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Vertical drainage in underground walls featuring geosynthetics
In walls in contact with the soil, moisture and water seepage can undermine the stability and longevity of the structure, while also potentially making interiors such as cellars, basements or other underground rooms unhealthy. Geosynthetics like studded membranes and drainage geocomposites play a key role in protecting foundations, preserving the integrity of waterproofing, and draining water. In this age of climate change, with extreme events like weather bombs bringing huge amounts of water to be "eliminated", it is imperative to preserve the integrity of underground walls — being in direct contact with the soil — the protection of which needs to be suitably redesigned. Some of the main considerations to be factored in to the design of foundation walls include: · the site's topography · the type of soil (slimy, sandy, gravelly) · the expected amount of water based on historical rainfall records · whether there is considerable groundwater present. To deal with these many and varied situations, sometimes with more than one factor in play, the solutions to be adopted are aimed at protecting the waterproofing layer and draining water fully.
Geosynthetic barriers against radon and other gasses
The remediation of former industrial sites with contaminated soil is one of the major ecological challenges of our time. Those containing radon are even a public health issue and gas drainage is mandatory and must be implemented. Geotextiles offer a quick and cost-effective solution to this issue. The combined solution of a waterproofing membrane and of a geotextile installed horizontally under the concrete slab constitutes a real barrier against radon and other gases from the ground. Containment is based on the application of a drainage geocomposite to create a preferential path and prevent gas from accumulating below the membrane. Drained gases are discharged to one or more collectors placed on the periphery of the treated area and connected to one or more outlet stacks. Under certain conditions, providing a gas barrier by overlapping membrane strips is sufficient, while in other cases waterproofing the geomembrane by welding is necessary. Apart from economic considerations, the benefits are also practical : the concrete slab being directly applied onto the geotextile in no time. Moreover, the usage of geotextile avoid the treatment and removal of contaminated soil. Here again, geotextiles offer an efficient and lasting answer to an important ecological issue.
Saving space with reinforced vertical walls
In the urban environment, space is a key resource that is becoming more and more limited. Flyovers and bridges are vital infrastructure elements to solve traffic and mobility problems, but their ground footprint is a critical aspect when it comes to sustainable development. Building vertically presents numerous advantages, notably the ability to make the most of limited ground space and enhance overall quality of life. Planar and high-adherence geostrips, ensure long-lasting performance of a vertical wall’s system: resilience in harsh conditions and highly alkaline environments; adaptability to unusual structures or obstructions; friction and pullout capacity in every terrain and an excellent response in areas with high seismic risk.
Geosynthetics provide proven economical solutions which reduce CO2 footprint of infrastructure
Civil Engineers, planners and contractors who often support complex infrastructural projects such as direct economic highways, airports and other traffic routes often find themselves having to build on poor soils, marshlands and sometimes even land that needs to be reclaimed! In many cases, the sub-grade is too weak to allow construction to proceed at a normal rate. Soft, cohesive soils are very slow to consolidate. 90% settlement can take up to 20-25 years without the use of vertical drains for soil consolidation. Prefabricated vertical drain are not only providing a solution for fast soil improvement : it significantly reduces the needs of new material to substitute the soil in place, preserving the natural resources.
New LCA on Waterways available on EAGM website.
A comparative life cycle assessment of geosynthetics versus conventional construction materials, filter function in a river construction is now available on the EAGM website. The conclusions are: 1: Overall, the geosynthetic alternative causes between 10% and 50% less ecological impacts than the gravel/sand alternative 2: Greenhouse gas emissions are reduced by 12 to 26% through the use of geosynthetics 3: The cumulative energy requirement is reduced by 13% to 28% through the use of geosynthetics More information can be found on the EAGM website at Case 5 Water Ways | EAGM