A partnership between Don & Low and PDM is said to have resulted in a haul-road build programme being accelerated by over two months.
Gaining access to rural areas over very soft peat ground is a common problem faced in the construction of renewable energy and power transmission projects. Added to this is the potential environmental impact of disruption to peat land which can add significantly to greenhouse gas emissions.
Therefore, when work started last year on a major wind farm project in East Ayrshire, consideration needed to be given to how access roads could be constructed with as little disruption to the peat land as possible.
Additionally, and as per the requirements of the overall project, which when completed will consist of 15 turbines and generate enough power for 68,000 homes, all build stages must be not only as environmentally friendly as possible, but also economical and have limited local community impact.
The solution proved to be a floating road application, with Don & Low’s Scottish manufactured Lotrak 70R high strength woven geotextile proving to be ‘ideal’.
When Don & Low was chosen to provide the Lotrak 70R, the firm partnered with the team at PDM – a supplier of civils, multi utilities, and above ground drainage products – to manage the logistics of getting the product on site.
Being manufactured in Scotland, the fact delivery of the Lotrak 70R was also managed by the Scottish team at PDM, added to the overall sustainability credentials.
PDM explained the ‘high strength and multi-functional all in one versatility’ of the Lotrak 70R meant the haul road was able to be constructed directly over the vegetated layer allowing for minimal peat excavation. This, paired with the ease of installing the product with no coil back properties, led to the turbine bases being constructed well ahead of schedule.
