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CONSTRUCTION WORLD
SEPTEMBER
2016
HIGH-STRENGTH GEOGRID REINFORCEMENT MATERIALS
GEOTECHNICAL
“Secugrid
®
– a high-performance, soil
reinforcement product produced with
state-of-the-art manufacturing tech-
nology – strengthens naturally unstable soil and
subgrades to be able to withstand the loading
conditions imposed by modern engineering
demands,” says Darryn Meisel, national sales
manager, Fibertex South Africa.
“Secugrid is available in both biaxial form,
for use in basal reinforcement applications and
uniaxial form, for use in other markets. These
applications comprise mechanically stabilised
earth walls, including veneer stabilisation, the
segmental retaining wall market, embankment
reinforcement and pile cap platforms.
“Secugrid is available in biaxial grades of up
to 80 kN/m (ultimate tensile strength) and in
uniaxial grades of up to 400 kN/m, or 1 200 kN/m
with Secugrid HS
®
. However, realistic design
conditions demand a strength transfer in the
range of less than 2%, which is the critical factor.”
Geogrid reinforcement decreases the
dependency on base course thickness, also
extending service life and reducing long-term
maintenance needs.
Secugrid is manufactured from extruded
monolithic PET or PP strands that are drawn to
orientate the polymers into high-tenacity flat
bars to achieve a high modulus i.e. high strength
at low elongations. This, combined with the
NAUE patented welding technology, provides a
structurally sound and stable geogrid.
Furthermore, the surface of the bars are
embossed, inducing additional frictional inter-
action with the soil.
This enables the Secugrid to pick up the load
transfer quickly through both an interlocking and
Fibertex South Africa – distributors in South Africa for the German
manufactured Naue Geosynthetics range of geogrids – supplies
durable PET (polyester) and PP (polypropylene) high-strength
geogrid reinforcement materials for engineering applications,
including mining, environmental, infrastructure and marine
engineering projects.
Secugrid’s high strength monolithic welded
junctions provide a structurally sound and
stable geogrid suitable for basal reinforce-
ment and mechanically stabilised earth walls,
including veneer stabilisation and segmental
retaining walls.
Fibertex South Africa also supplies Combi-
grid
®
, a combination Secugrid/Geotextile com-
posite product. Combigrid delivers reinforce-
ment, filtration, separation and drainage all
in one product and is predominantly used in
conjunction with soft and low CBR soil, where
reinforcing in combination with separation and
filtration is needed.
frictional effect, with little or nomovement in the
overlying soil materials.
Secugrid is supplied in rolls and is easy
to handle; quick and efficient to install, with
minimal demand on labour resources. The
product is also highly resistant to biological and
chemical degradation and installation damage.
Secugrid is a robust reinforcement material
that can be easily and safely installed during
virtually all weather conditions, without the
need for heavy equipment or special construc-
tion techniques.
Panels are joined and continuity is assured
with simple overlaps depending on the appli-
cation. Standard cutting tools can be used
for on-site trimming and various geometrical
shapes for steep sided slopes can be formed
when necessary.
In addition to the standard Secugrid range,
Fibertex South Africa also supplies Combigrid®
– a combination Secugrid/Geotextile composite
product. Combigrid delivers reinforcement, filtra-
tion, separation and drainage all in one product.
This product is predominantly used in conjunc-
tion with soft and low ‘California Bearing Ratio’
(CBR) soil, where reinforcing in combination with
separation and filtration is needed. For example,
in base and embankment reinforcement and
load transfer platforms of pile caps.
These geogrids are manufactured to
stringent international specifications, including
EN ISO 9001:2000, ensuring uniformity and
high quality.
Fibertex South Africa supplies an exten-
sive range of environmentally-friendly geo-
synthetic products from its KwaZulu-Natal,
Gauteng and Western Cape facilities that
encompasses nonwoven and woven geotex-
tiles, gabions and mattresses, drainage pipes
and fittings and erosion control and cellular
confinement solutions.
The company also supplies soil reinforcing
products, including geogrids and geocells, as
well as geosynthetic clay liners and geomem-
branes as part of composite lining systems used
in modern landfills and for other environmental
protection applications.
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