The L&T Knowledge City at Vadodara in Gujarat is the hub of several key businesses for the corporation, which controls a broad portfolio of hydrocarbon and power-related businesses. The Gujarat site utilized the support of a commercial reservoir, but when it became difficult to clean and maintain due to soil erosion and turbidity, a rehabilitation design was needed.
Geocell slope protection was specified to update the reservoir and provide long-term durability.
GEOCELL SLOPE PROTECTION
The steep slope of the reservoir was close to the road, which supported heavy traffic. While executing the project, it was crucial to eliminate any erosion from the top of the road’s crest. In addition, the curvature of the slope provided some additional challenge.
One approach to tackling this challenge would be to manually place a 300 mm thick layer of dry stone. Skilled labor is required for that work.
The L&T project engineers considered using stone, but it would’ve required significantly higher costs due to the specialized labor and the amount of time required to properly prepare and conduct the installation. It would have also required RCC bend to take the weight of the stone along the sloping face, which is an added cost for the project.
The faster-to-install solution involved geocell slope protection, which did not require any specialized labor. StrataWeb® SW660 x 125 from Strata Geosystems was selected and infilled with concrete over a geomembrane. The geocell variety was supplied in 12.63m panels, which conformed easily to the 12m slope, thus preventing any need for additional connections.
TAKEAWAYS
The geocell slope protection solution offered:
- Efficient installation using unskilled labor
- 20% transportation cost savings due to the geocell system loading and handling practice
- Reservoir’s scenic view was preserved without any obstruction
Learn more about Strata Geosystems’ geosynthetics and geotechnical engineering expertise
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