With the commercialization of geocell soil confinement technology in the early 1980s, Presto Geosystems made history as one of the early pioneers in the world of geosynthetics. Over four decades later, that innovative spirit is as alive today as it was at the beginning of our journey. Presto Geosystems, the leader in geocell technology, announces the publication of the industry´s first Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for geocells. This milestone reinforces Presto Geosystems’ ongoing commitment to reliable infrastructure and environmental quality. What is an Environmental Product Declaration? An EPD is a transparent, objective report that communicates what a product is made of and how it impacts the environment across its entire life cycle. The EPD, based on rigorous life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology, provides a comprehensive overview of the environmental impacts associated with the production, use, and disposal of Presto Geosystems’ GEOWEB® geocell system. This independent declaration includes key metrics such as carbon dioxide performance, energy consumption, and natural resource usage, all of which are vital factors influencing the overall environmental footprint of soil stabilization and erosion control solutions in civil and structural applications. The EPD follows established international standards, including ISO 14025, lending to the credibility and consistency of the… Read more »
Posts By: Katie Bocskor
Understanding Hoop Stress and Wall Tension in Geocells
Written By: Samantha Justice, P.E., Bryan Wedin, P.E. Geocells provide one of the most powerful solutions available to engineers and contractors when designing and constructing roadways over soft and weak subgrades. With a successful track record of over 40 years, geocells have proven effective in load support applications over challenging conditions. If you’ve ever wondered how geocells work in load support applications – and the relationship between lateral confinement, hoop stress and wall tension – you’ve come to the right place. Geocells are used to alter vertical stresses beneath an applied cyclical load. When a vertical, cyclical load is applied over geocells, active earth pressures develop in the loaded cell. These pressures arise due to the friction between the infill material and the cell wall. This friction pushes back against the passive earth pressure in the adjacent cells, helping to support the load. Refer to Figure 1. The balance of active and passive earth pressures activates the hoop stress in the cell walls, which increases the stiffness and bearing capacity of infill material. The infill material is confined within the individual cells with no chance of displacement, or lateral or vertical spreading and the result is increased stiffness. In effect,… Read more »
Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Announces $1.1 Billion Available in the Railroad Crossing Elimination (RCE) Grant Program
The inaugural Railroad Crossing Elimination (RCE) grant program was designed to eliminate or improve roadway and railroad at-grade crossings, with the goal of making roads/rails safer while improving commute times for citizens. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation website, “this program provides funding for highway-rail or pathway-rail grade crossing improvement projects that focus on improving the safety and mobility of people and goods.” The grant program helps fund projects that involve: repairing grade separations, relocating tracks, upgrading or improving protective devices, signals, or signs, maintaining at-grade crossings, and more. With safety as the top priority for the DOT, repairing and maintaining high-impact areas is critical so the potential for collisions or blockages can be prevented. Applications for funding are due no later than 11:59 p.m. EST, September 23, 2024. Visit USDOT website for more information and to apply for funding >> The GEOWEB® System stabilizes high-impact and crossing areas safely and quickly, limiting track downtime. Areas subjected to heavy stresses at bridge approaches, diamonds, turn-outs, and crossings create the highest maintenance and safety liabilities for operations. The GEOWEB Soil Stabilization System (Geocells) is effective in reducing maintenance in these high impact areas. The GEOWEB 3D Soil Confinement System has been… Read more »
Energy Infrastructure and Climate Change: Protecting Erodible Slopes in Fire-Prone Areas
Energy infrastructure is critical to the functioning of modern societies, and its protection against natural disasters and environmental threats is a top priority. Climate change exacerbates these disaster risks, with extreme weather conditions and wildfires being of particular concern, considering potential damage to the energy infrastructure and disruption of energy supply. Wildfires cause rapid, severe destruction, and, aside from damage to infrastructure, can impact our climate, vegetation, and atmosphere. To measure the size and impact wildfires have, scientists use observations from several low Earth-orbit satellites, including the Copernicus Sentinel-3. These tracking satellites gather shortwave-infrared data combined with other techniques to differentiate between burned areas and other low reflectance covers such as clouds. The European Space Agency (ESA) compiles that long-term dataset to analyze global fire trends. According to the ESA, fire affects an estimated four million square kilometers (1.5 million square miles) of Earth´s land each year [1]. That is 400,000,000 hectares (990,000,000 acres) yearly—about half the size of the United States of America, an area larger than the country of India. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Rapid Response Assessment on Wildfires compiles findings from over 50 experts from research institutions, government agencies, and international organizations around the globe, and… Read more »
Creep is not a factor for geocell load support
Written by: Bryan Wedin, Chief Engineer An accurate understanding of creep resistance is essential to proper material selection when using polymers, and in the case of geocells, this science is being misapplied. The definition of creep deformation is “the tendency of a solid material to move slowly or deform permanently under the influence of mechanical stress.” This potential failure mode creates fear and uncertainty among designers wherever the possibility of creep factors exists. Yes, creep can occur in almost all materials including plastics, metals, and concrete. In cases such as bridge and building design, it is important to properly understand creep factors and account for creep in engineering calculations. However, in the case of designing with geocells for load support, creep factors have no relevance. What causes creep? In order for creep to occur, two factors must be present: 1) A constant load applied to the area and 2) A sustained deformation of the geocells. Creep only applies when there is a sustained load on a material for an extended period. In a case of repeated on- and off-loading, this type of deformation would be governed by fatigue, not by creep, because it is not a constant applied load. The… Read more »
Using Geosynthetics to Stabilize Soils in a Harsh Environment
By Dhani Narejo, PE, Bruno Hay, and Bryan Wedin, PE Mine Site Erosion Problems One of the largest nickel mining sites in the world is located on the South Pacific island of New Caledonia. Due to the size of the mining project and the terrain of the site, significant cut-and-fill work for civil engineering structures was unavoidable. Given the magnitude of the site, the challenge of safeguarding the structures against erosion is formidable. Inaction is not an option due to the sensitive nature of the structures, environmental concerns, and a keen desire by the owners to protect the environment. A typical example of the erosion at the site is the slope in Figure 1. Such slopes require continuous maintenance if the erosion problem is not addressed. In some cases, erosion can cause interruption in the mobility of materials and personnel at the site. Several erosion-control measures had been successfully used at the site, including riprap and concrete. An alternate erosion control system was desired by the owner that would meet the following objectives: Be cost-effective, Require little or no maintenance, Utilize local labor and materials, Have a design life exceeding 50 years. Soil, topography, weather Ultrabasic soils cover about one-third… Read more »
Why Geocells Outperform Geogrids for Road Construction
Geocells (cellular confinement system CCS) offer a more effective and practical 3D design solution to load support challenges than multilayered 2D geogrid efforts. Geocells transfer applied loads instantaneously, delivering practical soil stabilization in a product that is fast and easy to install. How do geogrids work? Geogrids rely on rutting, displacement and lateral movement of the road material to activate the load support reaction of the product. As shown below, failure of the driving surface must occur before the geogrid reacts. As a result, rutting and soil displacement is a prerequisite reality to the system. Since the geogrid is two-dimensional, material not located directly within the plane occupied by the geogrid is free to move, shift and displace. It is essential that geogrids are placed in a flat or a pre-tensioned manner—but that is not practical in a construction environment. It is common to see geogrids unrolled over a prepared grade with an undulating surface. As aggregate is placed over the top of the geogrid, the material kinks and waves, further warping the 2D plane. The geogrid is rarely pulled tight during installation which does not allow full tension under load. Geogrids are difficult to… Read more »
Geosynthetics and PFAS: Understanding the Role of Polymer Processing Aids in Geosynthetics
Written By: Michael Dickey, P.E., Director of Presto Geosystems Like many other industries, geosynthetics manufacturers are navigating the rapidly evolving landscape of new per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) regulations. However, in the case of geosynthetic products, an interesting and seemingly paradoxical question emerges: Is it possible that the same products that have been designed to solve complex environmental problems, and even contain pollutants, could also be a possible contributing source of PFAS? In this article, we explore this question and discuss the historic role of polymer processing aids (PPAs) in the production of geosynthetics. What Does Intentionally vs Unintentionally Added PFAS Mean? Since the discovery of PFAS in the 1930s, these compounds have been widely used in manufacturing operations worldwide—both intentionally and unintentionally. In a recent article published by the American Bar Association, the concept of intentional versus unintentional use of PFAS is discussed, and in the case of the latter, the use of fluorinated PPAS used in thermoplastics processing is highlighted as a well-known unintentional PFAS source. How this concept relates to traditional geosynthetics manufacturing is discussed further below. Eliminating Polymer Processing Aids (PPAs) from Geosynthetics Production of geosynthetic products such as geogrids, geomembranes, and geocells commonly involves sheet… Read more »
Ballast Stabilization Using Geocells
The Often Overlooked Importance of Junction Efficiency as a Key Design Consideration A significant number of research studies have been carried out to investigate the benefits of using geocells in railway track bed applications. Combined with an ever-expanding list of successful projects from around the world, the benefits of using geocells in rail ballast stabilization is well-documented. Rail operators understand that durable track geometry starts with a solid foundation, and geocells have emerged as a powerful value engineering tool for reinforcing ballast and sub-ballast layers while optimizing layer thicknesses. Many practitioners may not be aware of the critical role that geocell junctions (both mechanical and internal) play in ensuring that the installed system performs in a uniform and consistent manner. In track bed stabilization applications, non-uniform junction performance can lead to differential settlement and localized subsidence—which in turn can lead to serviceability issues, damage to the overlying structure/pavement, and a reduction in overall design life. In essence, poor junction performance can nullify all the intended benefits of a geocell system. This article will succinctly discuss the different types of junctions present in geocell systems, failure mechanisms and test methods, and the concept of junction efficiency as a performance parameter. Types… Read more »
Conserving Natural Resources Using Geosynthetics
Written By: Cory Schneider, Environmental Scientist, Presto Geosystems Natural resources are finite, or at a minimum, can easily be consumed faster than they can be replaced. As such, the conservation of natural resources is a pragmatic endeavor. Geosynthetics—widely available materials used in construction, civil engineering, and environmental protection—can be useful in promoting the conservation of these resources. When used as intended, geosynthetics can enhance soil properties and reduce the demands placed on natural resources. Types of Geosynthetics Geosynthetics are typically made from synthetic polymers, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and/or polyester, and are designed to be durable and resistant to weathering and other environmental factors. General groupings of geosynthetics include: geotextiles, geogrids, geomembranes, geocells, erosion control blankets (ECBs), and turf reinforcement mats (TRMs). Geotextiles (permeable) and geomembranes (impermeable) provide separation, while geogrids and geocells provide varying degrees of stabilization and confinement. ECBs and TRMs, made with a combination of natural and synthetic fibers, resist surficial erosion by preventing seed washout prior to germination. Application areas where these geosynthetic materials are used typically include: load support, slope, shoreline, and channel protection, and earth retention. Using Geosynthetics in Load Support Applications to Conserve Natural Resources In load support applications, geogrids, geotextiles, and geocells… Read more »
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