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Soil reinforcement TENAX Geosynthetics products

Panel wall for confinement wall with geogrids reinforced soil

TENAX-EQUITER

Panel Wall System
The Panel Wall System is an innovative method for the construction of confinement walls with a
reinforced soil structure through the application of geogrids.

The Panel Wall System is unique and can be considered as a state of the art system, developed from
the joint cooperation between two of the most experienced and qualified companies in the market:
TENAX and EQUITER.
The cooperation between the two companies has allowed the development of a unique patented system
by EQUITER that delivers the maximum possible benefits and advantages when combining the use of
TENAX extruded geogrids reinforcement.

The Panel Wall system offers the best panel, the best geogrid and the best connection system, fully
supported by a comprehensive professional design approach.

The system components consist of:

EQUITER PRECAST REINFORCED CONCRETE PANELS
These are prefabricated concrete panels reinforced with welded wire mesh and having a constant
thickness of 140 mm. They are essentially classified in several types, but the standard panel size of 2.0
x 1.6 m allows making a broad surface extension (3.2m
2
/ panel) which is a guarantee of optimal
performance during the application and mounting of the system while preserving an excellent flexibility
in adapting to different geometric shapes in the project.

TENAX GEOGRID SOIL REINFORCEMENT
Placed behind the wall surface, these are integrated mono-oriented geogrids that are manufactured in a
continuous process with cross directional bars homogeneously connected to the high tensile longitudinal
strands to form a monolithic structure. The geogrids perforated continuous sheet structure performs
two critical functions. They allow for the secure anchorage of panels at the face of the structure as well as
ensuring that the soil behind the panelled wall is sufficiently reinforced to reduce the impact of any
horizontal forces onto the face.
Unlike other anchoring systems consisting of discrete strips or bars, Tenax geogrids provide a 100%
reinforcement coverage behind the concrete panels that are applied in such a way as to create a
longitunal UNIFORM reinforcement mechanism across the back of the vertical panels resulting in cost
effective and safe designs.


The benefits
The Panel Wall System offers many advantages to clients, specifiers and contractors when compared
with traditional methods such as gravity or reinforced concrete walls in retaining wall applications:
Cost savings when compared with concrete-reinforced retaining solutions or stone-clad walls;
The external wall face can be constructed with a variety of architectural designs through the
application of different finishing details and the composition of coloured construction elements as a
mosaic;
No practical height limitations;
The entire system is extremely durable, with possibility to use water-repellent wall coating,
antifreezing, and fire-resistant on demand;
Better resistance to dynamic effects arising from seismic activity;
100% reinforcement coverage is provided behind the panels thereby providing the crucial uniform
connection system required to maintain anchorage at the face.
No need for maintenance.
Better connection detail between panels: the geogrids provide an additional connection across panels
further strengthening the system.
The construction of the Panel Wall System is fast and easy due to the simplification of the anchoring
system allowing for a rapid and simple execution.


PANEL WALL - Applications

Construction of retaining walls
Slope crest enlargement
Construction of road and railway
embankments


PANEL WALL - Installations

Installation guidelines



Southern Ring Road near Verona,
new rest areas - Retaining walls with
heights varying from 1.4 to 4.0 m.

Montorsina (VI)
Intersection S.P. n. 31/43 Valdichiampo
with S.P. n. 33

San Don di Piave (VE)
Slip road linking Toll Gate Noventa di
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Piave to state highway S.S.14

S.S.9 Emilia
Cycling lane connection with bridge
over river Po
TENSILE STRENGTH OF TENAX TT GEOGRIDS (Certificate ITC DVT-0001 of 14.03.2011)
Characteristics u.m. TT 045 TT 060 TT 090 TT 120 TT 160
Junction strength kN/m 36 50 80 110 130
Long-term strength
(LTDS) at 120 years
kN/m 18.5 24.6 36.9 49.2 65.6
Strength at
2% elongation
kN/m 11.0 17.0 26.0 36.0 45.0


WALL COMPONENTS

The Panel Wall System consists of prefabricated concrete wall facing elements, geogrid reinforcement
layers made of high density polyethylene and a PVC-coated metal connection bar.
The reinforcing element
TENAX TT mono-oriented geogrids
TENAX geogrids are two-dimensional structures made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) manufactured
by extrusion and mono-directional drawing of the material. This technology produces reinforcing elements
with excellent technical properties which make their application for innovative solutions possible. TENAX
geogrids are chemically inert with a high tensile strength and modulus and are specifically produced for
the reinforcement of soils. The particles of soil or aggregate partially enter the geogrid openings creating
a complete intelocking effect, limiting relative movements and increasing the overall shear strength of the
soil/grid composite. The application of normal stress on the particles, produces soil compaction and an
interlocking effect between the two faces of the geogrid layers ensuring a highly effective level of
interlocking.
The composite soil-geogrid structure behaves like a single reinforced monolithic block where the insertion
of the geogrid provides the element an increased tensile strength in a material (backfill soil) that without
reinforcement would resist only compression. As a consequence the soil-geogrid structure combines the
high compression strength of the granular fill soil with the high tensile strength of the geogrids thus
creating a material with a higher rigidity and stability than the aggregate alone. The geogrids stress
absorbing capability, through re-distribution, further improves the resistance to static and dynamic loads in
the layer. TENAX geogrids are therefore an innovative and cost effective solution from both a technical and
economic viewpoint in all applications that require improved properties of granular, cohesive, loose or
conglomerate materials.

TENAX geogrids are manufactured and tested according to the procedures contained in the TENAX Quality
System put into effect and certified in conformity with the ISO 9001:2000 standard. Close control over
each stage of the production, storage, delivery and support process guarantees adherence and conformity
of the provided standards.
Construction Examples

Curves

Bridge abutment

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Precast concrete panel
The precast reinforced concrete panels - are pre-fabricated
concrete panels (minimum class Rck 350) reinforced with a
welded wire mesh (diameter of 6-10 mm) and having a
constant thickness of 140 mm. There are essentially three
panel types:
1. the base panel measures maximum 2.0 x 0.8 m;
2. the standard panel that has a size of 2.0 x 1.6 m and the
3. top panel with variable dimensions to adapt to the profile
of the embankment project up to a maximum 2 x 2.4 m.

Dinamic interlocking
The element of transverse wires tested for pull-out resistance of the reinforcement geogrid has been
evaluated experimentally, and it was observed an increase in the range of five to six times compared to a
reinforcement test specimen of exclusively linear development with the same contact surface.
Moreover, the increase in pull-out resistance has been raised by the capacity of the grid elements to bring
about a dynamic interlock phenomenon inside the backfill soil, while the openings in the geogrid
structure cause soil grains to get stuck inside as, during compaction operations, these particles are forced
into the openings of the mesh dilating the polymer substance of the reinforcement mesh. When, at the
end of the compacting action, the mesh openings tend to turn back to their original state, the internal
stress created envelops the granular ground particles and reduces the horizontal thrust of the backfill on
the face wall.


Backfill material
Typically constructed using compacted granular backfill, selected site-won or imported material. There is
also the opportunity to use carefully selected recycled or stabilized backfills within the reinforced soil mass
thereby dealing with environmental pressures concerning the use of natural resources.

Dolo (VE) Highway Road Link of Mestre
Bridge abutment

Panel facing






www.equiter.com
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