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Composites

Layable ground panels for muddy festivals

Innovation lies not only in the use of a special, highly robust yet light composite, but also in the panels’ connection concept.

1st September 2014

Innovation in Textiles
 |  Duebendorf

Industrial, Sports/​Outdoor

In collaboration with Empa, Supramat-Swiss has developed special new underlay panels designed to protect the ground and prevent mud from forming at festivals.

Thanks to their construction, the panels are easy to transport and can be laid over large areas with minimal effort. Empa and its industry partner have also optimised underlay panels that prevent heavy equipment from sinking in mud and form temporary roads for sites that are difficult to access. 

The new light ground panels made from a polymer mixed with fibreglass can be laid over large areas, making it a perfect solution for open-air events, researchers report.

Innovative and convenient

“They are lighter and thinner, but have a larger surface area, than the hexagonal panels laid in a honeycomb pattern that are currently used at large events,” explained Christian Affolter, researcher in the Empa, Mechanical Systems Engineering department.

The rectangular panels are just ten millimetres thick, but their surface area is nearly one square metre, making transport and laying easier. Their innovation lies not only in the use of a special, highly robust yet light composite, but also in their connection concept.

In a test with the fire service at Zürich airport, the

When laid, conventional honeycomb panels are connected using a kind of hook system. In contrast, construction teams connect the Scobavent panels, developed at Empa, using special brackets at their edges. The result is a perfect panel carpet, which is said to allow virtually no mud to seep through, according to manufacturers. Scobavent is currently being tested at various events by a large Swiss festivals service company.

Joined research project

The idea of using layable panels to keep mud away from festival-goers' feet is not new. Richard Steger from Supramat-Swiss approached Empa with the vision of developing a product that would revolutionise the market with its simplicity and reusability. The result was a project supported by the Commission for Technology and Innovation (CTI) – Empa developed and tested the panels, and Supramat-Swiss provided the necessary equipment and production processes, as well as its expertise, and planned the market launch.  "The collaboration worked very well. Thanks to our cooperation with Empa, the project made rapid progress," said Richard Steger.

The rectangular panels are just ten millimetres thick, but their surface area is nearly one square metre, making transport and laying easier. © Empa

However, the research work was not limited to the Scobavent panels for large events. It also delivered a really heavy-duty product: a second panel type from Supramat-Swiss, called Scobamat, which was also developed in collaboration with Empa. It can be used wherever heavy equipment might damage or even sink into soft ground. Laid as a pathway, the panels can form a secure temporary road for large vehicles to reach sites that are difficult to access.  The panels withstood tests with diggers, fire vehicles and a 60-tonne crane without any problems.

“The panels are already being used by airport operators all over the world. Aeroplanes up to A380 models that have come off the runway can be quickly recovered, even on unsurfaced ground, using these panels,” said Steger. Other possible customers for the panels are construction companies and the military.

www.empa.ch

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