Strengthening unstable slopes, Neoloy® Tough-Cells save lives
Neoloy retention walls provide landslides steep vertical earth retention that are structurally stable under self- weight and externally imposed loads.
Unstable slopes are the underlying cause for landslides caused by geophysical and/or human-made factors. Landslides can occur in developed or undeveloped areas, or in any area where the terrain was altered for construction of roads and housing. Neoloy Earth Stabilization can be used to help save lives, property and money.
Along with unstable and/or steep slopes where water runoff causes hillside erosion, Neoloy retaining walls and structures can be constructed downhill from soil fault lines and uphill if the slope is under pressure from slide soil.
Neoloy Tough-Cells retention walls provide steep vertical earth retention (up to 81°) that are structurally stable under self-weight and externally imposed loads. Gravity and reinforced walls erected with stacked Neoloy Tough-Cells system layers maintain structural stability, even incompressible and unstable foundation subgrades or under seismic loading.
Benefits
- Seismic resistance
- Efficient drainage and stormwater management
- Uses low grade/local granular infill
- Slope stabilization and earth retention
- Erosion protection
- Embankments
- Green wall
- Steep and high earth stabilization for unstable slopes
- Cost effective particular when compared to other solutions
- Low installation cost and Total Cost of Ownership
- High stiffness and strength with very low creep
- Dimensionally stable for reliable confinement in a wide temperature range
- Resistant to stress-cracking, particularly at temperature extremes
- Very resistant to additive leaching, oxidation and photochemical degradation
Seismic Resistance
The specific ‘trigger’ causing slope failure and the downslope slide of a block of land is usually heavy or prolonged rains, or other natural causes such as earthquakes and floods.
While Neoloy retention walls provide similar reinforcement to concrete walls, as a flexible retention system Neoloy Tough-Cells dissipate energy and act as a shock absorber under seismic loading. That means that Neoloy Tough-Cells can accommodate minor soil movements in unstable soils without cracking as well as seismic loading without failure.
Testing of Neoloy retention walls at the National Seismic Research Institute in Japan was carried out by Leshchinsky and Ling (2009) to determine the Neoloy Tough-Cell performance to seismic activity similar to a severe earthquake. Results showed Neoloy gravity and reinforced walls performed well with a very low seismic reduction factor (coefficient between 0.3 and 0.4 times PGA). The study was cited as an outstanding example of collaboration between industry and academia in product development, specifically the development of Neoloy novel polymeric alloy. It was noted in the study that geocells made from HDPE are unsuitable for long-term applications.