Young professionals in geosynthetics congregate
Fibertex SA, specialists in nonwovens and performance-based materials, participated at GIGSA’s third Geosynthetics Conference for Young Professionals (GCYP) held in Pretoria recently.
GIGSA – the South African Chapter of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) – strives to promote the understanding and appropriate use of geosynthetic technology throughout Southern Africa.
This geosynthetics workshop, which was led by Professor Jorge Zornberg, focused on “The quest for properties governing the geosynthetic stabilisation of road bases”. The event, offering a wealth of practical strategies and best practices, was attended by authorities, consultants, contractors, manufacturers, suppliers, installers and academics in the geosynthetics arena.
“The Fibertex team was privileged to participate in this meaningful conference, that provided an opportunity for young geosynthetic professionals to broaden our awareness of the industry and learn more about the latest trends, solutions and products,” says Brian Potgieter, Technical Sales Engineer, Fibertex SA. “This biennial event also creates the opportunity for younger delegates – mostly under the age of 35 – to develop writing and presentation skills and is an excellent networking opportunity for presenters and delegates working with geosynthetics
“The conference environment serves as a powerful source of inspiration and provides the opportunity to engage with passionate and accomplished professionals within the field of geosynthetics. The exchange of ideas and exposure to ongoing advancements has instilled a renewed sense of motivation for continued learning and professional development in all of us.”
Ryan Langer, Sales Engineer for Fibertex presented a paper on “the rehabilitation and repair of Umdloti beachfront after storm tide damage.” This address looked at how Geosynthetic Sand Containers (GSC) have become highly effective construction materials used to combat storm tides and flooding, that result in costly damage to valuable coastal infrastructure.
“In this Umdloti project, the Fibertex team worked closely with our customer, Devru Construction, to rehabilitate and repair the Umdloti beachfront embankments after severe damage from heavy rainfall that resulted in localised flooding in the area.
“High tide conditions during the storm had eroded the existing block concrete retaining wall that provided structural support to the beachfront embankments. The retaining wall foundation was exposed and sections of the wall had collapsed due to the under-scouring effect of the tidal waves during the storm.
“It was critical for us to offer an environmental-friendly material with the mechanical properties required to perform efficiently under extreme conditions of a storm tide. The material also needed to enhance the natural coastal environment by limiting the use of foreign materials.
“Fibertex GSC bags used for this project were made from robust staple fibre geotextile layers sewn together with a UV stable polyester overlocked yarn. The Anti-Vandal layer is made from heavy, coarse, highly UV stabilised polypropylene fibres. This durable structure is designed to trap sand particles and promote growth of natural marine vegetation.
“It is approximately eight years since the first installation at Umdloti and the Fibertex GSC bags have performed successfully at both retaining the beachfront embankment and as a coastal protection barrier. GSC bags have blended well into the natural beachfront environment and provide a pleasant aesthetic feel to the beach.”
GSCs offer advanced engineering solutions to multiple civil engineering related challenges, where traditional methods might not be cost effective or might have become environmentally unacceptable.
Fibertex GSC’s, which are available in sizes between 70 kg and 4 000 kg, can be used in riverine, lagoon and coastal protection works, depending on specific environmental and engineering requirements of the designed structure.
