Our structures are designed to impede the propagation of a blast at ground level and absorb high levels of energy with strong tolerance for deformation.
Testing and approval
Full-scale blast testing of Reinforced Earth® MSE walls have taken place between 1975 and 2014. Tests were performed on structures built with both concrete and steel facing elements. Tests have taken place in USA, France, Germany, Australia, Israel, and South Korea.
In 1988 the US Army Corps of Engineers designated Geoquest’s Reinforced Earth® MSE walls as a standard design for reinforced soil barricades. Subsequently, the Department of Defense Explosives Safety Board (DDESB) approved our walls to protect facilities and equipment located close to explosives sites from high-velocity, low-angle fragment damage.
The official approval review documentation, (namely DEF 149-30-01) concluded the following benefits of building blast barricades with Reinforced Earth® MSE walls. That our walls:
- Can be economically and rapidly constructed
- Requires shallow foundation
- Variety of architectural facing elements and finishes available (cruciform, hexagonal, ribbed, etc.)
- No height or length limitations
- Facing elements are reusable
- Walls can be located close to site boundaries or obstructions
- System adaptable to sloping wall configurations and to tier
- System can tolerate significant amount of settlement
- Repair can be accomplished on individual facing elements
- Galvanised strips, steel wire mesh, geosynthetics are used for soil reinforcement
In 1999, both Reinforced Earth® and TechSpan® was approved in combination by the US Department of Defense Explosives Safety Board (DDESB) for construction of blast barriers or standard oval arch earth covered storage magazines (ECM). TechSpan®’s 3-hinge staggered arrangement integrates the arch’s backfill into the FEM model giving TechSpan® the inertia and flexibility to absorb explosive energy while remaining structurally intact.
Non-military applications
We have collaborated with leading mining companies, explosive product manufacturers and fortifications investigative board members to reduce their risks in their operating environment.
Wall materials and configurations
Reinforced Earth® barricades and blast shielding can be clad with concrete, steel or even vegetation. While in most cases we employ concrete facing, our Terratrel® and TerraMet™ alternative steel facing systems offer the benefit of being lightweight and easily transportable for rapid installation without the need for heavy equipment. The choice of soil reinforcements extends to high-adherence steel strips, high-tensile geosynthetic strips (GeoStrap®) and welded wire bar mats, depending on your specific project requirements.
Protective arch structures
An extension of our soils-structures solutions include blast resistant enclosures consisting of Geoquest precast arches in the form of confined earth-covered “igloo” type structures. These structures are designed to the highest military and commercial standards to protect your assets against damage and propagation from all sorts of external assault and natural forces.
Engineering expertise and 120 years or more of service life
Geoquest offers unrivalled engineering expertise to provide you with the best design and supply package, coupled to commercial excellence that will make your next road development project a success.
Guaranteeing long-term life duration and minimum necessity for maintenance of the infrastructure is of outmost importance, and our designs are optimised based on the service life that is required.
