Pioneers of alternative anchoring solutions with Cirtex Australia Ltd Platipus Anchors are market leaders in the design, manufacture and supply of mechanical earth anchoring products for a range of industries and are now available from Cirtex Australia Ltd. INTERNATIONAL CASE STUDIES Founded in 1982, Platipus are renowned for providing some of the most innovative and cost effective anchoring systems such as the Anchored Reinforced Grid Solution (ARGS) to stabilize slopes. We have recently supplied systems to projects worldwide including:
1. Surface protection and erosion control of steep cut slopes in Ecuador. Steep cuts along the newly constructed access road to the airport required surface protection against deep erosion and shallow surface sliding. The extremely high slopes posed difficulties for traditional methods so Platipus introduced the Anchor Reinforced Grid Solution (ARGS) to protect the surface. The solution was employed and recently withstood a 5.1 level earthquake on August 12th 2014 while other unprotected areas experienced some failures.
2. Temporary anchoring of sheet piling to enable the widening of the A1(M) motorway in UK. To facilitate the widening of the motorway and positioning of an additional carriageway under this bridge it was necessary to remove the existing embankment forming the bridge abutment. The exposed cut face needed to be made safe in the short term to allow for the construction of a new reinforced concrete retaining wall. Excavation of the embankment was completed in 600mm stages from the top down with care not to affect the structure of the bridge or expose its foundation piles. After each cut, anchors were installed and a measured section of trench sheeting was secured into position by loadlocking the anchors. The ability to demonstrate immediate anchor loads allowed for continuous excavation therefore reducing the overall installation in time and cost.
3. Buoyancy control for a 12" gas pipeline in New Zealand A 12" gas pipeline was laid through sandy soils that were prone to a high water table and liquefaction and so a permanent buoyancy control solution was required that could be installed quickly. Platipus S8 Pipe Kits with unique buckle and strap system were installed at 15m centres along 2850m of pipe. In order to achieve good loads the S8 anchors were driven 5m deep, through sand into a layer of gravel and then loadlocked. Each anchor could then be proof tested immediately and the whole installation process was fast and straightforward using Platipus Installation Tools.
4. Temporary shade structure anchoring for a Gas exhibition in Qatar. To anchor a 272 M2 tensile sail made of PVC coated polyester fabric to cover an exhibit on the Doha Corniche highlighting the new Qatar Gas Pipeline. Due to the temporary nature of the structure and tight regulations regarding ground works, pouring concrete foundations was not an option. An ultimate load of 45kN per anchor was required (15kN working load with a factor of safety 3:1) using products suitable for 1 month. Our Geotechnical Engineer specified the Platipus B06 Bat anchor which was supplied alongside smaller S10 Stealth anchors for site testing. The lightweight installation tools were hired from Platipus and a local contractor provided the wheeled excavator fitted with a hydraulic breaker and an 80mm Ø moil point. SUMMARY The systems are made of lightweight corrosion resistant products that are conducive to a range of design life requirements up to 120 years making the anchors ideal for temporary and permanent applications. Installation is fast and easy and can be accomplished with readily available equipment with minimal environmental impact. They provide stability to slopes and embankments and buoyancy control to pipelines in areas of high ground water or flood risk. Platipus and Cirtex Australia provide excellent customer service which can include design assistance, preliminary on-site evaluations and testing, contractor training and technical support. We offer anchor specification guidance with our Anchor Load Calculator and detailed installation guides available for online use. The fundamental advantage of our Platipus Earth Anchoring System is the simplicity and effectiveness of a solution providing an alternative to traditional anchoring techniques.