Company:
TenCate Geosynthetics Americas Pendergrass, GA

Project Details

Fabric 1

Geogrid
Producer: TenCate Geosynthetics
Supplier: TenCate Geosynthetics


Engineer Company 1
Klenkhart & Partner Consulting ZT GmbH, Austria

Design Company
Klenkhart & Partner Consulting ZT GmbH, Austria

Fabrication Company
TenCate Geosynthetics Austria GmbH

Project Manager Name
Dipl. Ing. Peter HARTL

Installation Company
HABAU Hoch- und Tiefbaugesellschaft m.b.H.


Please describe the project specifications

The project was for an Avalanche Protection Dam. The first dam was 312 m, 25 m high and the sond dam was 140 m, 13 m high.


What was the purpose of this project? What did the client request?

Between the peaks of Linderspitze and Karwendlkreuz in the Bavarian alps there is an area/field with 43.000 m² with 46° inclination. Below that area is a very steep valley (72°) leads directly down to parts of the city Mittenwald, which has about 8000 inhabitants. To evaluate the risk of avalanches a number of simulations was executed. The result of this simulation was, that the worst-case scenario, an avalanche (4m high, with a speed of 40 m/s, 100 m wide, 50.000m³ snow) would hit and destroy precious residential areas in Mittenwald. Furthermore, the important traffic link between Austria and Bavaria (Federal Road B2), a high voltage power line and the bottom station of a material cable car were also in the hazardous area.


What is unique or complex about the project?

Together with Diasbachaplpe (Tyrol, Austria - realized by our company in 2009) this is among the highest avalanche protection walls worldwide.

Geosynthetics offer a quick and cost effective method to build avalanche protection walls in mountainous areas by using on-site fill material. On the one hand, transport cost and C02 production are reduced, on the other hand, construction time and building cost can be decreased. Finally, the internal stability of a geosynthetic reinforced structure is increased and the resistance against dynamic impact is improved.

High-strength Geosynthetics allow the construction of steeper slopes with higher stability. Furthermore, optically attractive solutions can be provided due to different configurations of the surface of such slopes. By using a fire and UV-resistant erosion control grid, there will be a green facing on the dam, for a better integration into the landscape.


What were the results of the project?

The project is still under construction right now. In many similar cases geosynthetics were used to protect human life and precious living areas. Changing climatic conditions and reduce living space in the alpine regions support expectation of an increasing demand for this type of structures.


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