CU-Structural Soil™ (also known as CU-Soil™) was developed at Cornell University as a way to safely bear pavement loads after compaction and yet still allow root penetration and vigorous tree growth. It was patented and trademarked under the name ‘CU-Soil™’ to ensure quality control.
To locate licensed CU-Soil™ producers near you or to become a licensee, contact Brian Kalter (bkalter@amereq.com) at AMEREQ Inc./CU-Soil™ Division, 19 Squadron Blvd. New City, New York 10956. Phone: (800) 832-8788.
If you have questions about the function and uses of CU-Soil™, contact Nina Bassuk: nlb2@cornell.edu.
- CU-Structural Soil® – A Comprehensive Guide – 56 page publication covers the why’s and how’s of using CU-Structural Soil® to support trees, turf and porous pavement. Includes six case studies. CU-Sol StructuralMD – Guide Complet (en français)
- Structural Soil – Part 1 and Structural Soil – Part 2– Articles in The Field, the professional landscape architects network.
- Stormwater to Street Trees: Engineering Urban Forests for Stormwater Management – U.S. EPA publication on using streetscapes to decrease the amount of stormwater runoff and pollutants that reach local waters.
- Using CU-Structural Soil™ in the Urban Environment [15 MB .pdf] – 17-page booklet details how CU-Structural Soil™ meets soil needs of urban trees while also fulfilling engineers’ load-bearing requirements. Utiliser le CU-Sol StructuralMD dans un environnement urbain (en français).
- Using Porous Asphalt and CU-Structural Soil™ [1.4 MB .pdf] – 15-page booklet details how the combination of porous asphalt and CU-Structural Soil™ reduces runoff and improves water quality. The combination allows both water and air to infiltrate the base course underneath the pavement surface. This not only allows for healthier root and tree growth, but the trees further reduce water levels through transpiration.
- Managing Stormwater for Urban Sustainability Using Trees and Structural Soils[3.9 MB .pdf] – 55-page publication addresses how trees grown in structural aid in water interception, storage, and infiltration while increasing evapotransporation potential, helping to achieve the goals of stormwater management: reducing peak flow, reducing runoff volume and removing pollutants.
- CU-Structural Soil™ Graphics and Plan Views – High-resolution graphics.
- Le pourquoi et le comment cultiver des arbres en trottoir à l’aide du CU-sol structural™ – Par Nina Bassuk, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. (2013). Traduit de l’anglais par Émilie Chagnon, Matériaux Paysagers Savaria Ltée, Novembre 2013.
- AMEREQ Inc./CU-Soil™ Division – Site includes an introduction to the CU-Soil™ and a list of installations.
- Read UHI journal articles on: soil compaction and structural soil | soil volume
Videos
New: 20 Years of Cornell Structural Soil – Growing Trees in pavements and parking lots
- Support Your Local Tree
- CU-Structural Soil ® – 7 Year Excavation Tree Study
- Permeable paving project
- Sod on CU-Soil
