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CONSTRUCTION WORLD
APRIL
2015
GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING
With production facilities on three
continents as well as branch
offices
and
representatives
around the globe, Geobrugg is
always close to its customers.
High-tensile steel wire
Geobrugg solutions are based on netting
and mesh made from high-tensile steel wire
with a tensile strength of 1 770 N/mm
2
. Its
high cutting resistance, excellent energy
absorption capacity, and long lifetime with
low maintenance requirements make this
an outstanding material. In fact, Geobrugg
solutions set world records, as seen in the
certification test where a Geobrugg ring net
stopped a 20-ton concrete cube travelling at
an impact velocity of 103 km/h.
Compared with conventional varieties
of wire, high-tensile steel wire requires
significantly lower diameters to deliver the
same – or even higher – levels of stability
and toughness.
Innovation as tradition
Since Geobrugg’s first avalanche preven-
tion structure of wire ropes was created in
1951, it has continued to develop innova-
tive mechanical protection systems. Central
are ropes, nets and meshes of high-tensile
steel wire. From these Geobrugg configures
systems capable of coping with the most
varied threat scenarios.
Field tests ensure true
protection
The performance of Geobrugg protection
systems is not determined by calculation
alone. It tests their systems according to the
world’s most rigorous directives in 1:1 field
tests with impact and tearing tests. At the
same time the performance parameters of
all system components are regularly moni-
tored by independent testing institutions.
Why are these systems
more economical?
Geobrugg produces nets and meshes on
three continents with precisely controllable
production technology. This reduces the
logistic expenditure and improves flexibility.
Thanks to GEOBRUGG SUPERCOATING®
and GEOBRUGG ULTRACOATING®, the latest
generation of zincaluminum wire coating, its
products have three and 10 times longer life
respectively than wires with zinc galvanisa-
tion only.
Project and risk-related
There are no standard solutions for complex
threat situations. That is why Geobrugg
analyses every hazard situation prior to
developing individual and often totally new
protection systems, based on highly special-
ised know-how.
In all cases Geobrugg will act as
consultant with analysis, staking out, anchor
testing, installation and acceptance, while
in cases of special threats or requirements,
it will be involved with engineering special
solutions, adapting construction and doing
project-specific trials or tests.
Services
In complex situations that involve poten-
tially dangerous conditions, there is no such
thing as a one-size-fits-all solution. That's
why Geobrugg analyses every hazardous
situation before it develops customised or
entirely new solutions. These solutions are
sound because they are based on the highly
specialised expertise Geobrugg has accumu-
lated from more than 60 years of processing
steel wire.
Consultation
Goebrugg
provides
two
avenues
of
consulting support for customers, planners,
and building contractors: design consul-
tation (needs analysis, surveying, anchor
testing, and installation) and acceptance.
Software
The right system specifications will provide
reliable protection against rock fall, debris
FULL SOLUTIONS INSTEAD
of individual products
Geobrugg produces complete protection systems against
rockfall, unstable rock and loose rock slopes, landslides, debris
flow and avalanches. At the same time it supports the ordering
party, planner and building contractor with its know-how from
related spheres of application.
About Geobrugg
• Geobrugg AG is the specialist
supplier of protection systems in
the geotechnical, architecture and
security industries.
• Geobrugg AG is an operating
company of the Swiss BRUGG Group.
• The Geobrugg Group has an
annual worldwide turnover of
approximately CHF100-million.
• Geobrugg AG’s main office and
factory is at Romanshorn on
Lake Constance in the eastern
part of Switzerland.
• The BRUGG Group had a turnover of
approximately CHF700-million
in 2010 and is one of Europe’s
largest steel rope and associated
product manufacturers.
• In 2011 Geobrugg AG celebrated 60
years protection systems against
natural hazards. Back in 1951
engineers from the Kabelwerke
Brugg produced wire rope nets that
were used for the first avalanche
prevention structure.
>
SPIDER® rock protection
being installed.