The Lagoons ? Dubai
Soil Reinforced Bridge Abutments reinforced with FORTRAC® Geogrids
manufactured by HUESKER Synthetic GmbH - Germany

Introduction
The Lagoons is a mixed-use freehold development being built along the Dubai Creek coastline. The AED 66 billion (US$ 18 billion) project will cover an area of 70 million square feet (6.5 million square metres) and contain 25 miles (40 kilometres) of waterfront land.
It will be located next to Dubai Festival City and the Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary, along the Ras Al Khor Road.
The Lagoons will contain seven bridgeinterlinked islands which will be constructed to provide environmental living areas, ensuring harmonious existence alongside the surrounding eco-systems. The beautifully landscaped islands will comprise of residential units, shopping centers, office buildings, resorts, five-star hotels, and marinas. The area will also contain a planetarium, museum, art center, theater,
and Dubai's first opera house.
Transportation within the project will be made possible by the island-connecting bridges, boats, water taxis, and its own Light Railway Passenger Train system.

The Lagoons will contain seven bridgeinterlinked islands which will be constructed to provide environmental living areas, ensuring harmonious existence alongside the surrounding eco-systems. The beautifully landscaped islands will comprise of residential units, shopping centers, office buildings, resorts, five-star hotels, and marinas. The area will also contain a planetarium, museum, art center, theater, and Dubai's first opera house.
Transportation within the project will be made possible by the island-connecting bridges, boats, water taxis, and its own Light Railway Passenger Train system.
Expected Completion Date - By 2010
Real Estate Developer - Sama Dubai [Sama Dubai Projects]
Location - Dubai, United Arab Emirates

HUESKER?s Role in the Lagoon Project:
On 8th July 2008, the client Sama Dubai instructed Dutco Balfour Beatty, (Contractor responsible for quay wall construction and canal excavation) to construct 5 temporary bridge crossings over the channels, aimed at facilitating the movement of construction equipment and heavy material delivery trucks, within the site, during the construction period of the project. A further instruction was given to have the bridges ready in anticipation of the ceremonial opening by the Ruler of Dubai. The maximum period allowed for completion was 3 months.
The span of 4 of the bridges was 45 m and span of one bridge was 33 m. Each bridge was designed with 2 spans of 4.2 m width allowing up and down transport of construction equipment and heavy vehicles. The bridge abutment height of Bridge 3.4 and 5 was 8.4 m and Bridge 1 and 2 was 13.3 m.
The time available did not allow for conventional methods of bridge construction, the ideas of piling the abutment or having a reinforced concrete abutment were not feasible.
HUESKER proposed Fortrac® Geogrid reinforced bridge abutments and walls with 10mm steel mesh facing and nonwoven geotextile wrap around facing.
The face of the walls was proposed to be protected by timber claddings. This would enable the quick completion of the abutments in time for the assembly of the pre fabricated bridges arriving from the UK. The reinforced soil abutments and walls were designed for a life of 10 years which is the proposed maximum time for the construction works for the whole lagoons project including all the developments.
Due to the fast track program HUESKER Synthetic GmbH decided to immediately ship material from its stock in Germany to have it available for a quick start. The decision was based on verbal commitment from the client and an initial check from available drawings.
The shipped material allowed for the construction of around 2500 m2 of abutment and wall face based on the design calculations. The consignment included Fortrac® 110/30-20, Fortrac® 80/30-20, Fortrac® 55/30-20 and Fortrac® 35/20-20.
The proposal was reviewed by the client Sama Dubai and their Project Management Consultants EC Harris and Design Consultants Parsons, and it was quickly agreed to proceed after extensive review and design check. It was apparent that the system proposed, and the system provider, HUESKER Synthetic GmbH, had the credibility and proven back up references, and documentation, to gain the confidence of all parties involved. Special attention was given to the excellent behavior of reinforced soil structures on soft soils in consideration of the existing weak soils in the area.
During the course of the design review, there were changes in both height and length of the bridge approaches, and as a result the quantity was increased to around 3500 m2 of abutment and wall face. This prompted the cross checking of the locally available material and the consignment in transit, resulting in a quick decision to adjust the design to accommodate the program and enable the use of some locally available woven reinforcement, Geotextile Stabilenka® 100/50, in the buried section of the wall.
The work was started in the end of August 08 under the supervision of HUESKER engineers and was very successfully completed ahead of
schedule in a very cost effective manner. All 5 abutments and side walls were completed by the end of November 08, within the budget, which was less than half the cost of conventional reinforced concrete structures. The bridge abutments were handed over as they were made ready for the installation of
the pre-engineered and pre-fabricated steel bridges by Mabey& Johnson, of the U.K., who completed the installation quickly and opened the bridges for the heavy construction traffic immediately.
Unfortunately the project was put on hold a month after the completion of the work, due to the financial crises. The photos show the abutments of the different bridges which were then covered with hessian to protect them from the effects of UV until the time when they will be needed.