Vehicle Test Track, Flat Rock, Michigan
When Bosch needed a natural stone driving surface for a vehicle testing facility in Flat Rock, Michigan, the project demanded more than visual appeal. The surface had to perform under repeated vehicular use while delivering the long-term durability and permeability required for a demanding road and street-style application. Installed in summer and fall 2022, this 300-yard-long permeable natural stone test track became a compelling example of how a fully bonded hardscape system can support high-performance environments where conventional paving methods fall short.
PRODUCT SELECTION
The full ROMEX System Guarantee assembly with ROMEX D2000 jointing mortar was selected for this project because it combined the structural strength required for vehicular applications with the permeability essential to a high-performance hardscape assembly. For a natural stone driving surface subjected to repeated vehicle testing, the design team needed a system capable of holding up under load without sacrificing drainage performance. ROMEX D2000 is a two-component resin jointing mortar engineered for heavy-use applications, offering high mechanical strength, resistance to weed growth, and long-term permeability. Paired with the full RSG bedding and bonding assembly, it delivered the right balance of structural reliability, surface stability, and water management that a project of this complexity required.
PROJECT LOCATION
The project was completed at a Bosch-owned vehicle testing facility in Flat Rock, Michigan. Designed by Hubbell, Roth and Clark Engineers and installed by IAFRATE Construction of Warren, Michigan, the track measured approximately 300 yards in length, covering roughly 10,000 square feet of natural stone paving. Although the surface was not a public roadway, the performance requirements closely mirrored those of a roads and streets installation, placing the project firmly within the most demanding category of hardscape applications. Flat Rock sits in the greater Detroit metropolitan area, a region known for its industrial heritage and its high expectations for engineered surfaces built to withstand repeated mechanical stress.
PROJECT NEEDS
The primary need was specific and non-negotiable: design and install a durable, permeable natural stone paving system capable of functioning as a driving surface within an active vehicle testing environment. The project team required a solution that could absorb and distribute vehicular loads across the full surface assembly without joint failure, stone displacement, or drainage compromise. In a conventional testing environment, surface integrity under repeated passes is critical. Any joint failure, pooling, or surface instability would have undermined the facility’s ability to conduct accurate test simulations. Permeability was equally important. The facility intended to use the track for rain simulation testing, meaning the surface drainage characteristics needed to be measurable, consistent, and reliable. A conventional mortar or polymeric sand system would have introduced unpredictable drainage behavior, making controlled testing impossible. The design team needed a jointing system that performed with precision.
PROJECT SOLUTION
The full RSG assembly with ROMEX D2000 jointing mortar proved to be the right solution for the Flat Rock test track. By pairing a fully bonded natural stone assembly with ROMEX D2000, the project achieved a stable, durable, and highly permeable driving surface suited to the rigorous demands of vehicle testing. The bonded system locked each stone in place under load, eliminating the risk of surface disruption during repeated test passes, while the two-component resin formulation of D2000 ensured joints remained intact and structurally sound throughout the testing cycle.
The permeability of the finished surface exceeded expectations. After project completion, the customer reported that surface drainage performed at a level greater than anticipated, creating an unexpected challenge: the track drained so efficiently that conducting controlled rain simulation tests became difficult. It was an unintended outcome, but a telling one. A surface designed to perform under vehicles had inadvertently set a new benchmark for drainage performance. For the design and installation teams, it was confirmation that the ROMEX system had delivered precisely what a fully bonded, permeable hardscape assembly is engineered to do.
Natural stone driving surface for a vehicle testing facility
Flat Rock, Michigan
2022
Bosch
Commercial
