Research on the effectiveness of CuTex® as a barrier to Japanese Knotweed and other invasive Plant Species.
Geofabrics is one of the few geosynthetics’ manufacturers with an active research and development (R&D) program. This investment is prompted by the pursuit of product quality and the value placed on customers’ needs.
Many of our R&D projects, both past and present, have been initiated directly by our customers or by Geofabrics anticipating their requirements as a result of revised standards, new legislation or financial targets. When we introduced CuTex® into our product portfolio we continued this ethos and commissioned the Plant Science Department at the University of Leeds to undertake two separate studies into the effectiveness of this novel geocomposite barrier.
The first study by the University independently assessed the effectiveness of CuTex as a root barrier to Japanese Knotweed, and other invasive plant species. The research was designed to answer three principal questions:
■ Does CuTex inhibit root growth?
■ Does the effectiveness of CuTex increase with time?
■ Is CuTex safe?
The answer to all of these questions was a resounding yes!
The second and more recent study was designed to benchmark CuTex against other commercially available barriers used in this application and to test the composite for compliance to international standard PD CEN/TS 14416:2014 ‘Resistance to Roots. In addition to testing the barrier with Lupin seedlings, which is all that is specified within the standard, we instructed the University to test using Japanese Knotweed. The second study demonstrated that the unique properties of CuTex®, unlike impermeable barriers, make it an effective barrier to Knotweed and other invasive species, but also allow it to be used in areas where drainage is an important design consideration.
Where Sustainable Urban Drainage is a critical factor in design, CuTex® offers a unique solution to protecting areas susceptible to damage from invasive roots.
