INSTALLATION GUIDELINE FOR SLOPE PROTECTION USING MACCAFERRI GREEN TERRAMESH

1.0 IMPORTANT NOTE The methodology of slope protection suggested in here applies to Maccaferri Green Terramesh as the surface protection medium. Thus, it is important to ensure that material used for this application shall have similar physical characteristic and mechanical properties as recommended in the Maccaferri specification and technical data sheet or the following suggestions may not be valid. For simplicity the word GTM is used to describe the material. The GTM units are supplied pre-assembled at the production facility. They are supplied in the collapsed form, folded and bundled. The bundles are compressed, strapped together, and wrapped with plastic at the factory for easy shipping and handling. Lacing wire is supplied in coils. The units shall be taken out from the bundle and placed on a hard flat surface. Green Terramesh units (GTM) shall be opened, unfolded and pressed out to their original shape. GTM units has erosion control element (Biomac) which is biodegradable and delicate. This element could be easily destroyed when proper care is not taken into consideration. It is advisable therefore to provide a storage area/warehouse for the GTM units to prevent damage. The storage area will prevent fire, rain, and other unwanted activity or condition that could tear down the GTM units especially the erosion control element.

2.0

INSTALLATION METHODOLOGY

2.1

SLOPE SURFACE and FOUNDATION PREPARATION

Slope surface shall be excavated as per the designers specifications, using a backhoe or other equivalent cutting equipment. The prepared slope surface should be smooth and free from loose rock particles, vegetation, roots, etc. including unstable soil which could detach easily from the slope surface shall be removed. The slope must be stable and properly cut. The foundation on which the Green Terramesh units are to be placed is composed of aggregate base layer 0.50m thick wrapped around with geotextiles. This layer improves the bearing capacity of the soil, therefore it important and requires proper monitoring during the preparation phase. Excavate the aggregate base layer as indicated in section drawings. In the event of surface irregularities, loose material, and vegetation, these shall be removed

during the preparation of the foundation. The foundation bed should be clean and properly compacted. After preparation of the foundation bed the next step is to lay the geotextiles. An overlap of 0.1m to 0.2m shall be adopted for every cut maid. It is to be kept open until the aggregate base layer are filled and compacted, after which it needs to be closed by wrapping around the geotextile to prevent contamination of the existing soil with the backfill soil.

2.2

INSTALLATION OF GREEN TERRAMESH UNITS

The preassembled GTM units are placed in position empty, placed on top of the aggregate base layer prepared as detailed above. The units shall be fastened to adjacent units along all edges in order to form a continuously connected, monolithic structural unit (See Figure 1). Fastening shall commence by twisting the end of the lacing wire tightly around the two selvedge wire ropes. It shall then pass round the two edges being joined using alternate single and double loops at 100 mm intervals (See Figure 2). Units hall be placed in position according to the required slope angle. Triangular steel brackets shall be rotated and securely attached to the bottom unit using a lacing wire.

Figure 1 Figure 2

It is recommended to arrange the construction period in several phases, preferably every 20 linear meters. Two crews may work parallel to each other, the first crew is responsible for slope surface and foundation preparation and the second crew is responsible for the installation of GTM. After the slope surface and foundation were prepared by the first crew the second crew will move in to install the GTM units and so on. The first crew then will move on for another 20m to prepare the slope surface and foundation.

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2.3

SOIL COMPACTION

Before proceeding with the filling and compaction phase, the subsurface drainage should be prepared already. It needs to be prepared in advance because this drainage layer will go up simultaneously with the GTM units. The recommended subsurface drainage is 0.20m or thicker. It is composed of a perforated pipe (100mm or larger) and aggregate drainage layer wrapped with geotextile. The water collected by the perforated pipe will be drained out to the existing trench drain beside the road. Placing of soil behind the facing of the GTM units starts by providing a vegetative soil for about 0.3 to 0.5m first and then with the fill soil (See Figure 3). Place soil fill in approximately 300mm lifts and compact it to the required level. Mechanically stabilized earth structures shall be made of a good quality, free draining and granular and/or selected fill. The recommended soil gradation is in the range of 0.02mm to 6mm, or as indicated in the project specifications. Soils outside of this range may be suitable, provided that they have been approved by a geotechnical engineer.

Figure 3

After a layer of soil has been placed, sufficient hand shoveling shall be performed to achieve a uniform top surface before soil compaction is performed. Soil compaction within 1 m of the face should be carefully performed with a walkbehind compactor to prevent any slope distortion or bulking of the unit. Compaction shall be performed to 95% of standard Proctor for every lift, by use of conventional compaction equipment (See Figure 4).

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The top return portion of the last unit on top of the structure shall be buried approximately 300mm beneath the soil surface face (See Figure 5).

2.4

VEGETATION

Hydro seeding shall be carried out as with an additional soil supplement eg. fertilizer and seed as per requirement to enhance vegetation growth. Seed mix and fertilizer shall be very site specific. Therefore, local experts may need to be consulted to assist in the correct selection. Using a native species increases the chance of survival. Irrigation may be necessary during dry season.

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