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Project Details

Fabric 1

Armormax
Producer/Manufacturer: Propex Geosynthetics
Primary Use: Secondary Fabric

Fabric 2

Pyramat
Producer/Manufacturer: Propex Geosynthetics
Primary Use: Main Fabric

Engineer Name 1
Kimley-Horn

Installation Company
Live Action General Engineering

Please describe the project specifications

When a new solar farm was planned for an 1,800 acre site in Muscle Shoals, AL, the engineer wanted to include resilient erosion control into the project design. Due to the size and geography of the site, multiple erosion control applications existed.

What is unique or complex about the project?

Applications throughout the site included channel protection, solar panel post protection, spillway armoring and pond slope armoring (28 stormwater ponds/spillways). Sheet flow from solar panels form concentrated erosive points along solar panel rows creating a major problem for the environment and maintenance crews tasked with long-term oversight of the solar farm. Largescale solar farms need resilient armoring solutions across channels and spillways to reduce maintenance costs and improve functionality.

To address these needs, we worked with the project engineer to develop a comprehensive design that included stabilization of emergency spillways with ARMORMAX® and protection of central drainage swales and channels using PYRAMAT® High-Performance Turf Reinforcement Mat (HPTRM).
Nearly 519,000 square yards of PYRMAT and more than 10,000 square yards of ARMORMAX were installed. Once the installation was complete, piles used to support the solar panels were driven directly through the HPTRM.

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