Eco-friendly Construction Technology

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Strata Geosystems (India) Pvt Ltd established in 2004 is a JV with Strata Systems Inc. USA. The company provides sustainable, eco-friendly and cost-effective geotechnical solutions. Company’s General Manager - Business Development, Gautam Dalmia briefs on the products and systems suitable for roads, storage yards and industrial flooring. What are the products & systems offered by the company? With an ISO certified manufacturing plant at Daman, Strata provides end-to-end technical solutions, from design to execution for geotechnical applications such as reinforced soil walls, slope protection and stabilization, erosion control, foundation improvement for structures and embankments and steep slope embankments.

StrataGrid is manufactured using high molecular weight (?25000 g/mol) and high tenacity polyester yarn. The yarns are precision knitted into a dimensionally stable network of apertures providing tensile reinforcement capacity in both directions. A proprietary UV stabilized saturation bitumen coating enhances chemical and mechanical properties of StrataGrid™, increasing its life and enabling its usage in harsh soil conditions.
StrataWeb is a lightweight, but strong, three-dimensional honeycomb shaped cellular confinement system. It can be used as a foundation reinforcement mat for improvement of load bearing capacities of weak soils and as an erosion control barrier for slope surfaces.
StrataBase is a geogrid made up of extruded polypropylene which provides superior stiffness, structural reinforcement, aperture stability and interlock capabilities. It reduces lateral spreading of the base course thereby increasing the structural performance. It helps in reducing the aggregate thickness. StrataBase can be used for various applications like railway trackbed stabilization, base reinforcement for flexible pavements, airport runways, etc.
StrataBlock reinforced soil wall is a composite system consisting of concrete block units in combination with a mass of soil that is reinforced and stabilised by StrataGridTM.
StrataWall is a T-shaped / Square shaped concrete panel-faced reinforced soil wall system. The granular backfill is reinforced with StrataGrid to create an internally stabilized mass of reinforced soil, which withstands both static as well as dynamic loads. StrataGrid is connected to the concrete panels using a positive mechanical connection of galvanized steel loops and PVC covered galvanized steel rod.StrataWall is a cost effective alternative to comparable steel soil reinforcement or conventional reinforced cement concrete retaining walls.
StrataSlope an environment-friendly green-faced solution can substantially increase usable land and offers the land developer the flexibility to create stable structures that fit the natural contours of the land.In addition, the cost associated with StrataSlope is significantly lower than those associated with comparable alternates.

The BEBO precast arch system was developed utilizing both the above concepts as a precast concrete arch bridge system in Switzerland. This precast system comprises precast arches which are transported to the site and installed piece by piece to form a full bridge. The arches are fabricated at a central casting yard using patented moulds. The precast arch system offers the world's largest span for precast arches offering spans from 3.6m to 31m.

How are these solutions eco-friendly? The products are engineered in such a way that they utilise minimal raw materials during the construction process, reducing the pressure on the ever scarce natural resources. We encourage the reuse of waste materials like fly ash in construction work which helps to cut down the quantum of cement consumed.Absolutely nothing is disposed or sent to the landfill from the manufacturing plants. StrataSlope can substantially increase usable land for change-of-grade applications, leading to many interesting benefits such as creating usable space at the top or toe of the slope and eliminating the cost of concrete facing elements. It offers the land developer the flexibility to create stable structures that fit the natural contours of the land. Likewise StrataWeb reduces erosion on slopes arising due to rains, wind and other factors. Multiple infill options are available including vegetation, providing the option for a green aesthetic facing by allowing vegetation to grow at the face.

The construction industry growth in India, China and Middle East, on account of rising expenditure on infrastructure development is expected to be a crucial driving factor for geosynthetics market growth. Increasing application of geotechnical products for controlling seepage problems in building and real estate projects is expected to have a favourable impact. What are the applications of such systems in Indian building & infrastructure sector? There are several uses for these systems across the building and infrastructure sector. Applications like erosion control and reinforced soil structures are quite popular and have delivered successful results where applications like ground improvement pertaining to infrastructure sector are new. The most common challenges faced in India pertaining to geotextiles are, lack of awareness of the technology, the technical & design aspects and quality aspects. Moreover, there is no uniformity in the codes across the various sectors. Once, the technical knowledge is disseminated with the various stakeholders such as architects, consultants, developers etc., the adoption of these systems will increase organically. What is the global and Indian growth potential for the geosynthetic systems? As per a research report Global geosynthetics market is expected to reach USD 27.08 billion by 2022. The APAC region dominates the geosynthetics market and will generate revenues worth over USD 5 billion by the end of the forecast period. Increasing investments in infrastructure-related projects by countries like India, China, and Malaysia will necessitate the usage of geosynthetics over the next four years. Additionally, geosynthetics are also being used to control soil erosion in reservoirs and coastal areas. Consequently, the demand for geosynthetics in this region is expected to be quite high through the forecast period. Advances will arise from growing concerns regarding environmental protection and greater awareness of the performance advantages of geosynthetics in a wide variety of applications, allowing geosynthetics to gain market share at the expense of other geotechnical solutions, including organic erosion control blankets, aggregate, and compacted soil. Additionally, the implementation of more stringent regulatory standards for environmental stewardship, waste management, and construction codes will provide opportunities for geosynthetics. Project Case Study Client: DLF Home Developers Ltd. Location: DLF Golf Course, Gurgaon Objective: DLF set about re-designing its 18 holes golf course into a grand 27-holes facility in the heart of Gurgaon in 2014, to be India's best, boasting of world-class greens and facilities. The redesign of the golf links required the terrain undulating to heights as much as 30m to 40m. In some cases the slope is 2H: 1V and a few are as steep as 1H: 1V. Such heights and steep slopes caused heavy soil erosion along the slopes during the rains. Design Solution: Strata offered slope protection using its StrataWebgeocells over the slopes to arrest soil erosion. 27,000 sqm of StrataWeb were installed within two months to meet client’s deadlines. Strata Geosystems India provided designs, supply and installation. StrataWeb was installed in difficult conditions where the slope was 40m high with a steep gradient of 1H : 1V. StrataWeb proved its worth when, after installation, there were heavy downpours and no erosion was observed. Benefits to Clients: StrataWeb proved to be a time-saver and quite effective.StrataWeb worked out to be more economical than the mulch and hessian cloth option. In fact, it was virtually impossible to place mulch and hessian cloth over the slope of 1H: 1V. StrataWeb® requires no maintenance. Infilling with vegetated soil served the landscaping essentials of the golf course. StrataWeb is environment friendly. Besides zero quarrying needs depending on the infilling, the light and collapsible material reduces transportation requirements, resulting in a lower carbon footprint.

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