Flood prevention and aftercare with sustainable, safe solutions made of geosynthetics
With geosynthetic building materials and flood protection systems, you can improve the technical flood protection in vulnerable areas in the long term. Geotextile solutions can also contribute to fast and efficient reconstruction after a flood event.
Application examples of geosynthetic flood protection actions
Technical flood protection with geotextiles
Long-term safe structures with geobuilding materials and geosystems
With our geosynthetic building materials, you can construct safe levees and dykes for reliable flood protection in the long term. Erosion-protected and securely sealed channels, spillways and stormwater retention basins can also be realised quickly and efficiently with geosynthetics. In this way, structures with geosynthetics offer the best possible protection even during heavy rainfall events.
For an individual system configuration, we have concrete mats, erosion protection and reinforcement solutions, geotextile container solutions, drainage hoses, bentonite mats and other geotextile product solutions in our portfolio. Protect your region in the best possible way with innovative products and top engineering performance, even in the event of a disaster.
Increased safety
The use of certified and tested geosynthetics can substantially reduce the risk of failure in the event of flooding and sustainably extend the service life of a structure. The filter-stable packaging of a dike core with geosynthetics almost completely eliminates, among other things, the failure of the dike body due to internal erosion processes. With the help of an adequate geotextile filter, the costly and error-prone installation of mineral filter layers, especially under water, becomes unnecessary.
Economical and safe waterproofing
Due to industrial production, geosynthetic clay liners enable the rapid installation
of sustainable waterproofing compared to natural waterproofing materials. Subsequent sealing of a dam or dike is also possible with minimal intervention in the structure. Transport is much more cost-effective due to the lower construction height of approx. 1 cm in the unswollen state compared to the usually 50 cm thick clay seal. In this way, additional CO2 can be saved.
Exemplary dyke structures with our geotextile materials
- Dike with erosion-proof core made of geotextile containers
- Embankment with overflowing embankment opening, secured with continuous concrete mat revetment
- Dike with contact area reinforcement and bentonite mat sealing
Geotextiles in flood protection: levees and dikes
- Stability in soft soils
- Settlement uniformity
- Simultaneous filter and separation effect
- Erosion protection through the use of geotextile packing elements
- Elimination of potential failure mechanisms in the structure
- Economical thanks to the use of locally available building materials
- Quick and efficient installation of the clay waterproofing membrane
- Reduced layer thickness compared to equivalent mineral sealing
- Subsequent installation without major intervention in the cross-section
- Easy installation of the filter
- Constant filter layer thickness
- Reduced revetment height
- Concrete mats and reinforcement grids with erosion protection function
- Application also for overflow sections
- Construction of highly loadable whole revetments
- Subsequent installation without major intervention in the cross-section
Sealing during damming
Especially when rehabilitating permanently water-bearing spillways, the drainage required to install the seal and the associated failure in the event of a flood pose a potential risk. Geosynthetic concrete mats offer the solution: a seal without complete or partial drainage of the channel. The concrete seal also provides permanent erosion protection.
Sealing in dry condition
HUESKER's product portfolio also includes innovative solutions for the dry sealing of spillways and canals. Among other things, geosynthetic clay liners are used here.
Advantages of structural elements made of geosynthetics for spillways and channels
- Constant filter and protective layer
- High robustness
- Reduced revetment height
- Constant concrete thickness on steep slopes and under water
- Installation possible during operation
- Simultaneous erosion control function
- Individual system structures according to local conditions
- Installation during operation possible
- Erosion protection possible in combination with sealing
Sustainable retention effect
During short-term heavy rainfall events, stormwater retention basins are flooded to relieve the stormwater sewer system. The accumulated water volumes can then be discharged from the temporary storage into the receiving watercourse in a controlled and slowed manner. Since the surface water can be contaminated with pollutants, the basin must be sealed to protect the groundwater. Sealing is also required if local infiltration is not possible or desirable. Rainwater retention basins can sustainably reduce the devastating effects of local heavy rainfall events.
Storage space clearnce
Sludge dewatering hoses can be used to maintain the reservoir volume of the stormwater retention basin. They allow sludge to be dewatered economically and quickly. The large-format hoses offer a high process capacity with simultaneous high dewatering performance in a comparatively small space. This enables rapid construction progress or quick restoration of the required reservoir volume.
Advantages of construction elements made of geotextiles for stormwater storages
- Use of geosynthetic concrete mattress systems
- Constant concrete thickness on steep slopes and under water
- Installation possible during operation
- Simultaneous erosion control function
- Protection against contaminated water seepage
- Stable base for the stormwater storage
- Absorption of very large volumes per hour
- Complete drainage within a very short time
- Encapsulation prevents rewetting
- Low resource input (energy, capital, staff)
- Processing without intermediate storage
- Low space requirement thanks to stackability
Reconstruction after a flood event
Geosynthetics and geo-systems for fast and safe reconstruction
With our geosynthetic construction materials, you can set up construction roads, secure embankments, erect supporting structures and bridge abutments quickly and safely over the long term. Highly loadable working platforms on low-bearing soils as well as temporary and permanent dumps for contaminated sludge, rubble, waste, etc. can also be realised without complications. Products such as concrete mats, erosion control and reinforcement solutions, contaminant surface filters, bentonite mats and much more are available for safe reconstruction after flood situations.
With our HUESKER product solutions, engineering services and flood protection systems, we offer you a wide range of solutions to rebuild your region quickly and safely after a disaster.
The construction of steep slopes and retaining structures is a typical and often unexpectedly challenging task in earthworks and foundation engineering. With our geogrid-reinforced systems, we offer you innovative and economical solutions for engineering structures. Due to flexible design options, high stability and fast construction, these can convince with many advantages compared to conventional construction methods. Settlement-resistant systems, even with oversteepened slopes, are possible with HUESKER in a simple, efficient and ecologically sustainable way.
Especially in the reconstruction of infrastructure in flood-damaged regions, plastic-reinforced earth structures impress with their efficiency, resource-saving sustainability and speed of construction progress. Plastic-reinforced earth structures are used in reconstruction in the form of bridge abutments and dam constructions for e.g. railway lines, reconstruction of eroded embankments and much more.
Advantages
Space-saving, fast and cost-effective construction method
Maximum interaction between soil and interaction flexible geogrids
Space and material saving due to small footprint
Ecological due to use of overburden/soil material available on site
Project-specific coordinated system components
Construction heights of up to 60 m possible
Wherever insufficiently stable soils have to be driven over permanently or temporarily, measures for soil stabilisation are necessary. Alternating high loads on soils of varying softness place different demands on base layers. Geosynthetics have proven their worth in base course stabilisation because, in addition to maximum resistance to mechanical stress, they offer decisive advantages, especially in economic and ecological terms. Geosynthetics are particularly well suited for the development of disaster areas or destroyed road infrastructure. Due to reduced mass transports and reduced base course thickness, the reconstruction of the road network is accelerated in the long term.
Advantages of temporary roads
- Increased load bearing capacity
- Bridges ground inconsistencies
- Significantly reduces ruts
- Can even be used on extremely soft ground
Advantages of working platforms
- Enables large loads to be placed even on difficult surfaces
- Volume of any soil replacement is reduced or eliminated altogether
- Fast and simple construction
Extraordinary amounts of waste and contaminated sludge accumulate in the course of floods or heavy rainfall events. The temporary or long-term transfer of these "wastes" requires landfill sealing systems that are quick to erect and permanent, which can be easily constructed with our solutions. In order to securely seal and stabilise the landfill body permanently, we offer you the right systems for every construction phase:
Systems for bottom lining system
- Reliable protection of soil and groundwater
- Protection against contaminated leachate
- Stable base for the landfill body
Systems for intermediate sealing
- Ascending extension of landfill bodies
- Protection against liquid ingress into the old landfill body
- Secure base for additional waste volumes
Systems for cover lining
- Barrier against water ingress and gas emissions
- Sealing in accordance with relevant standards and regulations
- Stable basis for surface renaturation
Flood protection for prevention and aftercare: solutions at a glance
- Erosion protection
- Sealing
- Erosion protection
- Packaging
- Sealing
- Erosion protection
- Filter, Separate, Protect
- Erosion protection
- Filter, Separate
- Protect
- Reinforce
- Protect
- Erosion protection
- Reinforce
- Reinforce
- Separate, Filter
- Packaging
- Filter
Jack Christmas
Your contact person
As Hydraulic Product Manager for HUESKER North America, Jack Christmas leads in the execution of design, product development, and sales strategies throughout various waterborne applications. He has extensive experience in designing solutions utilizing geosynthetics for Berth & Scour, Sludge Dewatering, Coastal Protection, and Buoyancy and Uplift Protection in Pipelines. Jack received a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Louisiana State University and currently has extensive experience providing product recommendations throughout North America.
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