University of Minnesota

Riverbend Commons, at the University of Minnesota, reclaimed its view of the Mississippi River by replacing an above-ground parking ramp with an underground structure. Concerned over the stress that landscape soils would impose on the structure, engineers significantly reduced structural loads by specifying geofoam to create their landscape.

Geofoam blocks being installed
Landscape soils being distributed to specified depths over geofoam
Finished landscape design