Regular Features
Protecting the Woodlands Roots
Glynebourne Wood is located in the heart of the Bentley Estate owned by the Askew family who have established an eclectic visitor attaction including the Wildfowl and Motor Museum (www.bentley.org.uk). The woodland is regularly used by local schools as an educational resource, and the pedestrian paths are well used throughout the year. This has resulted in some considerable soil compaction, particularly around the main entrance, where the groups gather around The Winged Sculpture, carved by loacl artist Walter Bailey.
The frequent use of the entrance in all weathers, was putting pressure on the soil that baked hard int he summer and became a quagmire in the winter. Something had to be done to imporove the foot path for the visitors and relieve trees from the pressures of soil compaction. A solution was offered by RhizoEcology Ltd who used an AirSpade to de-compact the soil before installing a porous foundation of CellWeb, and covering this with a structural surface formed with DuoBlock.
When the soil around the tree roots had been de-compacted enough to re-establish a free-draining structure and allow gaseous exchange with the tree roots, a sheet of geotextile was spread out, followed by a cellular confinement system of CellWeb that would form the structural foundation for the new path. This was then filled with a loose stone fill and covered by another layer of geo-textile.
The CellWeb cellular confinement system offers an alternative to the traditional methods of constructing roadways and can be sensitively installed close to and under the canopies of trees without negative effects. As well as being quick and easy to install, CellWeb also dramatically cuts down the depth of sub-base required, in most cases by as much as 50%, further reducing costs. CellWeb significantly reduces surface rutting, increasing the long-term performance of the finished surface and ensuring that tree roots remain protected from verical loads.
To maintain the natural aesthetic of the woodland setting the final surface was to be finished with ......
To read more Click Here
To read more Click Here
