PROTECT STORAGE BUNDS FROM EROSION WITH CONCRETE CANVAS

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Environmental planning laws require the height of secondary storage bunds around storage tanks to be maintained, to protect the environment and the public from harm in case the storage tanks leak.

The existing bunds in this project were previously protected in some parts by vegetation and in others asphalt. However, these methods were inconsistent, required expensive maintenance and had the potential to become a fire hazard.

OUR SOLUTION

Concrete Canvas GCCM was used to line a bund around the petrochemical storage tanks providing hard armour weathering protection of bunds from erosion and acting as an effective weed suppressant, also protecting against animal damage.

Concrete Canvas is the original GCCM and the first and only product to declare conformance to ASTM D8364 – Standard Specification for GCCMs, the only internationally recognised GCCM specification standard. ASTM D8364 is an important resource for clients, consultants and contractors wishing to ensure the GCCM used on their project is fit for purpose over the entire service life of the structure.

CC5 was delivered to the site in bulk rolls and deployed using a 14-tonne excavator and spreader beam. Once captured into the anchor trenches, the edges of the CC5 were backfilled with the existing soil. When positioning subsequent CC layers, they are overlapped by 100mm and jointed. Once the installation was complete, a water trunk was supplied to hydrate the CC5. The Concrete Canvas was hydrated 3 times at 20-minute intervals at the end of each day.

A total of 3,000m2 of CC5 was installed in 8 days by a team of 5 labourers and 1 excavator, working 8 to 10 hour days. The project was successful, eliminating erosion and regular maintenance operations. With the installation of Concrete Canvas, the maintenance cost has now been reduced to zero and the bund is permanently protected against erosion, even after several recent cyclone events.

PRODUCT USED

Concrete Canvas® Geosynthetic Cementitious Composite Mat (GCCM)

• A flexible, concrete impregnated fabric that hardens when hydrated to form a thin, durable, water proof and fire resistant erosion control layer
• Used in a variety of civil infrastructure applications, such as ditch lining, slope protection and capping secondary containment bunds
• Allows concrete construction without the need for plant or mixing equipment
• Simply unroll and position Concrete Canvas, and then just add water - Concrete Canvas has no impact on the pH of runoff water
• Compared to traditional concrete solutions, Concrete Canvas is faster, easier and more cost effective to install and has the additional benefit of reducing the environmental impact of concreting works by up to 95%
• Available in bulk and smaller batch rolls