Construction World April 2015

GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING

FULL SOLUTIONS INSTEAD of individual products Geobrugg produces complete protection systems against

generation of zincaluminum wire coating, its products have three and 10 times longer life respectively than wires with zinc galvanisa- tion only. Project and risk-related There are no standard solutions for complex threat situations. That is why Geobrugg analyses every hazard situation prior to developing individual and often totally new protection systems, based on highly special- ised know-how. In all cases Geobrugg will act as consultant with analysis, staking out, anchor testing, installation and acceptance, while in cases of special threats or requirements, it will be involved with engineering special solutions, adapting construction and doing project-specific trials or tests. Services In complex situations that involve poten- tially dangerous conditions, there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution. That's why Geobrugg analyses every hazardous situation before it develops customised or entirely new solutions. These solutions are sound because they are based on the highly specialised expertise Geobrugg has accumu- lated from more than 60 years of processing steel wire. Consultation Goebrugg provides two avenues of consulting support for customers, planners, and building contractors: design consul- tation (needs analysis, surveying, anchor testing, and installation) and acceptance. Software The right system specifications will provide reliable protection against rock fall, debris

rockfall, unstable rock and loose rock slopes, landslides, debris flow and avalanches. At the same time it supports the ordering party, planner and building contractor with its know-how from related spheres of application.

With production facilities on three continents as well as branch offices and representatives around the globe, Geobrugg is

significantly lower diameters to deliver the same – or even higher – levels of stability and toughness. Innovation as tradition Since Geobrugg’s first avalanche preven- tion structure of wire ropes was created in 1951, it has continued to develop innova- tive mechanical protection systems. Central are ropes, nets and meshes of high-tensile steel wire. From these Geobrugg configures systems capable of coping with the most varied threat scenarios. Field tests ensure true protection The performance of Geobrugg protection systems is not determined by calculation alone. It tests their systems according to the world’s most rigorous directives in 1:1 field tests with impact and tearing tests. At the same time the performance parameters of all system components are regularly moni- tored by independent testing institutions. Why are these systems more economical? Geobrugg produces nets and meshes on three continents with precisely controllable production technology. This reduces the logistic expenditure and improves flexibility. Thanks to GEOBRUGG SUPERCOATING® and GEOBRUGG ULTRACOATING®, the latest

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always close to its customers. High-tensile steel wire Geobrugg solutions are based on netting and mesh made from high-tensile steel wire with a tensile strength of 1 770 N/mm 2 . Its high cutting resistance, excellent energy absorption capacity, and long lifetime with low maintenance requirements make this an outstanding material. In fact, Geobrugg solutions set world records, as seen in the certification test where a Geobrugg ring net stopped a 20-ton concrete cube travelling at an impact velocity of 103 km/h. Compared with conventional varieties of wire, high-tensile steel wire requires supplier of protection systems in the geotechnical, architecture and security industries. • Geobrugg AG is an operating company of the Swiss BRUGG Group. • The Geobrugg Group has an annual worldwide turnover of approximately CHF100-million. • Geobrugg AG’s main office and factory is at Romanshorn on Lake Constance in the eastern part of Switzerland. • The BRUGG Group had a turnover of approximately CHF700-million in 2010 and is one of Europe’s largest steel rope and associated product manufacturers. • In 2011 Geobrugg AG celebrated 60 years protection systems against natural hazards. Back in 1951 engineers from the Kabelwerke Brugg produced wire rope nets that were used for the first avalanche prevention structure. About Geobrugg • Geobrugg AG is the specialist

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SPIDER® rock protection being installed.

CONSTRUCTION WORLD APRIL 2015