Te Awa Lifecare Village Wetlands, Cambridge – BentoSure

The Te Awa Lifecare Village is a boutique retirement village on the outskirts of Cambridge. Te Awa Lifecare sought to increase their stormwater storage and runoff facilities by adding three wetland areas to blend in with the surrounding environment.

DESIGN

Sculpted to provide functionality and aesthetic value, the three wetlands were lined with BentoSure. This provided a sealed layer, preventing water from seeping through and allowing the wetland plants to flourish. With the three ponds installed at different stages, the third pond covered an area close to 3,400sqm and would be covered with 400mm of topsoil. Overflow pipes were installed within the ponds, with BentoSure lined and sealed around the edges.

INSTALLATION

Having contoured the base of the pond to the design requirements, BentoSure was laid using the Cirtex laying frame, secured within an anchor trench around the rim of the pond. Each edge was overlapped by 300mm, which would allow the edges to seal together once they become wet. At the end of the rolls, a paste can be mixed or granules can be used to create a watertight seal between rolls. Paste was used to seal the edges around the overflow pipes before the 400mm topsoil layer was placed. Vegetation and water can then be added as required to allow the wetland to grow.

With an experienced crew using the right equipment, McKenzie Drainage and Earthworks found BentoSure easy to work with. They have created three idyllic wetland areas that blend in with Te Awa Lifecare’s aesthetic, helping to manage the retirement village’s stormwater design.

The BentoSure provided the following benefits to the project:

• Provides an impermeable seal with superior performance to a compacted clay layer
• Able to be used to create a natural wetland environment
• Easy for contractor to install – no specialist welding equipment required