Weed Suppression: Community Garden Fence Line

In early June 2016, the Township of Langley faced a vegetation control issue at a community garden in Langley, BC. Overgrown vegetation had become entangled in the bottom of the existing fence, making maintenance difficult. Traditional solutions like asphalt or poured concrete were considered but ultimately deemed impractical due to the need for fence removal and extensive site preparation.

The Titan Solution

To overcome these constraints, 70 sq. m of 5mm Concrete Canvas (CC) GCCM was selected for its ease of installation and long design life—lasting 5 to 10 times longer than asphalt. The installation involved removing vegetation, repositioning geotextile, and filling root voids with gravel. Batched CC5 rolls were cut in half and laid longitudinally along the fence line. Holes were created for fence posts using a hole saw, and the material was slipped around posts and slid under the fence. Edges were folded and secured with screws, and overlapping panels were joined with additional screws. The CC was hydrated using garden hoses and rehydrated an hour later. Grout was applied to joints and holes for weed prevention and a clean finish.

Concrete Canvas® (CC) is a Geosynthetic Cementitious Composite Mat (GCCM), a factory-produced material combining cement within geosynthetic layers that hardens when hydrated for erosion control and weed suppression.

Achievement

The installation was completed efficiently in just 2.5 days by two installers, despite high temperatures reaching 28°C. The crews praised the simplicity and speed of the process, noting that Concrete Canvas was the only viable solution given the constraints of the existing fence. The final result provided durable, long-term vegetation control with minimal disruption to the site.