Growth of EcoBunker evident at BTME
By Alistair
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EcoBunker has introduced three new inventions, all of which will ease the burden of bunker maintenance and increase the range of product choices for progressive golf clubs. The most recent of these inventions is PermaEdge. Demand for Ecobunker’s synthetic bunker system was rising in the US following several high profile and successful renovation projects. However, inventor Richard Allen recognised that the logistics, design requirements and client expectations in the US are very different to the UK and Europe and as such presented a constraint to growth. Richard, a civil engineer with 27 years in the industry, explains: “PermaEdge is a new construction method which came about from my knowledge of soil mechanics, ground improvement techniques and retaining structure design. Following the initial design work, I got the intellectual property in place, carried out material testing, built a successful full scale prototype and set up the supply chain.”
The new invention caught the eye of Indian Valley Industries (IVI-Golf), a US based golf industry supplier, boasting over 6,800 golf clubs as satisfied customers.
Following a recommendation from the former chief agronomist at Nicklaus Design, Richard travelled to IVI HQ in New York where explained the rationale underpinning Permaedge. A new partnership was born and just four months later the team was working on full course renovations at The Greenbrier, Glenarbor, Bella Vista and TPC Sugarloaf (Atlanta) as well as first phase projects in Dublin (Ohio), Iowa State University, Ledgerock and the Titleist testing facility at Acushnet.
“There are also benefits to using PermaEdge in the UK and Europe,” stated Richard.
“Logistical costs are lowered and PermaEdge walls have a higher structural factor of safety, and we will be happy to present this new option to customers, wherever they are located.”
Closer to home, Richard’s construction method has also been used to shore up the edges of two lakes at a golf course ranked very high in the UK top 100 list. “This was a completely different engineering challenge, requiring an innovative approach to temporary works and adaptations to the EcoBunker design, but the results are, in the opinion of many, breathtaking,” stated Richard.
Possibly the greatest praise came from specialist sub contractor and fellow engineer Rob Thallon: “We specialise in works adjacent to watercourses, have experience of countless bank stabilisation projects, and I can say without doubt that in terms of aesthetics, speed of installation and overall cost, this is the best method I have seen.”
Stand: M11
By Alistair
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