Geosynthetics February/March 2023 - 44

FINAL INSPECTION
Cross section showing
Wrekin SX Grid providing
reinforcement to gravel haul
road at Greengairs Wind
Farm. Photograph courtesy
of Wrekin Products
Geogrids provide answer to access
issues at Scottish wind farm
W
rekin Products Ltd. recently provided the perfect solution for one of Scotland's major
sustainability initiatives after being selected over two other manufacturers to create an
economical access road at a new wind farm.
The brand-new wind farm has been constructed in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, and will
power around 40,000 homes in the area. Eight turbines are around 492.126 feet (150 m) high
and will generate 38 megawatts of sustainable electricity-enough to meet the renewable targets
set out by the Scottish government.
Before work could begin, haul roads needed to be created to carry heavy plant and machinery
required for the project. After carrying out an inspection of the area, Wrekin identified that due
to the ground's low California Bearing Ratio (CBR) values and deep levels of peat, these access
roads would need to be floated. Additionally, there was a sloped area on the site that was likely
to cause difficulties for crane pads if left without reinforcement.
The company knew that the client was looking for an economical solution that would incorpoPROJECT
HIGHLIGHTS
GEOGRIDS FOR
SUSTAINABILITY SOLUTION
LOCATION
Greengairs Wind Farm
GENERAL CONTRACTOR
Greencat Contracting
GEOSYNTHETIC PRODUCT
SX Grid
GEOSYNTHETICS
MANUFACTURERS
Wrekin Products
44
Geosynthetics | February March 2023
rate the least amount of stone, minimizing excavation as well as reducing the number of deliveries
to and from the site-which would decrease the project's overall carbon footprint.
Therefore, Wrekin recommended the installation of its SX 3030 Geogrid combined with its
FasTrack609 Geotextile-three layers on the sloped area and two everywhere else on-site.
Together, these not only created a strong surface area capable of withstanding heavy machinery
for the duration of the construction phase but were also around 20% shallower than the other
two designs the client had considered during the tender phase.
" Given the ongoing materials shortage we're facing as an industry, the fact that there were no
delays in the procurement and installation of materials to site was a point of pride for us-particularly
given the tight timeframes we're aiming to work towards with a summer completion, " says
Shahid Raza, engineering manager for geosynthetics at Wrekin. " Our team's support throughout
the entire process was also something I'm proud of as we were able to provide a solution that
ticked every single criteria we were presented with. We are very pleased that we were chosen to
support such a prominent and important project for the area. It serves as an excellent showcase
of what our products are capable of and how they can provide solutions to any project. " G

Geosynthetics February/March 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Geosynthetics February/March 2023