13.4. PRSR 07-09-2014 El - Request for Action
River
To Item Number
Parks and Recreation Commission 13.4
Agenda Section Meeting Date Prepared by
Worksession July 9,2014 Michael Hecker,Parks and Recreation Director
Item Description Reviewed by
Orono Park Amenities and Skate Park
Reviewed by
Action Requested
No formal action is being requested.
Background/Discussion
Skate Park
Staff has been in contact with Stantec Action Sports regarding the skate park concept designs that were
presented to the Parks Commission in May. Stantec designed a majority of the concrete skate parks in
Minnesota through a design,bid, and built process. This includes Bemidji, Eden Prairie,Plymouth, St.
Paul, and St. Cloud.
Stantec did review the Elk River designs. Their professional opinion is that they have a lot of good ideas
with many of the elements. The problem is that the layout of each element and flow of the overall design
concepts will not work. The dimensions and spacing have many issues with the angels and runways.
The recommendation is to get the preferred layout designed by a firm with skate park experience in order
to omit the errors and omissions liability. Then it should be developed into a bid package that can
include local contractors and a firm with prequalification for shotcrete. The local contractors can bid on
non-skateable critical elements such as the storm drains, staking and layout areas.
All of the skate parks in Minnesota were able to keep costs down within a budget by the design,bid and
built process. A design build package is not recommended.
Orono Park
Staff recommends that the Commission review the master plan for Orono Park to determine the exact
site for the skate park. This will assist in the design cost options. Then, staff can pursue cost estimates
for design and construction of the skate park that can be included in the overall capital and master
planning process.
Financial Impact
None
Attachments
• Orono Park Concept Plan Layout
• Skate Park Designs
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Elk River Future Skate
Park
Prepared for the Elk River City Commission
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CE412W - Civil Engineering Capstone Design
Lydia Larson,Abdiwali Osman,Jason Tschida,Alexandra Miller
4/29/2014
Contents
Certifications Page iii
Executive Summary iv
Introduction 1
Background Information 2
The Need fora Park 2
Project Planning 2
Choosing Park Elements 3
Cost Estimation 5
Mix Design 6
Environmental Impacts 8
Safety Considerations 9
Options Analysis 10
Table 1: Model Comparison 11
Site Views 12
Figure 1:Spade Model Plan View 12
Figure 2: Circle Model Plan View 12
Figure 3: Plaza Model Plan View 13
References 14
Appendix A:Spade Model Layout 0
Figure A-1:Angled View of Spade Model 0
Figure A-2: Dimension of Angled Wall with Center Pipe 0
Figure A-3: Dimensions of Concrete Feature 1
Figure A-4: Dimensions of Curved Ramp 1
Figure A-5: Dimensions of Spline and Hump 0
Figure A-6: Dimensions of Half-Pipe 0
Appendix B: Circle Model Layout 0
Figure B-1:Angled View of Circle Model 0
Appendix C: Plaza Model 0
Figure C-1:Angled View of Plaza Model 0
Appendix D: Concrete Mix Design 0
Table D-1: Part of Mix Design during Concrete Introduction Lab 0
Certifications Page
By signing below,the team members submit that this report was prepared by them and is
their original work to the best of their ability.
Abdiwali Osman
Team Member
Jason Tschida
Team Member
Lydia Larson- Project Coordinator
Team Member
Alexandra Miller
Team Member
ii
Executive Summary
This report addresses Elk River's need for a skate park design.Three skate park layouts
along with associated cost estimates are included.This report also outlines the process that
was taken to create a digital model, concrete mix design, and storm water management
plan for the ongoing efforts of community members in securing a site and funding for a
skate park within Orono Park. Reasons for a concrete skate park rather than a modular
timber with composite are iterated throughout the report.The social and economic
benefits of a skate park were researched for the purpose of presenting the findings to the
Elk River City Commission. Numerous meetings with the users, Elk River skaters,
determined what types of features were needed and where they are most likely to be
located within the skate park.
Through communication with skate boarding contractors and cities with current skate
parks,the future plan for the skate park is in place.A sustainable, popular concrete skate
park located in a highly occupied Elk River park supports the youth in pursuing an active,
healthy lifestyle.The recommendation we will give to the Elk River City Commission is to
collect bids for creating the Spade Model that was created by the skaters and is the most
popular design.
iii
Introduction
The City of Elk River's Park and Recreation Commission dismantled the Elk River
Skatepark in 2013 because of safety issues related to the original component's usability
and durability.The city plans to install a new skate park within Elk River's Orono Park
Complex. This report details three layout options for the future skate park in Elk River. As
a University of Minnesota Civil Engineering Capstone group, efforts have been put toward a
new skate park design and cost estimate that can be used as a baseline for future planning
for the installation of a skatepark. The ultimate goal of the project is a well-designed skate
park that will be a sustainable asset to the community. Since the skate park is for a younger
audience, it must be appropriately designed to meet the skaters' demands as well as the
city preferences.The type of skate park proposed is a concrete skate plaza with concrete
elements. The ideal plan will include a half-pipe,ledges, ramps, stairs and many other
components.The design of the features and their dimensions are under development. The
new skate park concrete plaza will be designed for approximately forty skaters to use
without any difficulty for their activity and or jeopardized safety.
1
Background Information
The Need for a Park
Skaters in Elk River are very eager to have access to a new skate park since the removal of
the old park. Skaters who had learned the sport or developed their skills in Elk River are
now forced to find a new location for skating.While this is feasible for skaters with access
to transportation,those who walk or skate to the park are now left with nothing.Without a
local park, skaters will most likely, and at times have,transform sidewalks,business parks,
and schools into makeshift skate parks.This is both illegal and an inconvenience to
pedestrians and business owners, in addition to being a potential safety hazard to the
skaters and pedestrians. By constructing a new skate park, an outlet will be created for this
desire to skate and younger,newer skaters will be able to safely develop their skills. In
designing the park with skaters of multiple levels,the park will include both elementary
and advanced elements that welcome all skill levels. In addition,the construction of a
skatepark would attract skaters from the greater metro area, as others currently do,which
has the potential to increase the sales at Elk River retailers and food establishments.
The skate park will be located within Orono Park in Elk River, Minnesota. Multiple
locations are being considered within Orono Park, but for the purpose of this plan the
location is not pertinent to the design.The location will be chosen based upon the size,
budget,and the final skate park design.
Project Planning
The design process involved meeting with engineers and skaters to determine what
elements are feasible and desired within the park. Choices were made by engineers and
skaters together. These choices included concrete type, size of the site, drainage strategies,
and aesthetic elements. One of the most important pieces of the planning phase was to
establish which elements of the skatepark are most important to the skaters.The skaters'
necessities were used to determine three possible designs for the skate park of varied cost
and size. Google SketchUp was chosen as the primary drafting program for this project
because the files can easily be shared between engineers and non-engineers. SketchUp has
2
aesthetic 3D features, some of which can be downloaded for free from the internet, such as
smooth curves and park benches.
Choosing Park Elements
Deciding upon elements to include in the design of the park was one of the most difficult
steps in the process of developing the skate park layout. In the first meeting with the future
users of the park, it was clear that the engineers had more to learn than the skaters about
how to put a park together that has"flow". However, student engineers were able to pair
what was learned from the skaters with knowledge of construction design considerations.
During this meeting it was decided that a concrete park is the wisest choice. Concrete parks
last for tens of years where modular parks (parks that use steel and wood materials) will
last less than ten. Elk River's former skate park was modular and lasted nine years (2004-
2013). Modular parks,when made of wood, must be regularly maintained to keep the
structural integrity and safety of the park. In addition,when improperly maintained,the
wood will rot and break.When compared to a modular park, concrete is preferred by
skaters for a smoother and safer ride due to predictability.
Once concrete was selected as the material,the next necessary step was choosing specific
elements for the park.This process began with the skaters recalling elements they liked
about the last Elk River park and elements that they enjoyed at other parks they have
visited. In particular,Westchester Park in Los Angeles, California and Plymouth Park in
Plymouth, Minnesota were used for inspiration.
One of the most important elements, and the most foreign to engineers is "flow". Flow can
be described as "rideability"which has to do with the spacing of the pieces of a skatepark.
Placing elements on a concrete slab is simply not enough to create flow.The elements
should be conducive to a certain rhythm that is obtained when skating.This was by far the
most difficult aspect of the skate park to tackle. It was also brought to the engineers'
attention by the skaters and skate park consultants that were contacted that even with
great planning, it is impossible to know if a park will flow until it is ridden. In order to
combat this problem, it was decided to choose as many familiar aspects as possible. Plans
3
from the old Elk River skate park were obtained and used for the half-pipe dimensions in
the included design (Rodney Schreifels, e-mail message to authors, February 20, 2014).
Pictures of California skate parks and skate parks around the metro were used to inspire
similar designs for features.
4
Cost Estimation
In deciding upon a park, cost will be a huge factor in the decision by the Elk River City
Commission.The following tables outline plans for an ideal park (Spade Model),a slightly
more conservative park (Circle Model),as well as a very conservative park(Plaza Model),
that still includes the skaters most important elements,although not ideal in terms of
occupancy or interest. One idea was to complete the park in stages as funds become
available. However,this idea was abandoned due to the high sensitivity that skate parks
have in terms of continuity. In addition, skaters expressed that it was preferable to them to
wait for a fully constructed park,rather than to construct it in small pieces.
To obtain reasonable cost estimations for each of the skatepark designs, contractors who
have been involved in similar projects were contacted. The six contacted contractors
included Liquid Stone Design, California Skateparks, Barkman,Action Sport Design,
Skatepark Specialists, and American Ramp Company. From the estimated costs given by
each of the contractors for the type of work to be performed,a relative price range for the
design and sizing of the park was be established to be $20-$35/ft2 depending on the size of
features. It was recommended by one contractor to have multiple subcontractors for the
construction of the project.This would save money on the cost of hiring a skate park
specialist to complete the entire job and would offer work for many local companies.These
local companies include those that specialize in site grading, concrete slab placement,and
electrical work.This leaves the specialty work pertaining to complex skate elements to be
done by the skate park contractor.
5
Mix Design
After speaking with our mentor engineers from Cretex,we have recommended that a self-
consolidating,high strength concrete mix would be aesthetically and structurally the best
choice for the skatepark. Concrete that is self-consolidating can be placed quickly and easily
with little vibration,which gives a smooth texture to the exterior. Not only would this be an
aesthetically positive choice,but it is also necessary for skaters to have a surface free of
bumps and impediments. In addition,the concrete must be high strength,particularly
around the ends of skating elements,to resist cracking and flaking due to the repeated
impacts where the skaters land.
The self-consolidating concrete mix design that was chosen can be found in Appendix D.A
small scale test of this mix was performed to assess the usability of the concrete based on
aesthetic and strength properties.This was done by us at Cretex Concrete Solutions in Elk
River with the guidance of a mentor engineer who specializes in concrete mix design.The
test was done by mixing a small batch of the concrete; the mix included water,Type I-II
cement, 3/4", #67 rock gravel,washed sand, and three specific admixtures to enhance the
mix design including Daravair M Air Entrainer, HRWR plasticizer, and VMAR3 Viscosity
Modifier. The concrete mix was then tested for both the air content, and the spread; which
resulted in a 6.7% air content and a 24.5 inch spread. Both of these properties indicated a
successful concrete mixture to use for a smooth and quickly running concrete.
The current mix design may be changed due to cost and the contractor chosen for the
project. Skate parks are not unlike basketball courts and tennis courts in that they are
highly sensitive and potentially useless when deformations occur.This warrants the use of
a contractor that is experienced in skate park design and construction.As previously
stated, other work to be done for the site may be subcontracted. However, it is our
recommendation that a specialized company be used for the construction of skate park
elements.This company will likely have a mix design of their own.As stated previously,
there are companies which make precast,modular skatepark elements from concrete. If
these elements are purchased, a slightly different concrete mix may be utilized by the
6
contractor; any mix used,however,will be a high strength concrete with a smooth finish to
enable skaters to safely use the elements.
7
Environmental Impacts
With the addition of a concrete skate park to Orono Park, considerations must be made to
adequately manage the increase in runoff due to the addition of the impervious area. Using
Spade Model as a baseline,the predicted runoff will be 500 cubic feet during a normal rain
event. This was determined by using 1.1" of runoff for a net increase in impervious surface
area, a value recommended by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency as representative
for a typical Minnesota rain event.To treat this runoff,the use of a rain garden or swale
ditch to is recommended. Based on the sizing recommendations of RainScaping,an
environmental and rain garden planning site,the rain garden should an area of roughly 750
square feet to treat the runoff from the 6000 square foot skate park. By placing the rain
garden the length of the skate park at the base of the 1% overall grade of the concrete slab
the dimensions of the garden would be 105 feet by 7.5 feet,at a depth of 8".
Not only would the rain garden be aesthetically pleasing and increase the beauty of Orono
Park,the garden would also decrease the overall estimated cost of the skate park as well as
protect Orono Lake from the possible runoff sediment pollution.The typical rain garden
will cost$10,000 to install,based upon MnDOT standard pricing per unit; in comparison,
the installation and materials for storm water treatment in the recently installed Oakdale,
Minnesota skate park cost$32,000. In addition,the rain garden will provide a natural filter
for the runoff which permeates into the ground,which will significantly decrease the risk of
sediment or other pollutants reaching Orono Lake.
8
•
Safety Considerations
Due to the physicality of skate boarding, especially when done on concrete, special safety
requirements have been considered in the designing of each skate park. First,no element is
higher than four feet above grade at the maximum point.This ensures that the city will not
need to provide supervision or waivers to the users,per League of Minnesota City
standards. In addition,when poured properly, concrete makes for a safer skating
experience than competing designs. This is due to the smooth surface and the lower risk of
warping and damage than materials such as wood or fiberglass. The skate park designs also
contain a variety of element heights, slopes and sizes; this enables the skaters to enjoy the
park at a variety of skill levels. Lastly, it is recommended that lighting be provided to the
park,both for night-time safety concerns and to provide more hours of usability.
9
Options Analysis
Analyzing each model skate park for the ideal option is important to both the City
Commission and the users.As shown in Table 1 below,there are five factors considered to
compare each park.A rough estimate of each park includes all design fees and services,
construction materials,and labor. For the Spade model, a$35 per square foot conversion
factor was used for a rough estimate (Kanten Russell of Stantec, personal conversation,
April 2014).The Circle model was calculated using a$30 per square foot conversion factor
due to the increased amount of open space and therefore lower density of highly
specialized elements.The Plaza model used a $20 per square foot conversion factor due to
the fact that this park used only the smallest features and would only require form poured
concrete rather than hand molded.All models qualified for accommodation to spectators,
as benches or bleachers can easily be installed in any of the models. Elk River Skaters'
priority list were to have a half-pipe and for their park to have flow. Flow is a design
element which allows for skaters to transition easily from one feature to the next without
having to stop,turn sharply, or collide with another skater or element. Both Spade and
Circle model have what is considered flow and a half-pipe,whereas the Plaza model
consists mostly of stairs,ramps, and rails with low flow and no half-pipe.The User
Excitement was an estimated value based on feedback from users, either from meetings or
through Facebook comments.The final design will ultimately be determined by the budget
available for the skate park. Many of the skaters would like to see a great design built with
a longer timeframe rather than a lower quality design and a quick turnaround. However,
this may not be the case with all skaters involved.
10
Table 1:Model Comparison
Accommodation User
Rough To Half- Excitement
Estimate Parents/Spectators Flow pipe [1-10]
Spade
Model $210,000 Yes Yes Yes 9
Circle
Model $276,000 Yes Yes Yes 7
Plaza
Model $161,000 Yes No No 4
In future estimations for the cost of the engineering design work that will be required to
build the Elk River Skate Park, 8-10% of the overall budget of the park may be used
(Kanten Russell of Stantec, personal conversation,April 2014)
11
Site Views
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Figure 3:Plaza Model Plan View
13
References
Brian J, Bachmeier, P.E.,Public Works Director/City Engineer of the City of Oakdale,
personal correspondence, May 2014.
Kanten Russell of Stantec, personal correspondence,April 2014.
League of Minnesota Cities, "LMCIT Coverage for Skatparks". St. Paul, MN. September, 2010.
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, "Minnesota Minimal Impact Design Standards".
August, 2013. [Online] http://www.pca.state.mn.us/index.php/view-
document.html?gid=10516
RainScaping,"Rain Garden Calculator", Produced by Clarity Content, Inc. 2014. [Online]
http://www. rainscaping.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/home.sizecalculator.htm.
Rodney Schreifels,personal correspondence, February 20, 2014.
14
Appendix A: Spade Model Layout
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Figure A-2:Dimension of Angled Wall with Center Pipe
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Figure A-6:Dimensions of Half-Pipe
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Appendix B: Circle Model Layout
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Appendix C: Plaza Model
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C-1
Appendix D: Concrete Mix Design
Table D-1: Part of Mix Design during Concrete Introduction Lab
• retx Concrete Mix Design Data for
Concrete Products Elk River(Pipe)
Mix Designation Date
� > ,
3/13/2014
Cubic Yard Specific
Material Quantity Gravity Cubic Yard Volume
Cement Cement,Type I-ll bs 3.150 4.07 ft3
Cementitious
Ma erials
3/4"CA,867 Rode 1395 His 2.713 8.23 ft3
Aggregates Fite Agg.,Washed Sand 1359 bs 2.666 8.16 ft3
Air Entrainer oz/CWT 1.050 24.0 oz
HRWR r oz/CWT 1.075 80.0 oz
Chemical Viscosity modifier oz/CWT 1.000 24.0 oz
Admixtures
Water Water 290 bs 1.000 4.65 ft'
Air Air Content,% 1.76 R'
Total Volume 27,00 ft3
Pozzolans,% 0% Yd3 Weight 3852 tbsiyd*
Batch Total Cementitious 800 bs Unit Weight 142.68 bs/ft3
Properties Water Cement Ratio;
Spread in +1 in
--Water Cement Ratio includes water from liquid admixtures
Material Type/Classification Supplier
Cement Type I-11 Holcim,St.Genevieve
3/4'CA #67 Rock Barton Sand&Gravel,Elk River,MN
Fine Agg. Washed Sand Barton Sand&Gravel,Elk River,MN
Air Entrainer Daravair M WR Grace
HRWR ADVA 575 WR Grace
Viscosity modifier VMAR 3 WR Grace
D-1
Figure D-2: Final Mix Design
Aggregate Moisture Calculator
Mix
Target Yield Override(IbICWT) '
Historical target yield(ibtCW) 626
Mix design yield(1bICWT) 495
(Total Paste Volume I 10.60 f
Aggregate Ratio
314"CA,#67 Rock
Foe Agg.,Washed Sand
Total Aggregate 100%
must e.u al 100%
X to calculate water without
considering admixtures: u ;
Cost ! Ton: $33.90
Cost !yd3: $65.29
Material Selection - `.
Cement
SCf #! .r " " f Moisture Adjusted Batch Size Calculator
Skate Park SCC
SCM#2 � � � � Batch Size(1,1.5,2,Etc.)
Agg.#1 .. - ..��"
Agg. a x ", .- Cement,Type I-A 29.63 is
Agg #3xr
Agg.#4 '
Admix#1 314"CA;#67 Rock 51.31 lbs
Admix#2 Ms m , . .�, fine Agg.,Washed Sand 51.65 lbs
Admix#3=: �� � ,r; '�,
Admix#4, ,
Admix#5". N
r . Water 1.17 gallons
Admix#ii
i i i iii iii.;•�i i i i i f A
Water 9.78 lbs
Pilot Area=iiix oas le,, :: %���/��I�//%���///�/� /�///�li
Air Entrainer 0.9 oz
HRWR 3.0 02
Viscosity modifier 0.9 oz
Trutt Area Betd See"
D-2