NUMBER 4 2015

PROTECTING PEOPLE IN HABITATS

Materials and systems for environmental security and sustainability A synthetic turf pitch as new village centre ‘I feel safer in a helicopter than on the road’

www.tencate.com/txtures

txtures 4 txtures is the magazine of Royal Ten Cate (TenCate) for internal and external relations. It is published four times a year in a Dutch and an English version. Editorial Office Royal Ten Cate PO Box 58 7600 GD Almelo tel. +31 546 544 911 Coen Heldeweg [email protected] www.tencate.com/txtures Design Aandagt reclame & marketing, Almelo Printing Lulof experts in printed communication, Almelo Translations Gay Howells & Janice Collins If you reproduce articles or parts of articles, please do not omit to acknowledge the source In addition to this printed version, txtures is also available as an app (in English only) on the corporate website and on your mobile phone For free delivery, please mail [email protected] or ring +31 546 544911 Photo on front cover Increasing urbanisation and climate change are threats in the environmental & water management and infrastructure end markets (Tianjin / photo Rasmus Daniel Taun)

Safety – often a significant forgotten advantage of systems that incorporate geosynthetics ‘The World Health Organisation estimates that worldwide the total number of road traffic deaths remains unacceptably high at 1.24 million per year. A recent study conducted by the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation found that poor road conditions in the United States were a contributory factor in more than half the nearly 42,000 American deaths resulting from motor vehicle accidents each year. A road that is in poor condition proves to be the single most lethal factor – greater than speeding, alcohol or non-use of safety belts. TenCate Geosynthetics’ road systems not only create safer driving surfaces, they also extend their durability, thus allowing valuable resources to be spent in other areas to improve road safety. In addition, a longer life for the road surface means a dramatic reduction in the need to conduct dangerous and costly road maintenance programs. It is estimated that the risk facing road construction workers is significantly higher than that faced by general construction workers. A survey released by the UK Highways Agency demonstrated that up to 20% of road workers had suffered some injury caused by passing vehicles in the course of their careers and 54% had experienced a near miss with a vehicle. Aging and unsafe infrastructure that are managed by underfunded government agencies is also benefiting from greater acceptance of geosynthetics. In the United States alone there are over 215 million daily crossings on the 61,000 structurally deficient bridges that are in need of repair. TenCate Geosynthetics materials are the main structural component for emerging technologies such as the Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil-Integrated Bridge System. This is an accelerated bridge construction system that lowers costs, slashes construction time, improves durability, increases safety and reduces the CO2 footprint. Natural disasters regularly wreak havoc on local infrastructure. Currently, flooding of rivers affects worldwide an average of approximately 21 million people annually. That number is expected to increase to 54 million by 2030 due to climate change and socio-economic development. Engineered structures using geosynthetics from TenCate aid in mitigating and reducing the effects of natural disasters on local communities. TenCate solutions have been used globally for flood protection, avalanche protection, and even blast protection from terrorist actions. TenCate has a long history of providing geosynthetic solutions that protect people. Local communities are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of good protection and of managing safety risks. This fits well with our strategy to be a solution provider to our end-users.’

Volume 50 - number 4 Winter 2015

John Henderson, global marketing director, TenCate Geosynthetics

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CONTENTS

28 Synthetic turf pitch towers above Medellín In a district of Medellín (Colombia) stands the UVA Sol de Oriente. Its most striking feature is a rooftop sports pitch of 55 x 33 metres with a GreenFields® Slide Max XQ™ synthetic turf system.

SAFETY 4  Geosynthetics for safety and protection in civil engineering 17 Protection against snow and rock avalanches SUSTAINABILITY 8  Synthetic turf for landscaping

26 G  eosynthetics as foundation for airports

45 Cruyff Court now as a mobile version too VISION, MISSION AND STRATEGY

Materials such as TenCate Polyfelt® and TenCate Mirafi® have been used in the rehabilitation of the runways of Vaclav Havel Airport in Prague.

22 Executive Board column 32 Synthetic turf pitch as new village centre BUSINESS CONTEXT 46 ‘I feel safer in a helicopter than on the road’

32 TenCate Field in a box™ connects sport with social, educational and economic objectives

54  Energy company switches to innovative clothing

LAYAR for extra information 38 Sludge inhibitor increases quality of surface water Sludge inhibitor with geotextile and TenCate Geotube® ensures higher water quality plus lower maintenance costs in the Wormer- en Jisperveld

Does your mobile phone have a LAYAR app? If so, hold the phone above the page with the orange LAYAR app logo in an article to get additional information, such as animations. You can download this app from the App Store. You can also find short films and animations on www.tencate.tv Watch the animation by scanning this page with the LAYAR app

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SAFETY

PROTECTING PEOPLE IN HABITATS WITH GEOSYNTHETICS AND SYNTHETIC TURF

Solutions for infrastructure and water management Watch the animation by scanning this page with the LAYAR app www.tencategeosynthetics.com www.tencategrass.com www.tencate.tv

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TenCate puts its mission of ‘protecting people’ into practice by developing and producing sustainable solutions for the protection of people in their working and living environments (in habitats). TenCate provides the environmental and water management and the infrastructure end markets with geosynthetics, synthetic turf and, to a lesser extent, composite materials. The threats present in these markets include increasing urbanisation and climate change. Our guidelines in the development of materials and systems are safety and making the living environment more sustainable.

This is a still from an animation that clarifies the applications of geosynthetics. In this case, a series of hydraulic structures were installed using TenCate Geotube® technology.

caused by natural growth in population and because more people – both the indigenous inhabitants and foreign migrants – are settling in cities. The number of one-person households is also growing. There are approximately twenty-two cities with more than 10 million inhabitants and that number is growing, in particular in Asia and Africa. This will result in tremendous pressure being placed on the infrastructure of these cities. Urban areas will become larger and more complex. Urbanisation will thus have far-reaching consequences for mobility, the environment, quality of life and the availability of work, food, water and energy. While cities worldwide cover just half a per cent of the land surface, their inhabitants consume 75% of natural resources. This highlights the need for improving the sustainability of the living environment.

Over time, hundreds of thousands of kilometres of motorways and railways and slopes have been built worldwide using geosynthetics from TenCate Geosynthetics as support and reinforcement. The same applies to many a car park, airport, bridgehead, embankment and wind farm. Countless football, hockey and other sports pitches across the world are based on backing, synthetic turf fibres and systems from TenCate, and many public green spaces are made of components from TenCate Grass. Urbanisation The world population now stands at some 7.4 billion, and that figure is estimated to rise to twelve billion in the year 2100. Since 2008 the majority of the world’s population has been living in urban areas, and every day this number is estimated to increase by several hundreds of thousands. This increase is

Connecting Cities must thus start to develop more smartly in order to turn around the negative picture sketched above. This can be done by connecting all the different aspects of a city with each other – and this includes of course its inhabitants, its commercial sector and its management. A city generates a great deal of data and, by using scientific knowledge to link this all up, a faster, better and more effective insight will be gained into these problems and possible solutions. Moreover, we will have to make the sparsely populated and less attractive parts of the Earth inhabitable (again), and expand or protect existing habitats. That will require a high degree of organisation, mobility and logistics with safe and sustainable infrastructure and a circular economy. Smart cities Cities that effectively deal with all these challenges and exploit opportunities achieve a high quality living environment with strong social networks. In order to cope with the social, demographic, economic and

infrastructure developments in a sustainable manner, we shall also have to develop ‘smart cities’. In smart cities digitisation and urbanisation come together; smart technology and smart people make a city more attractive, more sustainable and a better place to live. Climate change and resources A second megatrend relates to climate change and natural resources that are becoming ever scarcer. The sea level is expected to rise, with an increased risk of flooding and disastrous consequences for the local infrastructure: this must be protected or reinforced. Cities in coastal areas will have to deal with an ever-increasing risk of flooding. Cities and coastlines will to an increasing extent have to rise to these challenges and be able to cope effectively when natural disasters, such as flooding, occur. In dry areas the water supply must be satisfactorily maintained. The economic growth of emerging markets has multiplied the demand for fresh water. With increasing welfare, we use more water for hygiene, industrial production and the production of meat. Urbanisation too has adverse consequences for water management. Precipitation has greater difficulty infiltrating into the soil, and water runs off faster into the rivers and streams that flow through the area. These will consequently have a higher flow rate, which will increase the risk of flooding and dyke breaches in the downstream part of the river. Geosynthetics Geosynthetics are in general used to solve civil engineering problems. Examples include the stabilisation or the separation of soil layers, soil reinforcement, protection against erosion and mechanical damage, drainage and sealing, so that pollution does not end up in the soil. Geosynthetics

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can also serve as the foundations of motorways or airport runways. Through the use of geosynthetics such as TenCate Geotube® land is expanded through reclamation, islands are created and polluted sludge or soil cleaned and stored. By dewatering the sludge or the pollution and storing it long term as a solid mass, the tubes become suitable for use as a dyke body or for raising the height of the land. The surveillance and monitoring of dykes results in a more structural focus on geosynthetics with optical fibres, such as TenCate GeoDetect®. Synthetic turf components TenCate Grass focuses on both sports applications and on landscaping (both private and commercial landscaping). Examples of applications include creating green spaces along motorways, roads and tramways and at airports, on motorway intersections, lawns in residential areas, at schools and hotels, synthetic turf on balconies, playgrounds and other recreational facilities. Synthetic turf is also used to cover slopes (also as a hybrid system in combination with natural grass) and in non-horizontal applications, such as roof insulation. Value proposition The value proposition of TenCate Geosynthetics is to be found in its wide-ranging product portfolio and technological know-how, its eco-friendliness

and sustainability, its short response time to orders, thanks to an international network of companies and sales offices, and its role as a partner in projects. In this way TenCate Geotube® technology is sustainable and it saves space. It reduces transport costs, enables the in-situ recycling of water and leaves behind a modest CO2 footprint. The value proposition of synthetic turf solutions lies in their sustainability and ease of use: their greater playability rate and their savings on water consumption and fertilisers in comparison with natural grass. They also require less maintenance. Synthetic turf that is woven from a single type of material is recyclable. • Our guidelines in the development of synthetic turf fibres and geosynthetic materials and systems are safety and making the living environment more sustainable • Geosynthetics are in general used in civil engineering and the environmental sector; synthetic turf fibres and backing are used in sports pitches and for landscaping • The value proposition of these materials is to be found in their modest CO2 footprint, savings in transport costs, installation and maintenance, and their ease of use

The storage area with TenCate Geotube® units. To the right is Lake Onondaga.

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Clean-up operation at Lake Onondaga using TenCate Geotube® technology TenCate Geosynthetics Americas supplied TenCate Geotube® units for a large environmental project at Lake Onondaga, north-east of the city of Syracuse in New York State (photo page 7). As a result of well over a century of industrial activity on the shores of the 12-km2-large lake, the water quality of this lake had deteriorated seriously. Parsons Engineering used TenCate Geotube® units to dewater the 1.6 million m³ of contaminated sediment and to store it permanently as a solid. This was carried out on a terrain in the vicinity. The filtered water was pumped back into the lake through water treatment plants. This is the largest dredging operation using geotextile containers in North America. Work began on the project in 2012 and was completed earlier than planned – also to the great satisfaction of Parsons Engineering. The company praised the system, the experience, technical knowledge and the speed of operation of TenCate Geosynthetics Americas. This major clean-up operation resulted in an improvement to the water quality and the habitat for fish and wildlife, improvement to its recreational potential and resulted in protection of both the environment and human health.

Lake Onondaga

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SUSTAINABILITY

TENCATE GRASS FOR LANDSCAPING APPLICATIONS

Sustainable furnishing The application of synthetic turf in the creation of gardens, parks and public spaces is increasing in popularity worldwide. This has led to a growing number of providers in recent years. TenCate Grass is responsible for a significant part of the production of synthetic turf and backing and aims at continuous product differentiation and innovation. Whereas in 2012 products for landscaping accounted for just 7% of the sales of the TenCate synthetic turf division, in 2013 this figure rose to 20% − and a year later to 25%. TenCate Grass supplies nearly half of the fibres and backing used for European landscaping. In the Netherlands, some ten companies are active in the production, marketing, sale and distribution of synthetic turf for landscaping. Most of them actively cooperate with TenCate. Over 10 million m2 of high-grade landscape carpeting is produced in Europe, almost half in the Netherlands. Synthetic turf in traffic One of the most visible applications of synthetic turf is traffic: along the runways of airports, in central

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reservations and on roundabouts. Less common in the Netherlands, it is found more frequently in countries where the climate is less conducive to vegetation growth. In Gaziantep, Southeast Turkey, a carpet of synthetic turf lies under a section of the rails of the tramline that came into operation in 2011. In Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, the largest synthetic turf project in the world was completed in 2013: 160,000 square metres of synthetic turf were laid at the airport. Interior applications Other applications of synthetic turf for landscaping include lawns, roof terraces, balconies, children’s playgrounds and schoolyards. A less obvious appli-

cation is interiors, both at home and in the workplace. Whereas you wouldn’t install a ‘real’ grass field in a living room or an office garden, a synthetic turf carpet you would – particularly as almost every imaginable colour and colour combination is possible. Growing market demand It is expected that demand in the European market for landscaping will grow by 10 to 15% a year. Here several factors play a role: increasing awareness and acceptance, product improvement and innovations, ease of maintenance, the consistently fresh green appearance, savings in costs for spraying and nutrients, as well as legislation. Sometimes developments elsewhere in the world also act

A synthetic turf project of 160,000 m2 in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia)

as a driver. Last spring, Governor Jerry Brown committed the inhabitants of California to reducing water consumption by 36%. Legislation regarding water conservation, like that in California, is currently underway in South European countries.

Product portfolio TenCate has developed a range of products especially for landscaping applications. These products are intended mainly for domestic lawns and for urban and commercial design. They are not

simply a sustainable low-maintenance alternative to natural grass; they can also be applied in places where natural grass hardly grows, if at all. Moreover, certain functionalities can be incorporated in synthetic grass yarns, such as antibacterial and moss-growth-inhibiting finishes. www.tencategrass.com [email protected]

Interior application

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SAFETY

TENCATE GEOTUBE® TECHNOLOGY FOR DAM IN CHILE

Coffer dam for hydroelectric power station TenCate Geosynthetics Americas has received an Outstanding Achievement Award for its contribution to Central Hidroelectrica Angostura in Chile. TenCate supplied TenCate Geotube® units (length 30 metres, diameter 10 metres) for the construction of a coffer dam. Watch the animation by scanning this page with the LAYAR app www.tencategeosynthetics.com [email protected]

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The Central Hidroelectrica Angostura in the Rio Bio-Bio, south of Santa Bárbara (photo: centralangostura.cl)

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In short, it had to be possible to install and remove the coffer dam without using heavy equipment.

Analysis of the coffer dam in front of the tunnel, using TenCate Geotube® technology.

With a capacity of 350 megawatts, Central Hidroelectrica Angostura in the Bio-Bio River south of Santa Barbara is the largest hydroelectric power station in Chile. To complete the building of a dam for the power station, it was necessary to construct a (temporary) coffer dam at the downstream exit of a primary river bypass tunnel 11 metres high by 25 metres wide. This dam was to prevent river water flowing into the tunnel when work was in progress. The builders could then remove a 7-metre-thick concrete plug. Because of the force of the river and water depths ranging from 4 to 7 metres, as well as the restricted use of heavy equipment and the minimum flow requirements, a robust and cost-efficient solution was demanded. The choice fell on TenCate Geotube® technology. Dry working environment A coffer dam is a temporary closure across a body of water that allows the enclosed area to be pumped out to create a dry working environment. The coffer dam in the Bio-Bio River had to be able to withstand the pressure and turbulence of the river. After it had been pumped out, the work tunnel had to provide the builders with dry safe working conditions. In addition, the installation and ultimate removal of the coffer dam had to take place without interrupting the river flow or the work

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on the hydroelectric dam. Furthermore, it was important to ensure that the river across which the dam is being built should retain a constant minimum flow downstream during and after the construction. This refers to the average quantity of water (in m3) that a river discharges per unit of time, and in this case a minimum flow between 300 and 1000 m3 per second was applicable. To achieve this, primary and secondary bypass tunnels had to be bored through the rock formation to the mountain side of the river. To complicate matters even further, the exit channel in question was 35 metres below any access road or working platform and was inaccessible for construction machinery.

Arguments for TenCate Geotube® technology After weighing up all the requirements, the contractor selected the coffer dam based on TenCate Geotube® technology, as proposed by the company Novatech of Santiago, Chile. A number of arguments decided the issue: the design flexibility facilitating adaptation to changing water levels, the high safety factor, the relatively easy installation, the limited time involved in installation and dismantling, and the lower costs in comparison with alternatives. Although the original design was based on six filled tubes and a height of 8 metres, ultimately 10 tubes were stacked in pyramid form, reaching a height of 9 metres. As soon as the coffer dam was installed, the builders could remove the thick concrete plug with pneumatic drills. A start could then be made on removing the tubes.

The exit channel was 35 metres below the working platform and was not accessible.

SAFETY

GEOSYNTHETICS FOR REINFORCING COASTAL PROTECTION IN ZEELAND

Safe dykes More than 300 kilometres of dykes on the coast of Zeeland (NL) have been reinforced this year with the use of geosynthetics, thus making the sea wall completly safe for at least the next fifty years.

Placing the Hillblock elements at the Noordwaard Polder. Geosynthetic are still visible on either side (Photo ©Hillblock)

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TenCate has supplied geosynthetic materials for those dykes along the Oosterschelde and the Westerschelde that would not provide sufficient protection in the event of a ‘superstorm’. Using materials like TenCate Bidim®, TenCate Geolon® and TenCate geocomposite a total of 325 kilometres of dyke were reinforced and adapted in 2015 to meet current standards. A dyke must offer protection against high water levels and powerful waves. In Zeeland a safety

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standard of 1: 4000 applies, which means that a dyke must be able to withstand a super storm surge that occurs on average once every 4,000 years. For purposes of comparison, in the vicinity of Rotterdam the norm is 1:10.000 and statistically a flooding disaster such as the one in 1953 occurs once in 250 years. After that disaster all the dykes were raised. Most slopes are covered with stone cladding; concrete and stone ensure the solidity of the dyke, but its strength turned out not to be sufficient everywhere.

Filter layer A dyke body is made of sand. In order to prevent this sand and the foundation being washed away by erosion, geotextile is installed as a filter layer between the sand and the concrete Hillblocks and stones. Hillblock is a dyke stone or slope block that ensures a significantly stronger breaking of waves and less wave run-up than the existing shoreline protection. The use of the Hillblock means that dykes need to be raised less or even sometimes not at all. Thanks to its

shape and weight the Hillblock is more stable and easier to put in place. Three types of geosynthetics TenCate supplied three types of geosynthetics: TenCate Geolon® PP50 (type 1) for the top of the dyke, TenCate Bidim® S61 for the central organ of the dyke (type 2) TenCate geocomposite FR-X (type 3), a combination of two geotextiles, for the toe of the dyke. The work was carried out between 1 April and 1 October, so was

Operations at Cadzand

completed before the start of the storm season. Work on a dyke may only take place during these six months of the year. During this period plants flower, birds nest and people spend their leisure time near the dykes. Work like this requires a great deal of time, consultations and good collaboration with all the parties involved. The owner of a camping site would of course prefer to see all the work completed before the beginning of the tourist season. It is, however, sometimes not possible to start work

in early spring because of breeding birds. For the conservation of both nature and the environment permits and exemptions are required.

Watch the animation by scanning this page with the LAYAR app www.tencategeosynthetics.com [email protected]

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TENCATE MIRAFI® PET GEOTEXTILES FOR WALLS OF AMMUNITION DEPOT BEDFORD

Blast walls with geotextiles The Canadian Forces Ammunition Depot Bedford (Nova Scotia, Canada) houses the ammunition for the ships of the Maritime Forces Atlantic Formation of the Canadian Navy. The depot consists of a number of ammunition bunkers and also has a loading berth and several anchorages. Several years ago new geosynthetic-reinforced blast walls were constructed using TenCate Mirafi® high strength PET geotextiles. The ammunition depot sits on a hillside that faces Halifax Harbour. Due to its location on the hillside, concrete blast walls are required in front of each ammunition bunker to absorb any blast that might occur, to shield the harbour and surrounding area from the force of the blast. Regulations have changed since these walls were originally constructed in the 1950s, and new regulations require the blast walls to be constructed of a material that would not fragment into pieces larger than 19 mm if hit by an explosive blast. Geotextile-wrapped Mitchelmore Engineering was responsible for designing and selecting the materials for the three

walls that were to be built. The criteria that had to be met were: maximum particle size of 19mm when exposed to blast, economics, a design life of 20 years, ease of construction and material availability. After careful evaluation, a geotextile-wrapped wall was chosen. This geotextile option allowed for the face and reinforcement to be of a single material. If exposed to a blast, the maximum particle size would be limited by the gradation of the contained granular backfill which was 19 mm. It would be easy to construct using temporary forms, and by spraying the exposed geotextile face with an asphalt emulsion after completion, UV stability would not be an issue. In addition, the new blast walls would have to be freestanding, thus requiring four exposed sides.

The blast wall that incorporates TenCate Mirafi® PET 100 geotextile.

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Blastproof TenCate Mirafi® PET 100 polyester geotextile met all the technical specifications and requirements of the design. In accordance with the contract documents, TenCate Geosynthetics provided a qualified technician, experienced in the construction of these types of wall systems, to provide on site technical support to the contractor. Each blast wall is 72 m x 9 m x 6 m high and was constructed of 11 lifts of TenCate Mirafi® PET100 geotextiles. The use of this material enabled the engineer to design a structure that was cost effective yet had the ability to absorb extreme explosive forces. www.tencategeosynthetics.com [email protected]

SUSTAINABILITY

GEOSYNTHETICS FOR RETAINING WALLS AGAINST AVALANCHES

Geosynthetics are an environment-friendly and - from a cost point of view – attractive alternative to traditional building materials for erecting structures to provide protection against snow and rock avalanches.

Avalanche resistant Geosynthetics such as TenCate Rock® PEC and TenCate Miragrid demonstrate their value when it comes to the building and service life of structures offering protection against snow and rock avalanches. They are an alternative to conventional building materials that is both environmentally friendly and economically attractive. Floods, mudslides, and snow and rock avalanches generating immense forces can occur in mountainous areas. A snow avalanche can reach speeds of up to 250 km an hour, while a rock avalanche can register even 300 km an hour. Even a minor snow avalanche can weigh 10 tons, and sometimes boulders many cubic metres in size stream rapidly downhill. Usually trees in the path of these avalanches offer scant resistance and, in this case, secondary, synthetic measures are

necessary to halt or divert the avalanche into a different direction. Often no means of protection can be created at higher elevations. Nor is a barrier close to a residential area an option: the mass and kinetic energy of avalanches are far too great by this stage. This is the reason why a barrier is generally constructed halfway down: it breaks up an avalanche before it reaches its full speed and force. Barrier A barrier can be erected against avalanches by installing reinforced retaining walls and slopes (mechanically stabilised earth). Site conditions impose specific demands on the design, the choice of material and the building of such constructions. Traditional solutions with only stone or concrete are economically unviable as the costs of both construction and the transport

of building materials in poorly accessible terrain are high. The application of geosynthetics is an attractive solution. Locally available material such as sand can be used for these retaining walls, and construction machinery can be efficiently deployed. The required slope can be made particularly steep, leading to savings in fill material. Consequently, the costs of transport and material are minimal, and furthermore the appearance of such a barrier can be adapted to the environment. System TenCate Polyslope® S is a tried and tested system. It consists of geosynthetics for reinforcement (TenCate Rock® PEC or TenCate Miragrid), a preformed steel grid, TenCate Polyfelt® Green

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At Ísafjörður (Iceland) a 14m-high and 330m-long avalanche barrier was erected using TenCate Polyfelt® geotextile and TenCate Miragrid

erosion protection and locally available sand as fill material. In this way, a green vegetated bank with a natural appearance is quickly created. The steel for the formwork is galvanised to ensure corrosion resistance. Avalanche barriers based on geosynthetics can be found in such places as Ísafjörður (Iceland) and in Austria at Mühlau, Eiblschrofen, Lanersbach and Kappl. Ísafjörður At Ísafjörður, a place in the northwest of Iceland, an avalanche barrier has been built that is 14 metres high and 330 metres long. The system consists of a galvanised steel formwork, TenCate Polyfelt® TS geotextile to separate the fill from the slope and the stone front, and three grades of TenCate Miragrid GX for soil reinforcement. The fill material is composed of locally sourced gravel and small stones, which originate from the mountain itself and are ground on site – thus saving transport costs. Should an avalanche occur, then there is room at the front of the barrier to

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capture the snow and stones. The barrier was needed to protect a school building and private housing against avalanches. There is only a narrow strip between the coastline of Iceland and the steep mountain slopes that is suitable for house construction. No trees are found on these slopes. Construction work is exposed to avalanches whose downward path is free of obstruction, particularly in the north of Iceland, with its long cold winters and heavy snowfall. Knowledge Iceland has the technology to build snow bridges and has erected many, but these structures are expensive and difficult to install. In-house knowledge concerning reinforced avalanche barriers was also lacking, according to Jürgen Gruber, market manager, reinforcement at TenCate Geosynthetics Europe in Linz. ‘So a good deal of information and support was needed to install such structures. In Linz, we prepared all the necessary documentation,

sketches, drawings, designs for the installation and suchlike, and we brought the government authorities of Iceland into contact with our designers to convince them of the reliability of this solution. What’s more, we also had a specialist come over for the installation.’ The high salt content of the air in Iceland presents another problem, requiring a special method of galvanisation. ‘In this regard, a sustainable solution has been found in consultation with a local galvanising company.’ Austria In a channel at Mühlau, north of Innsbruck, the slope on either side of five upright parallel concrete blocks is reinforced with TenCate geosynthetics to block the passage of snow and water. The avalanche dam is 23 metres high and at its base 22 metres wide. The structure can withstand a pressure of 20 tons per square metre. The natural channel serves as a discharge for avalanches and in the spring for

meltwater. This prevents the villages of Mühlau and Arzl, as well as Innsbruck itself, from being overtaken by this natural disaster. A retaining wall was constructed at Eiblschrofen in 1999, following a series of rock avalanches on 10 July in that year. Within a short space of time, 150,000 m3 of rock tumbled downwards, and multi-axis trucks had to make 15, 000 trips to handle the clearance process. Dams reinforced with geosynthetics − 25 m (80 m wide at the base) and 15 m high respectively − were built in 78 days. The volume of the two dams is 180,000 m3. A rock avalanche occurred again during the night of 30 September 2015 – but without causing any damage whatsoever. A barrier 650 metres long and a maximum of 26.5 metres high has been built with geosynthetics halfway up the slope from

Diasbach at Kappl, involving 285,000 m2 of TenCate Polyslope®. When designing a wall at Lanersbach (Tyrol) to deflect avalanches, it was decided to fully integrate this in the surrounding landscape. Lanersbach is located at a height of 1,350 metres in the Ziller Valley. This is one of the largest nature reserves in Austria, which is why the authorities insisted that the wall be covered with vegetation. Only a minimum surface area was required for the geosyntheticsreinforced earth structure flush with the wall, and plants growing locally could be used for vegetation purposes.

• Site conditions make the use of traditional solutions generally too complicated and economically unviable • TenCate Polyslope® S consists of geosynthetics for reinforcement, a preformed steel grid, erosion protection and locally available sand as fill material www.tencategeosynthetics.com [email protected]

• Barriers against snow and rock avalanches are being constructed • A barrier can be erected against snow and rock avalanches by installing reinforced retaining walls and slopes, often halfway up a mountain

The avalanche barrier at Kappl (Austria)

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SAFETY

TENCATE MIRAFI® RSI PROVED BEST IN SCIENTIFIC STUDY

‘It all begins with sound foundations’ In a scientific study TenCate Mirafi® RS580i outperformed eleven other comparable materials tested for the foundations for roads, railways and other infrastructure applications. Watch the animation by scanning this page with the LAYAR app www.tencategeosynthetics.com [email protected] www.tencate.tv

TenCate Mirafi® RSi is a series of geosynthetics from TenCate for the reinforcement and stabilisation of roads and railways, the strengthening of embankments, for land reclamation, protection against erosion and other infrastructure and environmental market applications. The materials have five functions: separation of soil layers, filtration, soil reinforcement, confinement and drainage. Every subgrade or application requires a specific product. Depending on the application and requirements, there are three qualities available: TenCate Mirafi® RS580i, TenCate Mirafi® RS380i and TenCate Mirafi® RS280i. These now enable road

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construction companies to use a single product for stabilising and strengthening foundations for every possible subgrade and under all circumstances. Subgrade stabilisation TenCate Mirafi® RS580i performed better than eleven other comparable materials for these applications. This was the result of the study that was conducted in 2014 by the Western Transportation Institute at Montana State University (Bozeman, USA). The study was entitled ‘The relative operational performance of geosynthetics used as subgrade stabilisation’. It was fully funded by nine US State

Departments of Transportation and included eight biaxial geogrids, two multiaxial geogrids and two geotextiles. The results will be confirmed by research carried out by universities in Kansas and Louisiana. Incorporating TenCate Mirafi® RSi results in a better roadway performance, efficient and sustainable use of materials and faster construction. Product innovation and technical expertise Todd Anderson, director sales & marketing at TenCate Geosynthetics Americas, comments that studies such as this reinforce the real value of our significant investment in both product innovation and technical

expertise. ‘These are the two key components of our ongoing strategy to develop and market the best geosynthetics in the world. By using geosynthetics such as TenCate Mirafi® RS580i, owners can build better roads with a much more favourable pricebenefit ratio. Savings are possible of $1 million per mile (1.6 km) of roadway per 15 years.’ ‘Everything begins with sound foundations, says John Henderson, global marketing director at TenCate Geosynthetics. ‘We must fundamentally change the methods of road construction. Throughout the world you see deteriorating road surfaces that are crumbling away. This means regular repair work and that is expensive

and dangerous. With geosynthetics, an owner can demonstrably save on maintenance costs, increase safety, and stretch limited public funding budgets. The road is safer and it can take greater usage for longer, because there is less subsidence and cracking, so less maintenance is required.’ Profitable investment He certainly does not expect it to be easy to change the way we think about this. Civil engineers and road construction companies are rather conservative and usually regard new developments with sceptism. And it is precisely for these reasons that TenCate

Geosynthetics intends to approach the customer and end-user to convince them of the value of this material. Geosynthetics are not only sustainable materials, they make investments in infrastructure more profitable. ‘They enable you to build more efficient large structures that have a longer lifespan and require less investment. It’s all a matter of Protecting people and Protecting people’s investment.’

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STRATEGY AND POLICY

TRADING UPDATE Q3

TenCate continues revenue growth ‘The revenue growth that characterised the preceding quarters continued in the third quarter of 2015, with TenCate Defender™ M, synthetic turf components and systems, and composites once again being the main sources. For the group as a whole revenues increased by 2% in organic terms to € 297 million. On the basis of the current situation TenCate expects to achieve organic revenue growth for the full-year 2015 that is more or less in line with growth in 2014.’

‘In the third quarter, sales of protective fabrics for military personnel were as expected. Revenues from TenCate Defender™ M rose sharply in comparison with the third quarter of 2014, with both ongoing deliveries to the US Army and deliveries to new customers playing a role in this. As a result of the fall in the price of oil, there is far less activity in the oil and gas sector. This sector is a major customer for protective fabrics from TenCate, which are used for example for work clothing on drilling platforms and shale gas plants. Sales of TenCate Tecasafe® Plus for this type of work clothing therefore declined. TenCate Advanced Composites benefited from

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the rise in production volumes of modern commercial aircraft, such as the Airbus A350 XWB. TenCate composite materials make a significant contribution to the characteristics of these types of aircraft, such as lower weight and a more comfortable cabin. Moreover, TenCate is a leading supplier of materials for radomes; these are the protective housing for the radar antennae that are installed on existing aircraft to accommodate the equipment that makes internet accessible on board. In the US many aircraft are already fitted with these domes and various European fleets are also expected to be equipped with them. In the fourth quarter of 2015 TenCate also expects to make a start

on a test programme that can in time lead to further use of its composite materials in future generations of commercial aircraft. The continuing constraints on defence budgets in the United States are still exerting a negative impact on TenCate Advanced Armour. Although the tide appears to be turning when it comes to the financing of vehicle programmes, deliveries of armour materials have not yet got underway. In the third quarter there was good news about the TenCate ABDS™ active blast countermeasure system, which can protect vehicles and their crew against roadside bombs. In the current phase of validation by

L. de Vries, President and CEO, Royal Ten Cate

the US government TenCate is preparing the integration of the TenCate ABDS™ active blast countermeasure system in new and existing vehicle platforms. TenCate Advanced Armour has been selected by the Defense Mobility Enterprise (DME) to integrate the system in the US Army Combat Vehicle Prototype. TenCate Geosynthetics recorded lower quarterly revenues on an organic basis, in particular in the United States. The construction of roads and other infrastructure for oil and gas extraction on the continent was an important market for TenCate Geosynthetics in the United States in previous years. As a result of reduced

activity in this sector, sales of geotextiles have also declined. In Brazil TenCate recently concluded an important agreement relating to the supply of geotextiles and TenCate Geotube® dewatering technology for a major project. TenCate Grass continued the growth seen in previous quarters. Sales of synthetic turf components increased and the strengthened market position of GreenFields in the United States has led to an increase in the number of synthetic turf systems supplied for sports pitches. The Gelredome, the stadium of Vitesse football club, became the first Dutch stadium to have an XtraGrass™ hybrid grass pitch from

TenCate. This innovative system consists of natural grass reinforced with a woven structure of synthetic yarns. US Lacrosse, the national association for one of the fastest growing team sports in the US, has signed a marketing agreement with GreenFields USA. At the US Lacrosse training complex a pitch will be installed at the beginning of 2016, which will be made of woven synthetic turf on a surface with TenCate Sine®, the new resilient shock pad made of woven foam material.’

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SUSTAINABILITY

SECOND FIFA TWO-STAR SYNTHETIC TURF PITCH WITH TENCATE GRASS FIBRES

˘ Gazimagusa, Cyprus At the beginning of May 2015 Hatko installed in Cyprus a second FIFA two-star pitch with ˘ TenCate Grass synthetic turf fibres as its base. The pitch in Gazimagusa, a city on the east coast of Cyprus, measures 106 x 76 metres and is named after Rauf Denktas, a TurkishCypriot politician, who died in 2012. Hatko Dokuma Tekstil insaat Taahhut Ve Ticaret Ltd Sti. is the partner of TenCate Grass in Turkey. The customer opted for Omega Turf, the top model from Hatko; the synthetic turf fibres were designed and produced by TenCate Grass in Dubai. The synthetic turf carpet was produced in a single week, while the entire installation took just three weeks. According to Hatko, Omega Turf is known for its unique curved shape and its three ‘nerves’, which provide a resilient turf fibre, excellent flexibility and lifespan. The engineers from Hatko who tested and analysed the system stated that this

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quality still satisfies sustainability requirements, even after 40,000 Lisport Test cycles. Hatko Sports has been making synthetic turf yarns and backing from TenCate for many years and using these it has installed many sports and landscaping projects in Turkey and the Middle East in recent years. www.tencategrass.com [email protected]

˘ The synthetic turf pitch in Gazimagusa, on the east coast of Cyprus

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SAFETY

TENCATE POLYFELT® PGM-G FOR REHABILITATION OF RUNWAYS IN PRAGUE

Actieve inzittendenSafe landing at Vacl bescherming beproefd TenCate Polyfelt® has been used for rehabilitation work carried out on the runways of Vaclav Havel International Airport in Prague. This material retards crack formation and increases the service life of the pavement. Prague airport is the most important international airport in the Czech Republic and the biggest airport among the new EU member

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states. In 2011, it received the Eagle Award from the IATA (the international association for air transport) for being the best developing airport. This international ‘air hub’ handles 11 to 12 million passengers annually. They can choose from 50 or so regular airlines that connect Prague directly to some 130 destinations around the world. Five regular cargo carriers operate out of this airport, as well as dozens of companies providing charter flights.

Surface rehabilitation programme Airport runways must satisfy stringent demands relating to quality and safety. Runway cracks and uneven surfaces can cause dangerous take-off and landing conditions. After many years of use, the asphalt runway surface at Prague International airport had reached the end of its service life. Not only had cracks appeared due to the continuous rise in loading operations and the increasingly

lav Havel Airport severe weather conditions, but natural bitumen aging (oxidation) had also occurred. Reason enough for the authorities to launch a surface rehabilitation programme using a reliable and technically sound method: the application of TenCate Polyfelt® PGM-G (tensile strength 100/100 and 50/50). Reliability, past experience with this material, and an excellent cost-benefit ratio were the deciding factors in this choice.

TenCate Polyfelt® PGM-G 100/100 is a mechanically bonded polypropylene non-woven with a grid of fibreglass yarns of high tensile strength. Functions include stress relief, sealing and reinforcement. For years, the material has been used in the repair of bitumen road surfaces and installed between asphalt layers or directly on the (concrete) substrate. Once installed under or between the new bituminous wearing courses of the runways, TenCate

The company PORR carried out the rehabilitation work at Vaclav Havel Airport in Prague.

Polyfelt® PGM-G retards crack formation and increases the service life of the pavement. www.tencategeosynthetics.com [email protected]

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SUSTAINABILITY

GREENFIELDS® SLIDE MAX XQ™ 50 GRACES COMMUNITY CENTRE IN MEDELLÍN

Sustainable turf in Medellín In a district of Medellín (Colombia) a remarkable building has been constructed: the UVA Sol de Oriente. The most striking thing about this multifunctional structure is a sports pitch, measuring 55 x 33 metres, which is installed on the roof, with a GreenFields® Slide Max XQ™ synthetic turf system covering it. Medellín, is divided into sixteen districts, called comunas. In Comuna 8, better known as Villa Hermosa, a unique centre has been built for sports, culture and recreation: Unidades de Vida Articulada (UVA) Sol de Oriente. It is a city project where the Mayor of Medellín, the INDER and EPM discuss with the community their plans to build and adapt public spaces, to hold public meetings about life and equality, through recreation, culture and community participation, with the key aim of ‘getting people moving’. The creation of similar community centres is a joint initiative by the community sports and recreational institute (INDER) and a large public utility, called EPM. Psport Systems was responsible for the installation of the sports pitch with synthetic turf. They selected GreenFields® Slide Max XQ™ 50 for the purpose. Two FIFA-certified pitches that use this system have already been installed in Colombia.

Facilities The UVA Sol de Oriente community centre has an area of 3,521 m2 that has been built on and 2,651m2 of public space. In addition to a GreenFields® Slide Max XQ™ 50 synthetic turf pitch on the roof, the UVA Sol de Oriente also boasts a sports colosseum, interactive fountains, interactive classrooms and training areas, an auditorium, a gaming room, a covered fitness centre, a theatre for performance arts and stands for sports events. The new community centres contribute to the transformation of deprived neighbourhoods into environments with safe places for people to meet, space for sports, culture and recreation, and where, moreover, employment is stimulated. Positive experiences Psport Systems, the distributor of GreenFields in Colombia, has previously built a number of

synthetic turf pitches for INDER and EPM. EPM has for example in the past year had twelve woven GreenFields® MX DS synthetic turf pitches installed. The positive experiences with the installation and the pitches themselves were for INDER part of the reason to opt once again for GreenFields. The twelve synthetic turf pitches in question are a gift from EPM to the same number of villages downstream on the Río Medellín after the company had built a dam there. INDER has plans for the installation of another twenty synthetic turf pitches in the city. In this way the institute helps to make deprived neighbourhoods safer, also by initiating social projects. Quality of synthetic turf GreenFields is represented in South America by Pieter Gussenhoven. He operates from Buenos Aires, Argentina. He knows the market and knows that GreenFields is facing stiff competition from Asian suppliers, who offer synthetic turf at prices that are 40 to 50% lower. Anyway, GreenFields benefits from having local production. The company ships the synthetic turf yarns and base cloth to a carpet factory in Bogotá, which then assembles them into synthetic turf. ‘We have an advantage with our TenCate XP Blade™’, Pieter Gussenhoven tells us. ‘Most synthetic turf is used for smaller pitches that undergo extremely intensive use.’ TenCate XP Blade™ is an exceptionally wear-resistant and sustainable fibre. Although South America still lags behind Europe in terms of environmental awareness and recycling, ‘sustainability is hugely important in this market’.

Watch the animation by scanning this page with the LAYAR app

Match on the GreenFields® SlideMax XQ™ 50 synthetic turf pitch on the roof of the building.

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www.tencategrass.com www.greenfieldsusa.com www.lasuvadelavida.com www.greenfields.eu [email protected]

The UVA Sol de Oriente in Medellín at sunset. Sol de Oriente means ‘sun of the East’.

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Professor Adam Bezuijen

‘You don’t see geosynthetics but they’re everywhere’ 30 txtures 4 | 2015

SUSTAINABILITY

USE OF GEOSYNTHETICS IN HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING CONTRIBUTES TO SAFETY

For as long as he can remember, Professor Adam Bezuijen has been fascinated by the combination of water and soil. ‘It started right back as a child, with my bucket and spade on the beach,’ he laughs. That initial research as a toddler at the seaside led him on to technical studies at Delft and an impressive career in soil mechanics. txtures spoke to Adam Bezuijen about his discipline and the role played by geosynthetics. It was not entirely coincidental that we met Adam Bezuijen in the Utrecht village of Wilnis. It was there in August 2003 that some 1,500 inhabitants were evacuated after the dyke along the ring canal was breached. Adam Bezuijen, then still a fulltime researcher at the knowledge institute Deltares, was asked to determine the cause of the embankment failure. Together with his colleague Gerard Kruse, he described how a 60 metre-stretch of the peat dyke came to drift away. Basin water had entered deep under the embankment via cracks in the dried-out peat, causing the dyke body to lose its grip on the substrate. Formulae and models Although since the early 1990s Adam Bezuijen has been known mainly for research concerning drilled tunnels, he began his career with research on dykes, stone revetments and dredging processes. ‘Commissioned by such bodies as the Department of Waterways and Public Works, I carried out considerable research into geosystems: the application of geosynthetics in hydraulic engineering,’ he says. In 2012, together with TenCate he published the book Geosystems: Design Rules and Applications, a scientific treatise full of formulae and models. According to Adam Bezuijen, one of the most important parts was the table of contents, since ‘No one reads such a volume from A to Z.’ Geosynthetics: collective name Geosynthetics is a collective name for a variety of materials: ranging from very thin waterproof films to wide-meshed geogrids that are applied in civil engineering and environmental engineering. The market group supplies turnkey system solutions for road and railway construction, steep wall construction, hydraulic structures, dyke reinforcement, land reclamation, tunnel building, pipeline projects, landfill sites, and riverbank and coastline structures.

As regards these solutions, TenCate has a wide range of high-grade geosynthetics available for such purposes as separation, filtration, soil reinforcement, erosion protection, sealing, load distribution, coating and/or welding, and the storage of contaminated soil and drainage. Dyke reinforcement ‘You don’t see geosynthetics but they’re everywhere,’ says Adam Bezuijen. ‘These materials contribute to our protection, particularly where geosystems are used in hydraulic engineering: they separate land and water. For example, if you walk along the dyke in Zeeland, you see stones lying on the dyke body. That’s to reinforce the dyke. Now, to prevent high waves washing away the sand between the stones, the dyke is lined with a layer of geotextile under the stones.’ Protecting people ‘Protecting people’ is an important principle in the activities of TenCate – including the production of geosynthetic fabrics, membranes and grids for application in the geotechnical field. According to Adam Bezuijen, it is obvious that in our country below sea level the use of geosystems to separate land from water will only increase. Considerable use of geosynthetics is also made abroad to protect the land against seawater, river water and rainwater. ‘In the United States, TenCate Geotube® systems are used in great numbers to combat coastal erosion. These are large elongated containers filled with sand, which lie buried in the beach to prevent the beach and a substantial part of its hinterland from vanishing into the sea during a heavy storm. These containers break up the waves.’ Adam Bezuijen sees another well-known application in Japan, where people only want to work with geotextiles when building the foundations of viaducts. ‘Geosystems are more flexible than concrete substructures and remain intact even during earthquakes.’

Challenging puzzles A knowledge institute such as Deltares − where Adam Bezuijen, in addition to his chair in Geotechnics in Ghent still works one day a week as a specialist in soil mechanics – plays an advisory role in the production and use of geosynthetics. ‘TenCate sells not only geosynthetics but the whole geosystem,’ he explains. ‘So they advise their customers on how best to use the containers of geosynthetics. This requires research. For example, we have carried out research for TenCate Geosynthetics to determine how the TenCate Geobag® filled with 400 cubic metres of sand can best be submerged in deep water. What kind of wave causes the bag to shift? How can it be positioned as accurately as possible? What shape does the bag of sand take lying on the bottom? Calculating and puzzling out how all this precisely works are things that I like doing.’ Seam strength Much of the research leads to improvement in the protective material. ‘Geosystems must be able to cope with the enormous pressure of sand and water, and the weak point here was always the seam,’ says Adam Bezuijen. ‘There the material was only at 50% strength. In recent years, TenCate has hugely improved this by making the geosystems completely in the factory and engineering the seams in such a way that they’re just as strong as the rest of the fabric. This makes a tremendous difference, because after all a chain is as strong as the weakest link. In fact, although only the seam has been improved, the strength of the geosystems has now doubled. And this opens up even more opportunities for deploying geosynthetics worldwide for the protection of land and people.’

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SUSTAINABILITY

TENCATE FIELD IN A BOX™ IS EPICENTRE OF SPORTS AND SOCIAL GROWTH

Synthetic turf pitch as n In numerous places in the world opportunities are lacking for young people to play sports, to attend education and to develop socially. The TenCate Field in a box™ from TenCate Grass connects sports with social, educational and economic objectives. It can contribute to providing employment and help to strenghten the local community – to start with in New Delhi (India). Field in a box™ enables companies to put their social commitment into practice. The integrated

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system also corresponds to the UN’s 17 global goals for sustainable development. Sport is a healthy and a social activity – certainly for children. By playing sports, mastering both physical and social skills, they develop characteristics such as leadership, self confidence, team spirit and perseverance. Sports encourage the participation and integration of vulnerable groups. In numerous places throughout the world there is, however, a lack of facilities for

playing sports, for attending full-time education and developing socially. TenCate Field in a box™ from TenCate Grass makes it possible to build up a sustainable and accessible sports infrastructure that contributes to social, ecological and economic change. Ready-made solution TenCate Field in a box™ is an integrated, readymade solution in a single container of 84 m3. In the container are all the components for a

The TenCate Field in a box™ system on location

new village centre sports pitch measuring 20 x 40 metres, including a synthetic turf mat, the base and boarding. The pitch is suitable for sports such as football, rugby, hockey, cricket and handball. The system combines the technology and latest materials from TenCate Grass and TenCate Geosynthetics, including TenCate Accorder® for the base layer.

with a sustainable LED system. It is also possible to supply a mesh fence to ensure the accommodation is secure. The system has a very modest CO2 footprint, as there are savings on the materials, the amount of soil that has to be removed, and the costs of installation and transport.

Optionl extras include GreenSource® for water filtration, outdoor fabrics for fencing and a roof canopy and customised printing, using digital inkjet technology. Another option is pitch lighting

Community function TenCate Field in a box™ can be installed on virtually any surface. There is a choice of three modular base layer systems (see box). The

container itself can easily be converted into a sports canteen, a meeting place, classroom or office, for which prefabricated doors and windows have been developed. As a community centre it can offer accommodation for activities such as education about sanitation, computer lessons, information on health and the issue of HIV/ AIDS. Thanks to LED lighting, the community centre

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The TenCate Field in a box™ system has a choice of three modular base layer systems. 1 Easy-to-install Through working continuously on innovations TenCate has succeeded in – among other things - developing a base layer that is just 55 mm thick and yet is able to provide optimal stability and playing characteristics: TenCate Accorder®. This helps to make the system compact, easy to transport and simple to install at any possible location. There is no need to dig very deep or to transport raw materials across great distances. This enables this method of installation to produce considerable savings on logistical costs and CO2 emissions.

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2 Reuse of end-of-life materials The second solution provides a stabilising, draining and technical underlayer all in one: TenCate Ecocept®. This can be fully installed with the reuse of end-of-life synthetics and rubber. 3 Ecological water management Field in a box™ can be expanded by the use of, for example, a system for ecological water management for the whole community: GreenSource®. This system for drinking water management combines a synthetic turf system from TenCate with water filtration

technology from Pentair X-Flow and water storage from Permavoid. GreenSource® provides for the collection and storage of rainwater that can be used and reused for irrigation of the pitch and numerous other applications, such as sanitary facilities. Thanks to an ingenious filtration system it provides clean water with no risk to health. With a large storage capacity under the pitch, GreenSource® can also be used for irrigating agricultural land.

can be used 24/7. In India, for example, it is pitch dark at six o’clock in the evening and there are no facilities for sports or educational activities. Boost to the local economy TenCate Field in a box™ also gives a boost to the local economy, since local contractors, suppliers of materials and installers are involved in the installation. Once the pitch has been installed, there are then opportunities for work in maintenance, supervision, etc. TenCate provides an engineer to ensure the sound transfer of knowledge about installation and maintenance. The creation of infrastructure for education and health care brings employment for teachers, coaches, trainers, and social and healthcare workers. With the synthetic turf pitch at its the epicentre, new activities can arise. The availability of water for irrigation makes small-scale agriculture possible, while LED lighting at the centre brings opportunities for small-scale industry and service industries, thus increasing the involvement of the local population. Partnerships In order to extend the functions of the sports pitch TenCate enters into partnerships with nongovernmental organisations (NGOs), like Doctors without Borders and Magic Bus. TenCate is already involved in projects with NGOs such as the KNVB (Dutch Football Association) WorldCoaches and the Cruyff Foundation. These NGOs can play an important part in projects around TenCate Field in a box™. They are introduced into the local situation, have expertise in setting up and supervising programmes and can make teaching materials and the like available.

Business and industry and CSR TenCate Field in a box™ can only succeed in its intent with financial support from business and industry. As part of their social commitment and responsibility, more and more companies are making money available for projects focusing on sustainable development. Companies in developing countries especially regard it as their moral duty to do something in return for the community, the local population of the country where they are based. Some countries have stipulated a statutory minimum percentage of the profit that they must spend each year on CSR. TenCate Field in a box™ is an ideal way to put their social commitment into practice. Innovation and sustainability TenCate is open to companies with the same innovation and sustainability principles who would like to link their products or services to the TenCate Field in a box™. Here we are thinking in particular of companies with an affinity for sports, social development and health care. Philips makes a contribution with its LED lighting on solar panels. Heras has developed a sustainable and noise-reducing system in which lighting is integrated into the fencing. Poly-Ned has developed lightweight roofing based on UV-resistant fabrics from TenCate Geosynthetics specially for TenCate Field in a box™. Rederij MSC from Rotterdam has come forward as a partner for delivering the containers. When companies link up to it and want to implement a system somewhere, TenCate Grass, as director and primary contact, takes upon itself the logistics, installation and supervision.

Sustainable development On 25 September 2015 the United Nations formulated seventeen goals for sustainable development (see pictograms). Achieving these Sustainable Development Goals should lead to the world being free of poverty, hunger and disease by 2030 and solutions being found for problems relating to water, sanitation, climate and energy. TenCate Field in a box™ enables TenCate to respond to these 17 global goals. Various multinationals too support these goals. • TenCate Field in a box™ makes it possible to build sports infrastructure that contributes to social, ecological and economic change • By linking up with TenCate Field in a box™, companies can put into practice their social commitment • In order to expand the functions of the sports pitch, TenCate is entering into partnerships with non-governmental organisations, such as Doctors without Borders, KNVB WorldCoaches and the Cruyff Foundation

Watch the animation by scanning this page with the LAYAR app www.tencategrass.com www.tencatefieldinabox.com www.tencate.tv

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SAFETY

TENCATE BIDIM® AND TENCATE GEODETECT® IN RHÔNE-ALPES AND POITOU-CHARENTES

Geosynthetics in France Geosynthetics from TenCate were recently used in France to strengthen a dyke section on the Donzère-Mondragon canal and for a warning system under a railway line in an area with potential sinkholes near Sauzé-Vaussais. TenCate GeoDetect® is a system based on geotextiles with embedded fibre optic cables

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Work on the dyke near the Tricastin nuclear power plant

The Tricastin nuclear power plant is located in south-eastern France on the Donzère-Mondragon canal. This diversion canal of the Rhône is used to provide cooling water. The French electricity company EDF and the Compagnie Nationale du Rhône have improved the level of protection of the Tricastin nuclear power plant against the risk of water shortages occurring in the event of flooding, by strengthening a weaker part of the protective dyke along the Rhône. This one-kilometre-long dyke section on the left bank of the river protects not only the nuclear site but also the city of Donzère and the towns and villages in the vicinity. The dyke was built in the nineteenth century and raised in the twentieth. As a result, it consists of several layers of soil, the body is moisture permeable and at high water the dyke is vulnerable to erosion. By installing a filtration and drainage system that incorporates TenCate Bidim® S72, permeability and vulnerability to erosion have been halted. In order to increase the safety of this critical dyke section, a monitoring system was installed at the request of EDF to warn of both unexpected water flow and changes in the dyke. This system was designed with the TenCate GeoDetect® S-BR sensor embedding four optical cables and measuring in total some 15 kilometres of optical fibres. Sinkholes near Sauzé-Vaussais The 302-kilometre-long South Europe Atlantic (SEA) high-speed Tours-Bordeaux railway line forms a new link in the future trans-European route from Northern Europe to the Iberian Peninsula. The stretch between Tours and Bordeaux is being laid by a consortium (COSEA). The line will be connected to the high-speed rail link to Paris. Trains reach a speed of 320 km/ hr between Tours and Bordeaux, so for safety reasons the railway must be as flat and as stable as possible. However, near Sauzé-Vaussais, 60 km south of Poitiers, the line crosses an area

Lengths of TenCate GeoDetect® are rolled out along the track near Sauzé-Vaussais

(approximately 200 metres long and 60 metres wide) with potential sinkholes. A sinkhole is caused by the collapse of an underground cavity, which can lead in turn to the collapse of the infrastructure, and not infrequently to deep pits. COSEA decided to complement the ballast bed under the rails in this area with TenCate GeoDetect®. At Sauzé-Vaussais measurements are carried out at two levels in the new railway body: at about 7 metres and 2 metres below the rails. There are approximately 6,000 measuring points, enabling a total of 14 kilometres of fibre optic to be measured in a monitor room. Monitoring system TenCate GeoDetect® is a patented system for monitoring deformations in earth structures such as embankments and dykes. This sensing solution consists of a geotextile with embedded fibre optic cables, together with special measuring equipment and software. This enables the smallest soil deformations and changes in temperature

and tension to be registered at an early stage, for example indications of incipient sinkholes. In the event of even the slightest deviation from the allowable values, each measuring point transmits a signal to the monitor room. The system is used in the construction of roads and railways and the building of retaining walls, tunnels, underground engineering structures and pipelines. It is a durable solution that has been well tried and tested. Both at the Donzère-Mondragon canal and at Sauzé-Vaussais TenCate Geosynthetics was responsible for the installation of the entire system: from the sensing strips underground to the optical instrumentation and the software for remote control and monitoring. www.tencategeosynthetics.com [email protected]

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SUSTAINABILITY

TAUW, TENCATE AND HOOGHEEMRAADSCHAP DEVELOP SLUDGE INHIBITOR

Sludge inhibitor increases quality of surface water The rapid accretion and movement of sludge presents managers of shallow fen pools with a problem. Maintenance is costly; its effect temporary. In addition, sludge has a negative impact on the surface water. That’s why Tauw, together with TenCate Geosynthetics and Hoogheemraadschap Hollands Noorderkwartier, used geosynthetics and TenCate Geotube® to develop the sludge inhibitor. The Wormer- en Jisperveld nature area served as a pilot project. Result: a higher quality of water plus lower maintenance costs. Sludge particles grow quickly, are voluminous, and move around easily under the influence of wind and waves. Then they settle in sheltered zones. It only takes a strong wind and a dredged waterway or port can once again be filled with sludge. Not only does maintenance involve high costs, sludge particles also have a negative effect on the quality of the surface. Plant growth is seriously hampered by water turbidity and the unstable water bed. The consulting and engineering bureau Tauw was commissioned by Hoogheemraadschap Hollands Noorderkwartier to improve the water quality of the large pools in the Wormer- en Jisperveld nature area. Important meadow bird area The Wormer- en Jisperveld is one of the most important meadow bird areas in the Netherlands and, with its 2,000 ha, the largest area of contiguous peatland meadows in West Europe. The shallow fen pools in the Wormer- en

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Jisperveld are turbid, and light barely penetrates to the water bed. Consequently, water plants fail to grow and algae gain the upper hand. The slightest movements in the water set large quantities of sludge in motion. Owing to the sweetening of the system and exposure to oxygen, the peatland ‘burns’. As a result, banks crumble, the bed sinks, and the burnt peatland ends up as sludge in the water. Over time, various measures have been taken to improve the water quality but have produced only limited and temporary results. Nature values and laws and regulations stand in the way of conventional dredging. Processing sites are increasingly located farther away from the work, which means the establishment of storage depots costs more time and more money.

The final situation

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Sludge inhibitor To cope with this problem, Tauw, together with TenCate Geosynthetics and Hoogheemraadschap Hollands Noorderkwartier, have developed the sludge inhibitor and the dredge spoil buffer (see box). The sludge inhibitor consists of a screen of UV-resistant geotextile that partly emerges above the water and is anchored to the bed with a sand-filled container (TenCate Geotube® technology). The fabric is manufactured by TenCate Geosynthetics in Nijverdal; the non-woven in the plant in Linz (Austria); the material for floats at TenCate in Malaysia. The site in Almelo makes the composite product. The geotextile is stretched between two floats. The room between the floats can be filled with sludge and plants. A coarse-mesh mat on top of the structure prevents the leaching of sludge and makes vegetation possible. Tree trunks are installed on both sides of the floats for protection and natural integration purposes. Thanks to the sludge inhibitor, less sludge is stirred up because the power is abstracted from the water. The structure enhances life on and under the water.

Innovative underwater sludge storage Based on the sludge inhibitor concept, Tauw, together with TenCate Geosynthetics, have developed the dredge spoil buffer. The dredge spoil buffer offers a robust, sustainable and nature-friendly solution for the remediation of water beds. The sludge spoil buffer is a retaining structure, consisting of sand- or sludge-filled TenCate Geotube® units and a float. Behind this, the dredged sludge is stored under the water. The whole structure is built on land and transported using pontoons. The opening lies against the bank. Once in place, the sludge spoil buffer facilitates sludge storage, land reclamation and bank protection. In addition, flow movements are absorbed. Consequently, there are less wind effects, swell and swirling sludge. The dredge spoil buffer can be

vegetated or kept just under water level. The water becomes clearer and more tranquil. Flora and fauna are given new chances. Because small quantities of sludge can be buffered in dredge spoil buffers, costs are reduced for transport to large sludge depots located elsewhere. Commissioned by the Sustainability Committee of Hoogheemraadschap Hollands Noorderkwartier, Tauw carried out a pilot with the dredge spoil buffer in one of the three large pools of the Wormer- en Jisperveld in 2013. In total some 500 m3 of sludge was trapped and submerged in the dredge spoil buffer. The applied sludge stabilised rapidly, and within a few weeks the first vegetation appeared and water birds were using the marshy zone that had been created.

Bird jetty In January 2014, the sludge inhibitor was placed in a large fen pool in the Wormer- en Jisperveld − a quick and low-cost operation. In total four elements, each 25 metres, were installed; one was also equipped with a 10-metre-long ‘bird jetty’. Nearly two years have now passed, and in the meantime the wetland watch have come across various protected bird species that have landed on the sludge inhibitor to rest. Furthermore, a remarkable plant community has developed on top of the sludge inhibitor. So water quality, nature, recreation and ease of maintenance come together in this sustainable solution. www.tencategeosynthetics.europe.com [email protected] A remarkable plant community has developed on the dredge spoil buffer

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SUSTAINABILITY DUURZAAMHEID

TENCATE GEOTUBE® AS BASIS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL APPLICATIONS

Major clean-up The technology and materials at the basis of the sludge inhibitor are suitable for a multitude of applications, such as the cleaning of rivers and the removal of ‘plastic soup’ – at least that’s the opinion of project manager Paul Stook of Tauw. Moreover, as far as he’s concerned, cooperation is the name of the game. Paul Stook is project manager and ‘one of the enthusiastic inventors’ at Tauw. This internationally active consulting company operates in the area of environment, safety, energy and sustainable operational management. The company has built up a reputation as a player in soil remediation. A well-known example is the decontamination of the Volgermeerpolder, the largest soil remediation operation in Dutch history. Once a dumping site for heavily polluted household and industrial waste, the polder has been cleaned up and transformed into a nature reserve. With the aid of TenCate Geotube®, clean sludge serves as a natural cap on top of the seal. The seal on the waste is monitored in one of the basins on the natural cap, using TenCate GeoDetect®. Superstorm Sandy Paul Stook is co-developer behind the Volgermeerpolder solution. He also developed the sludge inhibitor, though is not claiming the honour personally. According to him, cooperation is the best way of achieving innovation. The application of TenCate geosynthetics as a breakwater for the coast of New York, which was hit by Superstorm Sandy in October 2012, gave him the idea. ‘If these materials can be applied for wave absorption or containment, they can also be applied for soil containment, for example in peatland meadows,’ he thought. And so the sludge inhibitor came into being and, as a variant, the dredge spoil buffer,

where the same materials are used to build an underwater repository for (filth) sludge. Port vision Paul Stook and his colleagues foresee more possibilities. A pier can be erected on the floats, from which swimmers can dive into natural waters or which can

Paul Stook

act as a mooring for pleasure craft. ‘The public can use it; it integrates within the landscape in terms of vegetation; and in the meantime the structure serves its purpose.’ And what applies to nature certainly holds true for the port area and the 2030 port vision of Rotterdam. Environment, safety and the living environment are keywords in this regard. Dredged

materials can be used for nature restoration and the greening of city ports that have lost their merchant shipping function. Adequate depth must be maintained in port basins and waterways − and the coming of megaships has only made this more urgent than ever. The turbulence of ship manoeuvres causes damage to quays, and here the services of geotextile can be well deployed in absorbing the currents. Waterways must be dredged and the sludge serves as building material for nature restoration. Plastic soup The new invention can also be used for capturing plastic garbage in the water. In August 2016, the Olympic Games will be held in the vicinity of Guanabara Bay (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). On the slopes along the rivers in this area, millions of people live in favelas without drainage. Waste and sewage stream down these slopes in the rainy season. Five rivers from ten or so municipalities in the state of Rio de Janeiro flow into the bay, and treatment facilities of any kind are few. Using the sludge inhibitor and TenCate Geotube® technology, all the waste can be removed. By building collection systems in front of the mouths of the rivers, the water can be filtered before it flows into the bay. However, the decision on an effective clean-up operation of this type still depends on the Brazilian authorities. www.tencategeosynthetics.com www.tencategeotube.com www.tauw.nl

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SAFETY

RECONSTRUCTION OF DANIEL BOONE BRIDGE WITH TENCATE MIRAFI® H2RI

Over the bridge with geosynthetics A new bridge rises up where the I-64 highway in St Louis crosses the Missouri. Because of the soil conditions and the groundwater level under the roadways to and from the bridge, the Missouri Department of Transportation insisted on an innovative construction solution. This was found in the application of TenCate Mirafi® H2Ri.

traffic to speak of back then. Regular preventive maintenance is necessary, which causes congestion and safety concerns for highway workers. In addition, the current westbound bridge has three narrow lanes, which often become congested during peak travel times. It was therefore decided on expansion, with a bridge on the eastern side for not only cars but also cyclists and pedestrians.

The Daniel Boone Bridge in western St Louis, Missouri (United States), dates back to the 1930s − a remarkable structure that lifts the I-64 over the Missouri River at this point. Now nearly 80 years old, the bridge was not designed to cope with today’s volume of traffic, as there was little interstate

Because of saturated soil conditions, water had to be removed from under the pavement section at the bridge approaches. The civil engineer in charge therefore decided to utilise the possibilities offered by the TenCate Mirafi® H2Ri high-strength wicking geosynthetic. The new bridge is being built upstream from the two existing bridges. Once it is complete, eastbound traffic will use the new bridge, and westbound traffic will be shifted to what is currently the eastbound bridge. Building work on the third, eastbound bridge began in 2013. At the same time, construction work began

Watch the video by scanning this page with the LAYAR app www.tencategeosynthetics.com [email protected]

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The Daniel Boone Bridge before the start of expansion work

on a new Chesterfield Airport Road bridge and a connecting road. Both were completed in 2014. In the middle of 2015, the new bridge was opened to eastbound traffic. Afterwards work began on rehabilitating the old eastbound bridge, which will be opened later this year to westbound traffic. In the first instance, some 6000 m2 of TenCate Mirafi® H2Ri were installed; later another 68,000 m2. A downpour

after the installation immediately demonstrated the value of the material. At the beginning of 2016, several connecting access and exit roads will be ready, as well as the cycle and pedestrian path on the new bridge. Subsequently, the old westbound bridge will be dismantled.

After TenCate Mirafi® H2Ri is installed, this layer is covered with sand and is no longer visible

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SAFETY

TENCATE MIRAFI® H2RI AND RS280I STRENGTHENS AND PROTECTS PIONEER MOUNTAINS SCENIC BYWAY

Safe on the road in Montana

The Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway in the American state of Montana has to contend with frost heave damage, and crack formation is naturally a danger to motorists. The application of TenCate Mirafi® RS280i as a base course reinforcement and TenCate Mirafi® H2Ri as frost heave mitigation has led to a considerable reduction in crack formation, which in turn has had a positive impact on road safety. The Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest in Montana (US) is a beautiful route. The road runs through a variety of landscapes that are frequently awe-inspiring. Less attractive is the road surface, which features serious cracks dangerous to traffic safety. This frost heave damage requires maintenance and repair on an annual basis. As earlier measures failed to yield lasting improvement, regular repairs continued to be necessary. That’s why authorities from the Western Federal Lands Highway Division of the United States Department of Transportation were interested in TenCate Mirafi® H2Ri geosynthetics’ patented wicking ability to mitigate frost heave damage. There was yet a further challenge: the base layer under the pavement system had to be thin enough to accommodate the high water table. The solution was TenCate Mirafi® RS280i. Free of cracks The route was reconstructed with a moisture control layer of TenCate Mirafi® H2Ri, a base reinforcement layer of TenCate Mirafi® RS280i, and overlaid with an asphalt concrete pavement surface. Now, two winters later, this part of the road is still free of cracks or heaves. Excess water is quickly drained away before it can freeze. The wish by the local authorities is to use this unique construction method to improve a larger part of the route when funding becomes available.

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Situation before the work (winter 2013)

Repairing the road using TenCate Mirafi®

TenCate Mirafi® RSi is a series of geosynthetics for base course reinforcement, railway and motorway stabilisation, embankment reinforcement, soil confinement, and protection against erosion.

www.tencategeosynthetics.com [email protected]

SUSTAINABILITY DUURZAAMHEID

SYNTHETIC TURF YARNS FOR MOBILE VERSION OF SPORTS PITCH

Mobile Cruyff Court for children’s hospital

On 7 October the Emma Children’s Hospital/ AMC in Amsterdam became the proud owners of the first mobile Cruyff Court in the world. The reason for this was to celebrate the hospital’s 150th anniversary as well as the rebuilding that had just been completed. King Willem-Alexander performed the official opening ceremony. Cruyff Courts are a contemporary version of the traditional empty plot of land where kids kick a ball around. The Cruyff Foundation is in this way offering children a good, safe place in the neighbourhood to play sports. At the same time it forms a meeting place for the whole community. The mobile version of the court enables the Cruyff Foundation to introduce

children to the work of the Johan Cruyff Foundation and the Cruyff Court in a flexible and unique place. The mobile Cruyff Court is modular in design, with a pitch that measures a maximum of 20x30 metres. These dimensions can, however, be adapted, depending on the number of modules used.

Cruyff Courts are manufactured from sustainable TenCate XP Blade™ and TenCate Thiobac Pro® C18 backing. TenCate XP Blade™ does not split, and is thus the best choice for pitches that are subjected to intensive play. Moreover, TenCate XP Blade™ is more resilient than ordinary tape yarns and has a good and attractive playing surface. www.tencategrass.com www.cruyff-foundation.org

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SAFETY

TENCATE DEFENDER™ M CONTRIBUTES TO THE SAFETY AND COMFORT OF PILOTS

‘I feel safer in my helicopter than on the road’ After training to become an air traffic controller and having worked as a navigation communications officer with the Dutch Navy, Eric van de Weerd became a helicopter pilot with Noordzee Helicopters Vlaanderen. His flight suit is made of TenCate Defender™ M protective fabric. This lightweight material is flexible, resistant to radiation and completely flame and heat retardant. ‘Because I have absolute confidence in the flight suit I wear, I can concentrate entirely on flying the helicopter.’ As a boy Eric van de Weerd, like so many other young boys, liked to watch the aircraft at Schiphol with his father. And he dreamed of becoming a pilot himself. While most boys eventually take another direction, he did actually apply to train as an airline pilot. He passed all the tests with flying colours, but at the final hurdle – the simulator test – things went wrong, and this temporaily put an end to his career as a pilot. ‘I then went to train as an air traffic controller at Schiphol’, he recalls. ‘While I was training there I received an offer to fly with the Dutch Navy as a navigation communications officer. For eighteen months I flew on the Orion, then in Germany for three and a half years on the AWACS radar plane. Here

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I could take the simulator test again and this time I got through with no problems. Apparently I’d gained enough experience in the meantime.’ Complicated steering He could have flown an F16, but that didn’t appeal to Eric van de Weerd. Instead, he opted for the helicopter: an aircraft that is at least as complicated to fly as a plane. He demonstrates the intricacies: ‘you determine the direction with your feet and apply the brakes with your toes. With your left hand you take the helicopter up and determine the direction in which you go up with your right hand. And then we have the theory. The aerodynamics of a helicopter are much more complicated that those of a plane, because the rotating blades themselves also create an airstream.’ Eric van de Weerd is now a helicopter pilot with Noordzee Helicopters Vlaanderen (NHV). From the airport at Den Helder he and his colleagues mainly transport personnel and freight to and from drilling platforms and ships. ‘You could regard us as a taxi company’, he says. ‘The coastguards also use us when looking for missing persons and during sea rescue operations and we are also able to help in putting out fires.’

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‘Since I have complete confidence in the flight suit that I’m wearing, I can concentrate entirely on flying the helicopter.’

Afghanistan Helicopters are manoeuvrable and fast; they can land on a very small area and under difficult conditions. The largest helicopter of the NHV fleet, the Airbus H175 which Eric van de Weerd flies, can carry as many as sixteen passengers. He is an experienced pilot, who flew for a long time for the defence forces: on the Cougar and the Apache. A year in Afghanistan demanded the utmost of him. ‘What the most difficult part was? Night landings near a mountain top while the enemy is just around the corner. In that respect my work is now a great deal easier.’ Risk factor The greatest risk factor for a helicopter pilot is the weather. That is why he always has to be prepared for water, wind, cold or heat, as well as for fire. The fuel tanks are close by and, in the rare event of the helicopter crashing, they could burst into flame. All these factors ae taken into consideration for the pilot’s outfit, even though he is sitting comfortably in an enclosed space with climate control for most of

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the time. In addition to the above factors, wearing comfort is of course an important requirement. Flight suit ‘We wear a flight suit as standard practice’, says Eric van de Weerd. ‘This has to have a comfortable fit and not be too tight. Our suits are made to measure, and thus they fit perfectly.’ The dark blue flight suits worn by the NHV pilots are made of TenCate Defender™ M protective fabric. The material is comfortable, has a low weight and is thoroughly flame and heat retardant – even after being washed a thousand times. The material can also withstand ‘cosmic radiation’: radio waves at a great height. ‘We fly at a maximum of six thousand feet, so for us that specific feature is not so relevant’, says Eric van de Weerd, ‘but for F16 pilots for example it is certainly important.’ In winter we need another couple of layers of clothing on top of this. ‘If the seawater is colder than 14 degrees Celsius we have to wear a dry suit over

our flight suit’, Eric van de Weerd tells us. ‘I myself like to wear long underwear underneath my flight suit.’ The complete package – the more layers, the better – is the best protection against the elements. And having that certainty makes it a lot more pleasant, is his conclusion. Complete confidence ‘My clothing protects me against the elements, but I rarely think about that’, says Eric van de Weerd. ‘Since I have complete confidence in the flight suit that I’m wearing, I can concentrate entirely on flying the helicopter. And I also know that my aircraft is one of the best in the world. I never feel unsafe, and actually, I feel safer in my helicopter than I do on the road!’ www.tencateprotectivefabrics.com [email protected]

SAFETY

VERTICAL SAND-TIGHT GEOTEXTILE AGAINST EFFECTS OF INTERNAL EROSION

Geotextile against internal erosion

On the instructions of the Rivierenland Water Board, a method has been developed to combat the sinking and breaching of dykes that result from internal erosion: the installation of vertical sand-tight geotextile. Over the next few years, this method will be applied to a dyke in the Willemspolder. Here the sand-tight geotextile will be fitted with fibre optic sensors: TenCate GeoDetect®. The solution chosen for this project requires little space, helps to save costs, and in principle has only a modest CO2 footprint. Installation of geotextile

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Water boards and the government have taken the initiative to pursue efficient innovative solutions to internal erosion. In this situation, water flows through a quay or a dyke as a result of a huge difference in water levels and seepage occurs, leading to small tubular openings that weaken the structure. If the internal erosion is not averted in time, subsidence or a dyke breach may be the outcome. For this reason, a research programme has been initiated: Cross-Boundary Exploration Piping. Underlying this project is the new Delta Programme, which stipulates that national flood defences must satisfy more stringent standards.

geotextile as a preventive measure. Geotextile is a sustainable material that can be effectively applied in dyke improvement. For decades, it has been used worldwide for the erosion protection of flood defences. In principle, it has a low CO2 footprint. The geotextile installed as a filter in the dyke body allows water to pass through, but not sand. As a result, no sand boils occur and no seepage takes place. The simultaneous application of fibre optic sensors to the geotextile means the effects of internal erosion at high water and the stability of the dyke can be monitored.

Innovative power Four parties are participating in the subproject LiveDijk Willemspolder: the Rivierenland Water Board, Stichting Floodcontrol IJkdijk, Dekker B.V. and the contractor Van den Herik. Stichting Floodcontrol IJkdijk is developer and financier of the measurement programme, which will be carried out by Inventec. TenCate and Inventec have already worked together for a number of years in the field of monitoring dykes and quay walls. The test site was made available by Dekker B.V. This kind of cooperation demonstrates the innovative power of the Netherlands when it comes to water safety.

A better understanding It is hoped to observe in the Willemspolder how internal erosion develops and how the transport of sand proceeds. This will contribute to acquiring both a better understanding of internal erosion and insight into the positive effects of the installed geotextile. Over the next two years, measurements will be carried out during periods of high water. ‘We’re hoping for winters with high water, otherwise progress will be sluggish and then we’ll have to extend the test period,’ says Frans van den Berg, coordinator of the Rivierenland Water Board Dyke Reinforcement Programme. This water board is responsible for the most dykes in the Netherlands. According to him, internal erosion is a problem that is underestimated even in the Netherlands.

Preventive measure Livedijk Willemspolder is situated near the Waaldijk. Since the beginning of October 2015, approximately 100 metres of the summer quay has been fitted with vertically installed

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‘A great deal has to be done in terms of reinforcement because of the new standards,

particularly in the river area. The choice fell on the Willemspolder outside the dyke because quite a lot of internal erosion occurs there. Normally, embankments are created but this entails considerable space and earthworks.’ As the vertical sand-tight geotextile requires little space, the feasibility of dyke improvements is increased and the solution is cost effective to boot. Manufacturability Vertical sand-tight geotextile is applied on the inside of the dyke. Water can pass through freely, but sand is blocked. TenCate Geodetect® applied as vertical sand-tight geotextile won the Dutch Water Innovation Award in the category Dry Feet in 2013. There are two techniques for applying sand-tight geotextile in dykes. The first is to ‘drill’ the material vertically into the ground; the second is to mill a slot through which the sand-tight geotextile can be ‘hung’ in the clay formwork. ‘The vertical drilling technique is more attractive for greater depths,’ explains Frans van den Berg, ‘and is easier to implement close to houses. However, it is more expensive than the horizontal milling technique, which is quicker.’ A combination of the two techniques could be an ideal solution if, depending on the situation, this is an option.

Sand-tight geotextile is installed vertically on the inside of the dyke. Water can then pass through unimpeded, but not sand.

Watch the animation by scanning this page with the LAYAR app www.tencategeosynthetics.com [email protected] www.tencate.tv

Delta Programme two benchmarks According to the new Delta Programme, some 400 kilometres of dyke must be reinforced by 2050. A new standard applies in this respect. To determine this standard, the following are considered: the interests in the area, the flood risk and the consequences of a flood, such as how

quickly the water reaches a certain height at a particular place and how many people and economic activities are affected. ‘We couldn’t do this before, but now we can.’

For every area, the annual risk of death owing to floods must not exceed 1:100,000. The costs of strengthening a dyke must be weighed against the benefits of preventing casualties and economic damage.

The Delta Programme applies two benchmarks: basic safety and money.

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SUSTAINABILITY

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE FOR CONTRIBUTION TO PORT PROJECT IN BRAZIL

Sustainable solution for Embraport At the end of 2013, TenCate Geosynthetics received the International Achievement Award of Excellence for the application of TenCate Geotube® technology in the construction of the Embraport Container and Fuel Bulk Terminal in the port of Santos. The Embraport Container and Fuel Bulk Terminal is built on the northern shore of the port of Santos (Brazil). As it is located in a tidal area, it would have been necessary to import large volumes of select fill to create a platform of sufficient elevation. The sediment sampling process had revealed that the beds of the planned access channel and turning basin were overlaid with 600,000 cubic metres of contaminated sediments. This would increase not only the required investment but also the construction period. Creative and cost-efficient alternative The project owner went in search of creative alternatives that were more cost-efficient

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than the traditional technological solutions. TenCate Geosynthetics and Allonda (representative of TenCate in Brazil) proposed the utilisation of TenCate Geotube® dewatering technology, which would enable the contaminated sludge to be contained, filtered and dewatered, and leave the bed sediment clean and suitable for the construction of the platform. The application of this technology realised savings of US$ 50 million, since no huge amounts of contaminated sediment had to be transported to an envisaged upland disposal facility; nor was the importation of fill material necessary.

applicable environmental regulations were also satisfied. Through using this technology instead of a conventional approach, the ecological impact was reduced by 7,903 metric tons of CO2 equivalent.

Watch the animation by scanning this page with the LAYAR app www.tencategeosynthetics.com [email protected] www.tencate.tv

Furthermore, not only could the project be completed within the set time frame, but all

The Embraport Container and Fuel Bulk Terminal at Santos (Brazil)

SAFETY

TENCATE MIRAFI® PERMANENT WIREWALL SYSTEM FOR MINNESOTA VIKINGS’ STADIUM

TenCate Miragrid 7XT for primary reinforcement is wrapped up the face over the secondary reinforcement, TenCate Mirafi® HP570. The entire wall was designed at a near vertical angle in order to minimise the top-of-wall distance to the building.

Solid accommodation for the Vikings As from next season the Minnesota Vikings will be playing in a new stadium in their home town of Minneapolis. During the construction of the stadium the TenCate Mirafi® Permanent Wirewall System was used. This relieves the lateral load on adjacent structures, which increases safety

ment, TenCate Mirafi® HP570. The entire wall was designed at a near vertical angle in order to minimize the top-of-wall distance to the building.

and reduces building costs.

There are many instances where stress relief walls are the most effective and economical solution when it is necessary to prevent imposed lateral loads on structural walls that are below ground level. In most instances a permanent stress relief structure is the best solution, as was the case in the construction of the new stadium in Minneapolis (Minnesota, US) for the Minnesota Vikings, a professional American football team. The TenCate Mirafi® Permanent Wirewall system, which is 250 m long and 12 m high, fit the project demand perfectly. The contractor discovered that by using a basement wall built of concrete blocks with this system adjacent to it, they were able to save 5.5 million dollars on construction costs.

TenCate Mirafi® Wirewall System was combined with a project-specific design for this project. One benefit of this wall system is the ability to easily vary slope angles and geometry. Mechanically stabilised earth systems such as TenCate Mirafi® Permanent Wirewall result in a considerable strengthening of the ground. This is a proven cost-effective construction method, which requires less earth moving, shortens construction time, and increases safety. As this was a permanent wall, the steel wire forms had to be galvanising. TenCate Miragrid 7XT was used here for primary reinforcement. This grid was also wrapped up the face over the secondary reinforce-

Another advantage of this permanent wall system is that it affords latitude in construction options. Most stress relief walls need to be installed in close proximity to an existing wall or obstruction. The method used here resulted in savings on construction time and expense, and safety was guaranteed. www.tencategeosynthetics.com [email protected] www.vikings.com

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Energy com to innovati Anyone whose daily work takes them into and onto electricity facilities such as transformer kiosks and high-voltage pylons is exposed to unusual risks. The employees of ACEA, an electricity company in Rome, wear clothing from the Italian company Securtex. This workwear manufacturer uses an innovative application of TenCate Tecasafe® Plus. ACEA is a household name in Rome. It is one of the larger energy suppliers in the city. In addition, the company is involved in waste-water treatment, water supply and drainage. Within the electricity branch of the business, there has been some dissatisfaction with the workwear for quite some time. ‘It provided adequate protection but was too thick, heavy, badly made of cotton, and not very strong,’ says Fabiana De Rosa, head Media Centre and project leader accreditation of ACEA. Hundred washes ACEA decided to change track. The company approached various suppliers of workwear and drew up a challenging list of demands. The clothing had to be able to withstand at least one hundred washes. The material had to have a layer of specific weight, high breathability, high mechanical resilience and − very important for employees in the electricity sector − the ability to withstand an ‘electric arc’ of a minimum of 7 kA (class 2 according to the EN IEC 61482-1-2 standard) (see box). ‘Our people climb into and onto electricity facilities,’ says Fabiana De Rosa. ‘An electric arc doesn’t occur often but, if an employee is hit and is not well protected, he can suffer serious burns.

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SAFETY

DOUBLE-LAYER TENCATE TECASAFE® PLUS SYSTEM PROTECTS AGAINST ELECTRIC ARC CLASS 2

mpany switches ive workwear So the workwear must be extremely fire resistant and provide good protection against heat.’

ion required by electric arc class 2 was achieved. Combined with a smart Securtex design, this has resulted in an extremely wearable and comfortable suit for the employees of ACEA.

Multi-risk clothing The family company Securtex started out forty years ago by making military shirts. Over the years, the company has grown considerably and has focused on the development of professional wear, with particular attention to the production of personal protection resources category 3. Products in this category are of complex design and should protect the wearer against dangers that he is unable to recognise in good time and which could prove fatal or cause irreparable damage to health. ‘The people who wear our clothing work, for example, for large national energy companies,’ says quality manager Ciro Longo of Securtex. ‘And we also supply multi-risk clothing for such sectors as road and rail transport, the petrochemical industry and the fire service.’

Conscious choice Securtex made a conscious choice for TenCate Tecasafe® Plus. Ciro Longo: ‘In general, the protective fabrics of TenCate have good characteristics, such as thermal and mechanical resistance in relation to weight and good colourfastness, including lightfastness. At the same time, a high level of protection is guaranteed through the double layer that is used for this clothing.’ TenCate Tecasafe® Plus in particular is especially comfortable thanks to the combination of softness, breathability and moisture regulating characteristics − even after many intensive wash cycles. The wearer trial among the employees of ACEA was the deciding factor.

Discomfort The mission of Securtex is to guarantee the greatest possible safety and simultaneously offer the highest comfort. This combination is tricky. ‘To achieve the degree of protection required for electric arc class 2, the clothing used to be made of three layers of fabric or of a much thicker fabric,’ explains Ciro Longo. ‘This meant breathability or moisture regulation was poor, and as a result the wearer experienced serious discomfort.’ Recently, Securtex developed a suit that made short shrift of this scourge. It was based on an innovative system of TenCate and made from a double layer of TenCate Tecasafe® Plus. By using this extremely light material in a smart way in the fabrication process and making good use of the characteristics of the fabrics, the degree of protect-

Supple wearer comfort ACEA made the changeover at the beginning of the hot Roman summer, whereupon the clothing was immediately put to the test. ‘In the summer months, permeability is a very important characteristic,’ says Fabiana De Rosa. ‘Furthermore, the fabric is not stiff but supple, which is invaluable since our employees have to be actively mobile on high-voltage pylons.’ Reactions were good. ‘In the case of complaints, our employees would have quickly sounded the alarm but, on the contrary, they were enormously positive.’ ‘We are indeed registering substantial satisfaction among the end-users of our customers,’ confirms Ciro Longo of Securtex. ‘So we anticipate increasing sales in the time to come. And that confirms us in our way of working.” TenCate contributed to the costs

An electric arc can be triggered by a short circuit or an incorrect switching operation. An electric arc lasting just a fraction of a second produces little fire. It is chiefly the heat that is dangerous. The quantity of radiation energy that is released is enormous. The temperature rises to a few thousand degrees Celsius. Good personal protection is therefore of vital importance. Particularly as far as strong electric arcs are concerned, the clothing must be composed of different protective layers in order to attain the high insulation value. Then it is a matter of keeping the weight as low as possible. TenCate has developed both double- and single-layer systems based on TenCate Tecasafe® Plus technology.

The new clothing for ACEA of certification. ‘Conducting sound research, making well-considered choices, and certification cost time and money, but all this is well worthwhile if it means you can offer your customers the best quality.’ www.tencateprotectivefabrics.com [email protected]

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THE HOMELESS IN EUROPE WILL BE OPTIMALLY PROTECTED THIS WINTER AGAINST SEVERE, COLD WEATHER, THANKS TO 1,000 SHELTERSUITS™ TenCate is socially committed The Sheltersuit™ is an outdoor product, composed of a wind- and waterproof jacket with a sleeping bag and blanket, made of waterrepellent, insulating fabrics. The accompanying duffel bag serves as a comfortable cushion. The Sheltersuit Foundation in this way is providing the homeless with a warm winter blanket, and asylum seekers with the prospect of work. Generous donors supply the materials, such as the outdoor fabric from TenCate. During cold winter weather the Sheltersuit™, which has an urban camouflage pattern, ensures insulating warmth and personal safety, complete with a LED light powered by solar energy.

“Thanks to the high cabin pressure, I remain fitter during the flight.” Roderick Waaijenberg, pilot Arkefly

www.tencate.com