Geosynthetics are changing the game for infrastructure delivery. Pioneers like Geoquest are taking the lead in the application of these components, creating new project possibilities.
Driven by increasingly challenging ground conditions and project environments, geosynthetics have quickly moved from niche engineering products to go-to solutions for geotechnical problems.
And the proof is in the pudding, with Geoquest Oceania reporting a sharp increase in enquiries from road, rail, and mining clients.
Riccardo Musella, Managing Director of Geoquest Oceania attributes this growth to what is now a breadth of possible applications and markets.
“Every major project today is grappling with the same issues: unpredictable ground, rising material costs, and tight delivery schedules,” he says.
“Geosynthetics offer a way to de-risk, improve ground and drainage performance and reduce the volume of imported fill or aggregate. The shift we’re seeing is significant; these solutions are becoming core to resilient infrastructure design.”
The benefits
Geosynthetics often enable simpler, faster installation compared with purely conventional solutions for major projects. This includes traditional structures and installations, such as heavy concrete structures or thick rock layers for some projects.
Easier builds usually means less time on site, as well as a reduction in associated project and safety risks. Geosynthetics also provide additional efficiency benefits thanks to the ability to optimise materials, increasing the use of alternative backfill materials, while reducing the total amount of material required to deliver a project.
Ultimately, well‑designed geosynthetic systems can handle challenging geotechnical and hydraulic conditions, which might be tricky or expensive to complete using only conventional methods.
Innovating for Challenging Conditions
Geoquest’s current range of geosynthetic solutions comprises three key segments: drainage, soil reinforcement and erosion control.
DRAINTUBE is a key geosynthetic for drainage. A multi-linear drainage system, it is a proven alternative to conventional gravel drainage layers in both road and rail projects. This system also provides improved installation times, as well as higher flow capacity under heavy loads.
Musella says it’s these benefits that have validated DRAINTUBE’s use on large-scale road projects and upgrades, such as that in New South Wales and Victoria – helping to reduce required excavation, trucking, and installation time across both projects.
When it comes to soil reinforcement, two key systems emerge as standouts. The ArmaLynk and ArmaGrid geogrids both share the load – literally, by helping to optimise load distribution for pavements, rail ballast and mining haul roads, while reducing a reliance on the use of granular materials.
These systems have proven to be especially effective in supporting the movement of heavy vehicle traffic, particularly in soft soil and variable conditions, as seen at a recent Geoquest mining road project in Western Australia’s Pilbara.
Erosion control has long been a staple of Geoquest’s offerings, but the TechRevetment product line has helped to transform this side of the business.
Emerging as a preference to stabilise channels, embankments and other prone areas along transport corridors, the TechRevetment ‘concrete mattresses’ represent the “gold-standard” in solving challenges posed by scour-prone areas. This system is even capable of being installed under water to support or form a bank slope or channel bed.
Importantly, these systems can also be deployed in conjunction with Geoquest’s vast range of mechanically stabilised earth (MSE) retaining walls and precast structures. Together, these formulations are helping projects to achieve even greater performance, while amplifying reduced lifecycle risk, as Musella explains.
“MSE wall or embankment performance is optimised when drainage and foundation reinforcement are integrated,” he says. “We’re seeing designers take a more holistic approach, an aspect that geosynthetics help to unlock.”
One-stop-shop
One of Geoquest’s biggest differentiators is its ability to provide for every product and phase along a project’s journey, encompassing design, delivery and support.
Designing and formulating these techniques in-house grants greater control over the quality and effectiveness of each component. Geoquest’s process also benefits the bottom line of its clients, due to reduced transport costs and delivery speeds, even for regional projects.
Project stakeholders are the biggest beneficiaries, as Musella explains.
“When you have a solution that’s designed and supplied by one player, rather than multiple players, you immediately minimise risk,” he says.
“We’re a turnkey solution, which looks at the whole lifecycle of a project, not just a portion. When it comes to engineering, we aim to deliver the whole package.”
Behind this engineering expertise and innovation is rigorous testing.
“We’ve performed test installations at our own sites and factories to see what we could improve on,” Musella says. “It’s not just learning the theory behind a product, it’s also understanding the practicality.”
For Musella, each project and development is more than just a milestone. Rather, each step forward and each accomplishment adds a greater sense of pride. An aspect that he says is shared and reflected across the wider Geoquest team.
“I’m still an engineer at my core, so I still get excited about challenging projects and when we’re able to find different solutions, while working in partnership with industry,” Musella says.
“Not only that, but solving problems for communities and the prospect of building something that will benefit all. Projects like these leave long-lasting, visible legacies, which we’re very proud of.”
This article was originally published in the May edition of our magazine. To read the magazine, click here.
