Reinforced soil structures
Whether widening existing road or rail corridors to increase capacity, stabilizing existing embankments in both cut and fill or creating new infrastructure, the need to minimize the land space needed for the works and reduce the need for removal of in situ materials and import new materials is key to delivering cost-effective and sustainable schemes.
Reinforced soil slopes, noise and sight bunds, walls and bridge abutments are proven techniques which enable construction at a much greater rate than traditional techniques, with significant cost savings and environmental benefits. For slopes up to 1:1, layering of reinforcement can enable the reuse of site-won materials whilst erosion control mats enable the establishment of vegetation and offer long-term prevention of surface erosion. Steeper slopes up to 70º from the horizontal can be built with layered reinforcement and either a wraparound or integral mesh facing, reusing site won fill and enabling the establishment of surface vegetation or installation of stone facings. Steeply sloping vegetated bunds are often used alongside infrastructure projects in urban environments to minimize the visual and noise disruption posed by the traffic; the use of steep slopes instead of rigid barriers enables reuse of surplus site won fill materials reducing exportation to landfills whilst the face angle and vegetation provide better noise absorption and dispersal than rigid faces.
For walls and bridge abutments the same layering of reinforcement combined with steel mesh facing, modular concrete blocks or thin concrete panels can be used to build vertical faces whilst the designs can accommodate high surcharges including bridge bank seats or vehicular parapet walls. Conventional solutions such as gabions, mass concrete, concrete cantilever, crib or piled walls all work by passively resisting the soil’s self-weight. The distinct advantage of reinforced soil solutions is that they are internally stabilized with the reinforcement’s tensile strength being mobilized by the self-weight of the soil and surcharge loads.
Enkagrid G and PRO are used to provide internal stability for the soil mass within reinforced steep slopes. Micro stability of the facing soils and vegetation support can be provided with Enkamat or HF wovens with the vegetation established to ensure the finished structures blend into the environment.
Blockwalls are an economical and esthetical alternative to traditional mass concrete and steel shaped retaining structures. Additional to the Enkagrid reinforcement, Enkadrain secures the dry constant soil parameters to further increase the stability of the structure.
Functions:
- Reinforcement of steep slopes and earth wall structures
- Drainage of retaining walls or embankments
- Erosion control to slope faces
- Vegetation support
Relevant products:
