CASE STUDY : Ref 292 Whitelee Wind Farm, Scotland 2010 – to date A Tensar TriAx® Mechanically Stabilised Layer is combined with site-won stone to form new access roads BENEFITS TO CLIENT A design and supply solution for stabilised access over difficult ground conditions using minimal quantities of site- won fill. THE PROBLEM There was a requirement to carry heavy loads over low bearing capacity soil conditions including peat bog for access roads and platforms in the development of a substantial extension to an existing wind farm. The access roads needed to support the trafficking from construction vehicles as well as from the turbine delivery vehicles and cranes. THE SOLUTION The use of single and multiple layers of Tensar TriAx® geogrids with site-won stone combined to form new access roads and to improve existing forestry roads to support increased trafficking. PROJECT DESCRIPTION Whitelee Wind Farm is Europe’s largest wind farm and is located on Eaglesham Moor just 20 minutes from central Glasgow. The wind farm has 140 turbines which can generate 322MW of electricity, enough to power 180,000 homes. Over the past ten years, Whitelee has been carefully planned and designed to work in harmony with the existing environment and after three years of construction the wind farm is fully operational and producing clean, green energy. In December 2010, Tensar were fortunate enough to be given the contract to design and supply TriAx® geogrids for the access roads for the main contractor Roadbridge/Sisk JV on this project at Whitelee wind farm phase 2. The second phase will be home to a further 36 turbines. The ground conditions were variable on felled forestry furrows and with CBR values generally of less than 1%. There are also areas of deep peat along the access routes where the delivery of turbines would take place. The Tensar Area Civil Engineer for Scotland, Mike Horton designed the access roads with TX170, TX160 and TX150. Mike comments “by using appropriate combinations of Tensar TriAx geogrids, Tensar was able to reduce stone thickness down to a minimum to suit the expected trafficking, ultimately saving the contractor money and time. To date, Tensar UK have supplied over 2,500 rolls of Tensar TriAx geogrid to site with a further 300 rolls expected.” CONTRACT DETAILS The Client: Scottish Power Renewables The Designer: Tensar International Limited The Contractor: Roadbridge/Sisk/JV Tensar International Limited Cunningham Court Shadsworth Business Park Blackburn BB1 2QX United Kingdom Telephone: +44 (0) 1254 262431 Facsimile: +44 (0) 1254 266867 Email: [email protected] www.tensar-international.com.