Soil filled mechanically stabilised earth (MSE) bagwork has been around for approximately 15 years in its current form and there are a number of comparable products on the market. In general, they all consist of geotextile bags containing typically free draining sandy soils for the construction of earthworks such as riverbanks, slopes and walls. In addition to the fabric bags, an integral component to the bagwork is the inclusion of spikes, pins or plates between the rows of bagwork which prevent slippage or movement of the bags.
The characteristics of the geotextile bags, coupled with the soil that the bags contain, allow for the establishment and promotion of vegetation growth, both on and inside the bagwork. This not only greens up the bagwork to improve its appearance, it also strengthens the bagwork structure and improves both riverbank habitat and biodiversity.
As a form of construction, soil filled MSE Bagwork is very simple, requiring, in many cases, little or no specialist plant and no need for skilled labour. It is often a very cost effective, environmentally safe and ecologically beneficial form of riverbank, slope or wall construction.
There are many competing versions and suppliers of soil filled MSE bagwork in the UK. What makes SoluForm MSE Bagwork different is:
This is obviously linked to manual handling, making the bags easier and safer to handle on site. Although this then requires more bags and shear keys for a given volume of bagwork, we have reduced our prices to make SoluForm soil filled bagwork comparable on a cubic metre basis, with larger 40kg alternatives.
Our prefilled bags are prefilled with the highest quality BS 3882:2015 compliant sand rich topsoil. This provides a more nutrient rich soil, whilst still ensuring the bagwork is free draining.
Importantly, the length of the bag is close to being twice the width. This allows for bagwork to be rotated and better fit together to form a consistent width to a wall.
rather than black or beige coloured bags, our SoluForm Bagwork is dark green. Ultimately, with any form of MSE bagwork, the aim is to “green-up” and vegetate the bagwork, so having a green appearance from the offset seems the most logical approach.
About the SoluForm Concrete Filled MSE Bagwork
Installation Timelapse of SoluFrom Concrete MSE Bagwork