Whitelee Wind Farm
Tensar TriAx geogrids not only enabled access roads and working platforms for a new wind farm to be built over a peat bog, but also resulted in a significant reduction in aggregate use.
Benefits
- 45km of access roads and working platforms built over weak soils
- Roads and Platforms designed for both construction and operational use
- Reduced site-won aggregate volumes
Phase two of the Whitelee Wind Farm project in central Scotland involved construction of 45km of unpaved access roads, temporary working platforms and hardstanding at 75 turbine locations. The facility was built on weak, saturated ground, including thick peat deposits. The structures had to be able to support heavy construction traffic, including lorries bringing turbine sections, plus had to be long-lasting, as they were to serve as permanent access for maintenance vehicles.
The design of the unpaved access roads and working platforms used Tensar’s TriAx geogrid incorporated into site-won aggregate to create mechanically stabilised layers. This resulted in thinner roads and platforms that were able to meet load requirements, minimising aggregate use compared with traditional solutions.