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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 range of high-strength reinforcement products, combined with over 70 years of experience, helps solve these troublesome and complicated issues.

“NatureScot” 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 peat 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 on a major wind farm project in East Ayrshire. Our engineering team performed multiple types of analysis and calculations due to the range of parameters, loadings, and ground conditions, as well as 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, 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 whilst reducing the community impact through the ecological implications, along with reducing the community impact through the reduction of imported fill, was a high priority, meaning the ability to utilise site-won Class 1C granular fill (<500mm) within our solution, resulted in no 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, which had a CBR of 0.5%, resulting in minimal peat excavation. This, paired with the ease of installing the product with no coil-back properties, no need for additional separation layers, and its versatility to be installed directly over brash, meant that the haul road construction programme accelerated by 2 months, leading to the turbine bases being constructed way ahead of schedule.

The project has seen over 70,000 m² of Lotrak 70R installed, and upon completion, this East Ayrshire wind farm will feature 15 turbines, providing power to 68,000 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,” with the 5th and final edition printed and published in 2006. Since then, our technology has evolved to incorporate a range of software-enabled analysis methods. With over 40 years of experience in providing technical solutions for floating roads using Lotrak’s range of products, we are confident we can offer the expertise and knowledge on your next project.

If you would like any more information or are interested in working with Don & Low on your next project, please get in touch with sales@don&low.co.uk