Strata Geosystems has steadily expanded its presence around the world in geosynthetics. To further expand its offerings and delivery times, the company established a new manufacturing facility in Gujarat, India; and, it enhanced the grade slab support with its own materials. Chiefly, Strataweb® geocells.
The 150,000 ft.2 Western India site will house next-generation machinery and automation processes. This facility design required the plant flooring to be leveled and able to carry the heavy loads of the pre-fabricated structure. A firm deadline was put in place for finishing the works: June 2018, which is when the monsoon season is expected to begin.
The construction team needed to expedite construction while supplying the essential heavy load support.
GRADE SLAB SUPPORT WITH GEOCELLS
Because of the condensed construction window, the essential grade slab had to be put in place for the flooring to be installed. This would enable the heavy equipment installation process to begin.
However, speeding up the geotechnical support is potentially costly. More natural materials might need to be trucked into the site to provide a strong enough base. Strata’s team of civil engineers recommended the geocellular solution, as it would be cost-effective, technically-sound, and more sustainable than designs that require thick layers of special fills. (That is the standard approach in India.) The geocelluar solution for enhancing grade slab support was also far simpler to transport and install.
The use of StrataWeb® SW356-150 allowed the construction team to use locally and readily available soils.
The geocell-supported construction area was a little more than 83,000 ft.2.
With the geocell heavy-load support quickly in place, the site crew was able to begin the expedited construction of the new manufacturing plant. Photo by Strata Geosystems.
ADDITIONAL VALUE
The use of geocells for the base stabililty saved 25% on the construction time (against the planned time that would have been required for the conventional grab slab support system). It also saved an estimated 12% on construction costs. In being a lightweight solution, it significantly lowered the transport and installation costs. Overall, it provided a highly sustainable solution—and one that allows Strata to continue advancing its business while having its own production center serve as an exemplary use of geosynthetics.
Learn more about Strata Geosystems’ geosynthetics and geotechnical engineering expertise.
