Case Study: TENAX GP-Flex at Castle Hill Cider

Below is a case study about the installation of TENAX's GP-Flex Ground Protection Solution at Castle Hill Cider in Keswick, VA.
 

LOCATION

Castle Hill Cider
6065 Turkey Sag Road
Keswick, VA 22947
www.castlehillcider.com

Castle Hill was the home of Colonel Thomas Walker, guardian and mentor to Thomas Jefferson. Today, Castle Hill reclaims its glory as a cidery and premiere venue for weddings and special events in Virginia.

PRODUCT Tenax GP-Flex 1800

GP-Flex® has been tested for slip resistance to BS 7976-2 and when tested alongside other slip resistant grass protection meshes, GP-Flex® showed an improvement of over 33% in comparison.

GP-Flex® is manufactured using a unique method of extrusion (patent pending), enabling the incorporation of a slip resistant surface. In addition, by re-designing the profile, TENAX has made the mesh more flexible, enabling quicker installation.

 

THE PROBLEM

Castle Hill Cider recently built a brand new cidery on site! Though this was a wonderful addition, the site was now left with insufficient parking for the increase of visitors to this cidery and tasting room nearby.

THE SOLUTION

After discovering the GPFlex 1800 technology, the cidery purchased 36 rolls from their local distributor, Benner’s Gardens. Their resourceful staff was able to efficiently install the rolls with a minimal amount of tools required.

 

  
CONCLUSIONS

As a result, Castle Hill Cider was able to add 15,919.2 square feet (just over 1/3 of an acre) of permanent visitor parking for their new cidery and tasting room.

GP-Flex enabling the addition of visitor parking

 

ADDITIONAL APPLICATIONS

·         Temporary car parks
·         Temporary wheel chair access (ADA compliant)
·         Temporary access by pedestrians over muddy areas
·         Temporary roadways for cars
·         Outdoor events, shows, exhibitions and concerts
·         Suitable for occasional use as access routes for fire engines and refuse trucks

GP-Flex Technical Specifications

Material     Polyethylene & EVA (foam)

Color          Bi-Color: green & brown / UV Stabilized

Weight        1800 g/m²

Thickness    13 mm
MD Tensile strength      788 lbs. / ft.

MD Yield point elongation   20%

Residual thickness at 70psi  55%
Roll size   6.7’ x 65.0’

Roll weight   159 lbs

Technical Report: Impact Tests on Deer Fencing

The TENAX SpA Laboratory recently conducted a series of tests analyzing impact on bi-oriented nets for deer fencing.

The test included an analysis of the TENAX net material and the production process, a description of the TENAX Testing Laboratory, the testing apparatus, and a summary of the results. These main points are summarized below.

 

Characteristics of TENAX nets: the raw material and production process:
Raw material
TENAX nets are produced by the processing of polyolefins. These materials have an exceptionally
high level of resistance to other chemical substances, mold, bacteria and spores. Although derived
from the same family, various classes of polymers exist which differentiate themselves from each
other in a variety of ways. The choice of one polymer against another, combined with the production
process employed, will result in a particular net suitable for a specific purpose. It is possible to improve the basic performance characteristics of the polymer during the manufacturing process. Molecular orientation carried out following extrusion, for example, makes the finished product considerably more resistant to stretching. All net products from the TENAX Group are characterized by a high level of dimensional stability.

Production process
TENAX meshes and nets are produced through the process of polymer extrusion. The two principal
components of polymer extruders are the extrusion "head" and the "die". The head has the function of
directing the liquid polymers towards the die. The die - according to its shape and configuration -
determines the principal characteristics of the net or the perforated membrane during extrusion. The
result of the extrusion process can be the finished net or a semi-finished product ready for further
stages of manufacturing.

The molecular orientation of the polymers provides a noticeable increase in the tensile strength of the
net. For this reason some types of net undergo a process of longitudinal stretching during which
orientation of the molecules takes place. The nets manufactured in this way (known as 'monooriented') have the benefit of improved mechanical characteristics in the direction of the stretching.

The transversal orientation is a successive process similar to the above, but which takes place in a
transverse direction. In this way the net which has already been stretched in a longitudinal direction is
now stretched in the transverse direction - resulting in a product which is both lightweight and
extremely resistant in both directions. Nets produced in this way are known as 'bi-oriented' or
"stretched nets".

Introduction: TENAX Testing Laboratory
The modern testing instrumentation and the highly specialized personnel which together form the
TENAX Laboratory, make it one of the most advanced facilities of its kind in the world. TENAX Lab is renowned not only for its excellence in product development, but also in design support testing, the development of new testing methods, and in basic and applied research. Laboratory tests are performed with the most advanced equipment, some of which having been specifically developed by TENAX. The TENAX laboratory is capable of performing tests to measure mechanical and hydraulic properties as well as the durability of geosynthetic products in accordance with standard international methods.

 

Testing apparatus
The impact trial tests have been conducted with wood empty box of dimension 0.95 x 1.10 meter.
The test specimens have been blocked on the border with screws and wood elements; the
tests have been carried out with the trial load  of weight 150 lbs dropped down from the
following height: 0.20, 0.40 and 1.00 meter.

 

The product utilized for these impact tests have been:

- Tenax C-FLEX: 80 g/m² Aperture MD x TD: 44 x 49 mm

- Tenax C-FLEX P: 110 g/m² Aperture MD x TD: 44 x 49 mm

- Tenax RANCH: 140 g/m² Aperture MD x TD: 27 x 42 mm

- Tenax MILLENIUM: 200 g/m² Aperture MD x TD: 33 x 50 mm

- Greek Supplier: FENCE 1: 127 g/m² Aperture MD x TD: 35 x 35 mm

- Greek Supplier: FENCE 2: 60 gr/m² Aperture MD x TD: 45 x 45 mm

Summary results

 

These results demonstrate that even though plastic fence product weights might be similar, the type of raw materials used and the production process play a key role in the factor that best represents quality fence and nets; breaking strength. The TENAX products proved to be stronger with higher breaking strengths, when compared to competitive nets with similar (if not, higher) weights.



President Obama's "Fix it First" Program

During the 2013 State of the Union Address on February 11, President Obama proposed the "Fix it First" program to address the Nation's need for reinvestment in its crumbling infrastructure, such as roads and bridges. This was proposed in an effort to improve the quality of life for America's citizens, as well as for the addition of jobs in the United States.

"I propose a 'Fix-It-First' program to put people to work as soon as possible on our most urgent repairs, like the nearly 70,000 structurally deficient bridges across the country," President Obama said during the State of the Union address.

Long-term transportation and infrastructure spending mean a boost in the construction market, a market in which Tenax Corporation has been serving since 1987. Tenax Corporation manufactures and distributes a wide range of construction safety solutions, from warning barriers and safety fence, to screens and rebar caps.