Via Alterna del Sur, Guatemala

• Client:Integradora Tecnológica de Soluciones. Sergio Prahl, Rodrigo Prahl and Pablo Rodriguez
• Gripple Terra-Lock™ System: TL-406 & TLA3 TL-100 & TL-A2
• Application: Securing 25,000 m² of HPTRM for Slope Reinforcement

As part of a major infrastructure development a large ring road has been built around Guatemala City in order to relieve city congestion and improve transport links to surrounding areas. The highway systems have been built through mountainous terrain, with large scale earth movement and cuts into slopes.

Cutting through major hillsides in order to build the road system resulted in creating new steep slopes at the side of the highway. The slopes were structurally stable however due to the nature of the ground they were susceptible to minor surface slips.

The Terra-Lock™ system, when used with a HTPRM were able to hold back any failures and capture any surface movement from falling into any of the infrastructure below. Roadside drainage could be kept clear, as well as the road itself, providing a safer highway.

The Terra-Lock™ system was ideal due to the extremely steep nature of the slopes. It allows for fast and easy installation with lightweight equipment. The soil itself was very hard, however the tough nature of the Terra-Lock™ anchors allowed appropriate depths to be reached on installations to hold back surface planes.

The heavy duty nature of the TL- 406 made it ideal for the task of holding and capturing potential failures. Where the TL-100 has added further security to the matting systems and aids in promoting re- vegetation of the slope by maintaining close contact between the ground and the matting.