if using a soil or sand fill, first evenly cover base layer with 1/2 to 1 inch of 1/4" angular rock. This will limit settling of soil or sand fill into the base layer over time.
5) starting at one corner place grid in place, slots to the outside, tabs facing the grid area. Interlock additional pieces by lining them up and gently stepping on them to lock them together.
6) add fill and tamp or roll.

The grid itself gets placed at a rate of one hour for every 1,000 square feet.

So what's your project? Contact us and we will help get you started with an eco-friendly and livestock safe solution.

04/04/2017

I recommend Greil Conveyor for supplying rock on grid projects. The delivery system will speed up project completion and reduce the physical labor involved for DIY installations.

Home improvement

04/03/2017

A full truck of Hoof and Stabili grid is heading to ODAD Gridworks right now for our Earth Day Special pricing.

At $2.79 a square foot, you might not see pricing this low again in 2017.