Spring 2011

The TCI Lane Ranch Greenhouse thrived in it's first Winter, helping greenhouse manager Terrie Swerdlove to grow salad greens and vegetables for the Aspen Skiing Company's on-mountain restaurant, "Sneaky's".  Terrie is transitioning the greenhouse into Summer, during which she plans to supply CSA shares to a number of local families, with tomatoes and summer vegetables ripening now, in mid-April.  She has also begun to plant a few outdoor beds, and cover them with cloches.

TCI Lane Ranch Greenhouse in Action - Winter 2010 - 2011

While development of the roads, utilities and solar home lots is anticipated in the near future, the TCI Lane Ranch Greenhouse is complete, and is happily growing salad greens and vegetables for the Aspen Skiing Company's mountain restaurants.  Terry Swerdlove is the greenhouse manager, and she is busy planting, growing and harvesting these veggies all Winter, while preparing the Aquaponics tanks for schools of Tilapia fish.  The shelves above the tanks will be planted with micro-greens, using the fish waste from the tanks as their primary nutrients, while their roots clean the water for the fish.

Bon apetit', Skiers!

Aquaponics System - Planting Trays

Please review the Aquaculture Frames and Trays, shown here in 3D and described as follows:
Foundation: 8x8 CMU, set just below floor grade, with cast-in-place Unistrut "Telestrut", inside of which Frame posts will be fastened;
Frames: Use "Unistrut" 1-5/8" channels for posts and rail frames, and 1-1/4" channels for "purlins" under trays; Use 4"dia and 2"dia steel pipe slices (1" slice length) as frame stiffeners as shown, fastened to Unistrut frames with standard Unistrut spring nuts and bolts, and rings fastened to each other with welds or short 1/2" dia bolts, one per connection;
Trays: To dimensions shown and 4" tall, make trays from CDX Plywood, 5/8" thick sides and 3/4" thick bottoms, with two or four 1/2" dia holes drilled through plywood as liner leak indicators, evenly spaced in tray bottoms, and liner-lined 3" dia drain for water flow to the tray or tank below; Mount trays to Unistrut purlins as shown, and set purlins of lower tray on frame without fasteners.  Mount purlins of upper tray to frame with Unistrut #P2749 single-axis wheel trolleys, so that the upper tray can be rolled to the front for plant maintenance and back to the rear for growing.  Trays to be lined with food-grade waterproof liner ( suggested vendor http://www.aquaponics.com/ )
Download complete Unistrut Catalog: http://www.unistrut.com/DB/PDF1/Unistrut_16-Catalog.pdf
( Irrigation pumps, Aeration fountains and tank heaters and thermostats to be specified)

Aquaculture Tanks - Rim Frame

Here are a few images of the model for the aquaculture tank frames (3) I propose.  The purpose of this frame is to reinforce the top edge of the tank, hold the liner in place, and to provide a platform for setting plant flats, small potted plants on.  The colors shown indicate:
Yellow: top frame to hold tank shape, removable when water level is at or below floor level;
Red:  Rim reinforcement metal band, holds liner in place and reinforces sheet metal tank edge, removable when water level is at bottom of tank liner, for liner removal;
Blue: Steel angles connecting sheet metal tank sides together, also bolted to greenhouse wall girt and foundation wall, as the permanent tank anchor;

The frame assemblies are made of:
Yellow top frame: 1 1/2"x1 1/2" x/14" steel angles, welded to 12" dia. x 3/8" thick half-circle plate, and an angle seat and the end of each radial arm (4), and finally a semi-circle platform of 1x1 wire mesh;
Red rim frame: 4" x 1/8" steel band, with 1/4" steel clips w/ 3/8" space behind, to wrap entire tank perimeter;
Blue angle corners: 4" x 4" x 1/4" steel angle with 14-guage tank wall bolted to it w/ 1/4" round-head bolts at 4" o.c., and angle bolted to foundation wall and wall girt with 1/2" bolts.  Top of angle corner would be covered with a slip-plate to hold the rim frame in place.

Construction Documents - 16.April.2010

Construction Documents for Pricing 2010-Mar-04

Value-Engineered Pricing Sets