First British Board of Agrément (BBA) certificate for welded geogrid

06/08/2003

Netherlands-based Colbond Geosynthetics has obtained full BBA (British Board of Agrément) certification for its Enkagrid PRO welded geogrid. The product has been approved for use in highways applications for road and bridge embankments with slopes of up to 70°. Enkagrid PRO is available from Maccaferri Ltd, specialists in retaining structures, slope reinforcement and erosion protection. Maccaferri is the sole UK distributor for Colbond Geosynthetics systems for civil engineering applications.

 A polyester welded geogrid, Enkagrid PRO is a manufactured from extruded polyester and welded into grids to form a regular open network of integrally connected tensile bars. Five standard grades are available and the geogrid is supplied in rolls of 50 or 100 metre lengths and 2.45 or 5 metre widths.

Manufactured at Colbond's production facility in Arnhem, Enkagrid PRO was launched in 1999, following an eight year research and development programme. The BBA certification process commenced in 2002 with a detailed examination of Colbond's manufacturing process and quality control procedures as outlined in the company's ISO 9001:2000 registration.

Extensive testing was undertaken to determine the long term design strength of Enkagrid PRO under different environmental conditions. Whilst meeting criteria for polymeric soil reinforcement, Enkagrid demonstrated enhanced performance in two key areas. Firstly, the product is suitable for use in landfill applications, limestone or cement stabilised embankments where high alkalinity with pH values of 12.5 are encountered. Equally important, the geogrid is only marginally reduced in strength as a result of mechanical damage encountered during installation, making it a very cost effective soil reinforcement solution.

Approved for use in embankments with an effective slope of up to 70°, Enkagrid PRO provides lateral restraint to cohesive or frictional soils, with stability achieved by the interaction of the soil particles with the geogrid.

A pioneer in the development and manufacture of polyester geogrids, Colbond was awarded its first BBA certificate in 1988 and remains a leading player in conducting research into improved polyester products. This work was officially recognised at International Geosynthetics Society awards in 2002, when the company won recognition for its research & development in polyester-based geosynthetics.

Colbond Geosynthetics manufactures and supplies a range of speciality geosynthetic products for civil engineering applications. The range of products includes Enkamat, Enkadrain, Enkagrid, Colbonddrain and Armater. Based on polymer technology, these products are used all over the world for erosion control, drainage, waste containment and soil reinforcement and improvement.

The UK arm of the Maccaferri Industrial Group, headquartered in Italy, Maccaferri Ltd specialises in gabions, geotextiles, geogrids and geomats. In addition to a full range of products for retaining structures, slope reinforcement and erosion protection, the company offers an in-house design service.

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