Inogrid®: TEFAB collaborates with Minekus Zuidland against excavation damage in banks
TEFAB and Minekus together demonstrated a new method to prevent excavation damage to banks during two demo days to Water Board Hollandse Delta in Ridderkerk and to Brabantse Delta in Waalwijk.
Both Water Boards struggle with excavation damage, high costs but above all dangerous situations. On a demo piece, Minekus' specially designed mesh printer placed TEFAB's Inogrid® under the watchful eye of several colleagues from the Water Boards, other Water Boards and Muskrat Managers.
Altogether, there are thousands of beavers in the vicinity of the Watersheds. They create burrow systems that put nearby (asphalt and rail) roads, water defenses and levees at risk and possibly collapse.
Animal-friendly excavation barrier
For years TEFAB had an excavation resistant range in a galvanized and stainless steel variant (Tupogrid®). Until recently, this was mainly installed horizontally. In addition, there were regular questions about leaching and whether a life expectancy of at least 50 years could be issued. TEFAB therefore developed the Inogrid®, which is equipped with an environmentally friendly thermoplastic coating that, with a life expectancy of at least 50 to 200 years, can definitely be called a unique innovation.
Innovative placement
At the same time the Inogrid® was being developed, Minekus was concerned with the cumbersome application method of antigravity measures. The idea began to dawn to try a vertical placement method. Minekus' workshop manager, responsible for the maintenance, repair and innovation of machinery within Minekus says, "We thought, this can be done better. I made some sketches, tried something new, and it indeed turned out to work. We further developed the mesh pusher with a gas arm to achieve vertical placement deep into the ground. It is an entirely in-house development machine."
The GPS function on the machine accurately determines placement so that overlap is boarded and it utilizes the Inogrid® optimally. A piece of grid 2 meters wide to 3 meters deep goes into the ground at a time without cutting loss.
Inogrid®
TEFAB's Inogrid® has a mesh size (40 mm x 40 mm) and a wire thickness of 2 mm, which is proven to work well. Besides beavers, the Inogrid® resists other burrowing fauna at the water's edge such as muskrats, rabbits, badgers and foxes, without disturbing them. In addition, the burrow-resistant Inogrid® is not harmful to flora and fauna.
Substantial cost savings
Operating with respect for the environment, (protected) species and landscaping is no stranger to both parties. Therefore, it is no coincidence that this collaboration with TEFAB is going well.
Details such as the quick method of placement, automatic mesh feeding and minimal residual waste make this collaboration unique. Minekus recounts, " Corridors dug by beavers caused an incident at Middelharnis where the damage amounted to two tons. We can easily prevent these situations in the future with our vertical mesh pusher and Inogrid® or Tupogrid® along the banks. We use less machinery ánd it's faster."
While every situation is challenging, installation using this method guarantees lasting quality and requires no repair work.
✔️Geschikt for excavation damage protection at any location
✔️Snelle and easy vertical placement
✔️Veiligheid for humans and animals is paramount
✔️Nauwelijks residual waste and maintenance
To be repeated
'We like the short lines of communication between Minekus and TEFAB. 'We can switch quickly and look forward to continuing to secure the waterfront together'.
Project Details
Project Name: Vertical placement excavation grid
Assignment to TEFAB: Grid for long-life antigraphic measures
Materials: Inogrid ® and Tupogrid®
Client: Water Board Hollandse Delta and Water Board Brabantse Delta.
Contractor: Minekus Zuidland BV
Do you have a challenge and are curious about what TEFAB and Minekus can do for your project? We can be reached at +31 (0)162 455 515 and sales@tefab.nl.
