Devil in the Details: Accessories for Geosynthetics

It is no secret that many of us tend to pay more attention to global things, while smaller issues are often resolved in any random manner. Indeed, sometimes it might be fine to turn a blind eye to some details, but such an approach will not always turn out to be the most effective one.

Accessories for geosynthetic materials are by no means an unimportant component of a successfully implemented project.

We suggest looking into the types of accessories and their features.

TYPES OF ACCESSORIES

First of all, let’s start with saying what are accessories for geosynthetics. These devices are used to ensure the correct and complete functioning of the materials used in the project, and they also facilitate the installation process. One of the possible ways to classify geosynthetics accessories is according to their purpose. Therefore, we can talk about accessories for fastening, for fixing and for installation.

ACCESSORIES FOR FASTENING

Accessories for fastening are required to connect individual sections of the geocells.

Traditionally, pneumatic or mechanical (manual) construction staplers are used to connect individual sections of a three-dimensional geocell into a single design.

A pneumatic stapler does not require physical effort and allows to connect of geocells with high speed. The disadvantages of the pneumatic stapler include high cost, risk of injury, need for additional equipment (compressor), and regular maintenance.

A manual or mechanical stapler is more versatile and affordable in comparison with a pneumatic stapler. Additional equipment for a manual stapler is not required. The manual stapler is significantly less productive as it is impossible to work for a long time since workers quickly get tired, but it is also less traumatic.

To fasten geocells with the help of staplers, broadband metal U-shaped staples with a corrosion-resistant zinc coating are used.

  • CONNECTING DEVICE FAST-LOCK®

The FAST-LOCK® fastening key is a more modern and effective alternative to staplers and staples for fastening the sections of geocells through special oval holes in the walls of the cells, which are incorporated in the design of GEOCORD® and GEOSTEP® geocells.

FAST-LOCK® allows reducing costs due to the lack of additional equipment (stapler, compressor, generator). FAST-LOCK® is easy to use on steep slopes, in remote and inaccessible places. Unlike staplers, it is absolutely harmless and does not require special training.

The fastening key provides higher strength and reliability, as the material is resistant to aggressive environments and temperature influences.

An important functional advantage is that, if necessary, the structure fastened with FAST-LOCK® can be disassembled and the connecting devices can be reused.

ACCESSORIES FOR FIXING

Geocells require additional fixation when used for strengthening slopes. As a rule, in such cases, engineers resort to the help of anchors and cables.

  • •  ANCHORS

Metal anchors are made of hot rolled reinforcing steel of a periodic profile or smooth reinforcing steel and can be with a bend and without a bend.

The plastic anchor PRUTTEKS® is ideally suited for use in soft and loose soils, such as sand or backfill, and is not intended for use with hard, frozen, or rocky soils. Clamps in the upper part of the anchor serve for fixing the geogrid cells. Using clamps, you can connect two adjacent cells, as well as reliably fix the geocell to the slope, pressing the cells to the base as much as possible. PRUTTEKS® is cheaper than metal anchors, much lighter, which reduces the cost of logistics, and is also resistant to corrosion.

The GEOFORCE® composite anchor consists of two parts: a cane and a working part, interconnected by casting. GEOFORCE®‘s cane is made of fiberglass, while the working part is made of frost-resistant and impact-resistant composition based on polyethylene. The composite anchor has a high resistance to pulling and buckling and can be used on any type of soil.

  • •  ARM-CLIP

ARM-clip® is a plastic nozzle for metal reinforcements of a periodic profile (a modified version of the ATR-clip). ARM-clip® allows you to do without ready-made metal anchors for geocells. Instead, you can set up a production of anchors directly at the construction site, using rebars together with ARM-clip®. This will significantly reduce logistics costs.

  • •  ANCHOR CORD

Polyamide cord is used in slope reinforcement as an additional fastening element in order to ensure the calculated indicators of stability of slopes determined by the project. However, the cord system can perform the function of the only element holding the structure in case the use of anchors on the slope is impossible (this may be due to the presence of a waterproofing layer or a rocky base).

A properly designed cord system provides a more even load distribution between the individual sections of the geocells on the slope. The use of the cord in the construction is economically feasible, as it allows to increase the steepness of the slope, which gives a significant reduction in the volume of earthwork, as well as reduces the amount of materials needed for the structure.

Anchor cord is characterized by high strength, elasticity, resistance to abrasion, decay, and exposure to aggressive environments.

ACCESSORIES FOR INSTALLING

Accessories for laying geosynthetic materials accelerate the installation process of three-dimensional geocells and can be particularly convenient for GEOSTEP®, a weld-free geocell for slope reinforcement.

•  MOUNTING RACKS

Typically, the width of a GEOSTEP® roll is 3.2 meters. The mounting racks are used to quickly unwind GEOSTEP® when laying on a slope. The large winding length allows strengthening the slope completely from the sole to the edge, providing a solid reinforcement and avoiding any trimmings.

  • •  MOUNTING CROSS-BEAM

The mounting beam allows you to speed up the GEOSTEP® installation process. The distance between the hooks of the beam must be set in accordance with the size of the cells, then set the canvas and pull it towards you —GEOSTEP® will open quickly and evenly—.

The unique GEOSTEP® technology provides cost significant reduction thanks to a 50% faster installation.

A wide range of accessories allows us to develop an individual solution for each project, taking into account all the features, and choose the most profitable and effective option.

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