A Thermal Power Plant was being constructed near Gandhidham, Gujarat, by the client. A raw water reservoir has been constructed with a storage capacity of 50,000 m3 to stockpile and ensure a constant water supply. It is lined with a 250-micron geomembrane to render the bottom and side slopes impervious. The geomembrane lined slopes required protection from external damage and uplift pressures. Conventionally, a plain cement concrete lining is placed above the geomembranes. However, due to the weight of concrete tiles or green concrete, the liner tends to slide down and collect at the toe, rendering the system inadequate.

Since the side slopes were steep, Strata’s experts suggested using StrataWeb® geocells with lean concrete infill. Also, the reservoir was required to be completed in time to fill up rainwater during the fast approaching monsoons, thus requiring urgency in execution.

Green concrete typically cannot be placed directly on sloping geomembrane. Geocells offer a technical solution by providing cellular pockets to hold the green concrete in place. Since the concrete is not cast continuously because of geocells, ungainly cracks in concrete are avoided.

Besides these technical advantages, geocells make it easy for fast installation to meet strict deadlines. The StrataWeb® solution is a fast and all-weather installation solution. No skilled labour is required. These factors resulted in substantial savings in money and resources.