When mining activities on a site cease, owners and communities may face a number challenges: soil remediation, re-vegetation, isolating contaminants from waterways, runoff control, etc. Importantly, they ask: What else can be done with the site? Is it able to be beneficially reused? Geosynthetics commonly play a vital role in cleaning up and protecting sites. Geosynthetics also are key to how geotechnical engineers beneficially reuse these challenging sites for the betterment of their communities.
The Turkish Housing Authority’s conversion of an abandoned mine to a sprawling mixed-use development and expansive green space and recreation area exemplifies this work.
FROM ABANDONED MINE TO GREEN DEVELOPMENT
The Kayapark project is part of the extraordinary redevelopment and restoration of the 1.5 million m2 Kayaşehir valley. The project is being undertaken in four stages.
Where the abandoned mine was situated, developers were concerned with differential settlement. Architects envisioned filling the open pit voids, but they needed to be assured of stability if this 300,000 m2 phase was to be approved.
Tekno Maccaferri provided the geosynthetic solution to countering differential settlement. They proposed basal reinforcement of the abandoned mining zone. Paralink™ 200 geogrids, which feature a planar structure and consist of a monoaxial array of composite geosynthetics strips, were specified.
The housing authority’s chosen design company work with Tekno Maccaferri to customize the plan. Maccaferri’s proprietary software was utilized to evaluate geotechnical parameters and to meet the significant design life requirements while being economically acceptable.
The basal reinforcement was installed in perpendicular and bidirectional planes providing 200kN in both x and y directions. Differential settlement was managed with a 2% material strain.
The area was once an abandoned mine but now serves as a major vision of Istanbul’s future and a commitment to greener engineering and living. The Kayapark Project, when it is fully completed, will feature housing, numerous office buildings, a hotel, a congress hall, a sports hall, and more than 150,000 m2 of recreation space.
A total of 682,600 m2 of geogrid was supplied. Additionally, 102,000 m2 of clay liner was utilized in the project.
Learn more about Maccaferri’s international work with mining, remediation, and other geosynthetic engineering projects at www.maccaferri.com.
PROJECT DETAILS
Client: Emlak Konut
Contractor: Yapı & Yapı İnşaat
Design: Tekno Maccaferri
Geosynthetics: Paralink™ 200 & ParaGrid™ 100
Year Built: 2017
