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Gaining access to rural areas over very soft peat ground is a common problem faced by contractors when it comes to renewable energy & power transmission projects. It is in these types of instances that Don & Low’s floated road solutions, combined with over 70 years of experience helping to solve troublesome and complicated issues like these, provide clients with the support they need to tackle this complex issue.

“Nature Scot” estimates that Scottish Peatlands store 1.7 billion tonnes of carbon; this is equivalent to 140 years’ worth of Scotland’s total annual greenhouse gas emissions. That’s why Don & Low’s floated road solutions are ideal where access over pea is required, as they allow for as little disruption of peat land as possible.

Don & Low were asked to provide a comprehensive design solution for a floating road application for the Camster II wind farm project in Wick, North Scotland. Working with the main contractor and their consulting engineers, our engineering team performed multiple types of analysis and calculations due to the wide range of parameters, loadings, and ground conditions on site, paired with the requirement to minimise the amount of imported fill to the site.

Out of all the other solutions proposed, including a more commonly used geogrid option provided by Don & Low, the Lotrak 70R was chosen because it was the most economical and environmentally friendly solution – a key requirement for the client.

Reducing the environmental impact, along with minimising community impact through the reduction of imported fill, was a high priority. This meant that utilising site-won Class 1C granular fill (<500mm) within our solution resulted in minimal imported capping layer fill being required.

The Lotrak 70R high-strength woven geotextile’s multi-functional, all-in-one versatility enabled the haul road to be constructed directly over the vegetated layer with a CBR of 0.5%, allowing for minimal peat excavation while withstanding axle loads of up to 160kN. This, paired with the ease of installing the product with no coil-back properties, no need for additional separation layers, and its versatility in being installed directly over brash, allowed for maximum installation time savings as well as material cost savings.

The project has seen over 70,000 m² of Lotrak 70R installed, and upon completion, the Camster II wind farm will feature 10 new turbines, providing power to over 35,000 homes.

Don & Low’s range of High Strength Woven Geotextiles is manufactured at our head office in Forfar, Scotland. We take pride in being a UK manufacturer of geotextiles, boasting over 70 years of manufacturing experience. Throughout this experience, we have gained valuable in-depth knowledge, product research, trials and engineering expertise. In 1984, we published our first-ever “Design Guide using geotextiles 1984.” The 5th and final edition was printed and published in 2006. Since then, our technology has evolved to incorporate a range of software-enabled analysis methods. With over 40 years

With extensive experience in providing technical solutions for floating roads using Lotraks’ range of products, we are confident that we can offer the expertise and knowledge for your next project. If you would like any more information or are interested in working with Don & Low on your next project, please contact sales@don&low.co.uk