Historic Railway protection

Challenge

The historic Tua railway follows one of Douro’s tributaries, Tua river. Due to the construction of a large dam downstream, there will be a rise in water level that will affect the existent embankment support conditions. In order to safely continue to use the railway, a solution must be found to protect the existing platform from instability created by new hydraulic conditions.

Solution

TenCate Polyfelt® F60 provides excellent long-term filtration and low clogging risk. It is a 2 layer geotextile consisting of one nonwoven acting as a filter, the other layer serves as protection against mechanical damage. It is used for the strengthening and erosion protection of the river banks. Rock is placed on the geotextile layer to protect the banks from erosion.

Benefit

TenCate Polyfelt® F60 has excellent mechanical properties and filtration properties. These combine with a high UV stability to secure the following advantages: TenCate Polyfelt® F60 stabilizes the soil skeleton adjacent to the fabric thus allowing the initial passage of fine, unstable particles while maintaining free, long term waterflow.