INSTALLATION
GUIDELINES
INSTALLATION GUIDELINES 1/2
TENAX
TENWEB GEOCELL
Fig 1. Crest anchorage details
Schematic of anchorage trench filled with soil Site Preperation
Prepare the site to the design specifications (grade,
min 750mm geometry, soil compaction, etc.) The area should then be
dressed to be free of soil clods, roots, stones or vehicle
imprints of any significant size. Any voids should be filled
in order to obtain a smooth laying surface allowing Tenweb
Geocell to fit flush against the ground surface contours.
from design Installation
Excavate anchor trench where an anchorage trench is
specified, each panel should be anchored at the top of the
Schematic of anchorage trench filled with concrete slope in a trench whose dimensions are determined by
design depending on the geometry of the slope (Fig. 1). For
shallow slopes, anchor trenches may not be required as pins
used to fasten the system to the slope can provide sufficient
anchorage strength.
NOTE: Seek advice from the Tenax Geotechnical Office for
further guidance on anchorage trench details.
Fig 2. Anchorage types
Tenweb panels can be expanded to the full open dimension,
parallel to the flow direction (Fig. 3).
Anchor the panel at the top of the slope and fasten at the
bottom of the trench with pins (Min. 8mm diameter and
typically 300-450mm in lenght depending on consistency of
the sub-grade).
The anchorage trench at the top may be filled with any
suitable fill material. If possible, backfill with concrete to
reduce the trench embedded length. (See Fig. 1).
Tenax
Tenweb
Tenweb Placement
Fig 3. Expanding Tenweb panels Along the slope the geocells should be anchored with
pins typically 300mm - 450mm in length depending on the
consistency of the slope material. The spacing between the
pins shall be determined by design with each pin placed on
the junctions of the panel as shown in Fig. 4.
Securely fasten down the panel ensuring the pins are
arranged in a staggered pattern like the number 5 on a dice.
Adjacent panels should be fixed using the same pins, one pin
every 2-4 cells, depending on selected geocells.
(See Fig. 4)
Infilling the Geocells
Infilling can be performed manually or carried out using
mechanical plant such as a front-end loader, backhoe,
bottom dump bucket or a conveyor system. Tenweb cells
can be filled with top-soil, or any other material such as soil/
grass, gravel or even concrete etc., depending on the final
aesthetics and vegetation requirements. The fill material
shall be placed to approximately 20mm above the top of the
cells and then lightly tamped and levelled to the height of the
cell.
INSTALLATION
GUIDELINES
INSTALLATION GUIDELINES 2/2
TENAX
TENWEB GEOCELL
Fig 4. Tenweb pinning arrangements
Seeding and Finishing
If seeding is specified then it is recommended to place
PANEL 1 the seeds approximately 20mm below the finished level.
Application of a further 10-20mm layer of fine top-soil (such
as sandy loam) is recommended after seeding and this final
layer should be lightly raked (using the back of the rake) to
evenly cover the Tenweb cells.
Seeded areas may be protected with light synthetic or
natural fibre blankets (jute) especially where steep slopes
are constructed.
Key installation advice
Toe anchorage - Figure 5
Position of the pin
It is important to ensure the lower cells at the toe of the
slope are fixed in a base trench or secured carefully by pins.
When this is not properly done, the lower cell row may lift in
a ‘crocodile mouth shape’. Infiltration water, passing through
the cell apertures, will then cause the emptying of infill from
Fig 5. Potential toe anchorage problems
the bottom. When the first row of cells is empty, the second
row begins to rise, and so on. Erosion continues up to the
first pin that is able to resist the cell from rising. Therefore it
is essential that the first row of cells is properly fixed, so that
this problem is resolved.
Lack of Pins - Figure 6
If the number of pins is less than required or if the pins used
are not properly chosen, the localised stress transmitted by
Erosion from the bottom pins to the junctions can break them. The failure of a junction
transmits an over-stress to the adjacent junction, thus
Fig 6. Problems with a lack of pins producing a progressive failure. It is therefore important
that the pin selection and placing is not compromised and
that the pin design is carefully selected to suit the slope
parameters.
Progressive failure of the
junctions Intense run-off - Figure 7
If there is a long slope upstream, or there is any possible
cause of intense run-off, the top rows can be subject to
intensive erosion. The change of slope angle, in fact, causes
a local increase in water flow speed. To avoid the consequent
Fig 7. Potential problems due to intense run-off erosion, it is necessary to cover the zone with a bio-mat
or, better, with a geomat. It is strongly recommended to
Intense run-off excavate a draining ditch immediately upstream the surface
Lack of surface protection to be protected, thus reducing the run-off.
SGS ITALY Certificate no. IT93/0008a
SGS U.K. Certificate no. IT93/2568.1
SGS ITALY Certificate no. IT93/0008a
SGS U.K. Certificate no. IT93/2568.1
Contact the Tenax Geosynthetics Division
if more specific advice is required.
SGS ITALY Certificate no. IT93/0008a
SGS U.K. Certificate no. IT93/2568.1
TENAX International B.V.
Viale Stefano Franscini 19 CH-6900 Lugano / SWIT ZERLAND
Tel. +41 91.9242485 - Fax +41 91.9242489
SGS ITALY Certificate n°IT93/0008.01
SGS U.K. Certificate n° IT93/2568.01
geo@[Link] - [Link]
First release: 5.9.1994
I.T.C. is the Italian Body of UEAtc (Union Européenne
pour l’Agrément Technique dans la Construction).
The correspondent British Body is BBA
(British Board of Agreement), therefore the I.T.C.
