Elastogran is Polyurethanes

E l a s t o m e r i c r e v e t m e n t s w i t hE l a s t o c o a s t ®

Better protection forcoasts from erosion

S t a n d - f a s t w i t h . . .

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The GermanBight andNorth-Frisian islands. Syltwith its socalled »Elbow«(Ellenbogen)and the Ham-burg Holm(HamburgerHallig) havebeen identifiedin red. The test fields forelastomericrevetment withElastocoast arelocated here.

Sylt, the »Elbow« nearList. A coast-line threatenedby erosion.Open porerevetment withElastocoast.

Hamburger Hallig, north ofHusum, over-flow dyke.Open porerevetment withElastocoast.

Elbgroyne Wit-tenbergen nearHamburg.Open porerevetment withElastocoast.

The structure of an open pore revetment with Elastocoast

SyltHamburger Hallig

Cuxhaven

Ellenbogen

FöhrAmrum

Husum

Helgoland

Deutsche Bucht (Nordsee)

. . . o p e n p o r e r e v e t m e n t s w i t h E l a s t o c o a s t

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production and sales of both market-driven and customer-tai loredpolyurethanes.

Elastogran's partner in the develop-ment of Elastocoast is Prof. Dr-Ing. Erik Pasche, Head of the Institute ofHydraulic Engineering at the TUHH(Technische Universtität Hamburg-Harburg).

l A new dimension is added tothe protection of coasts andembankments: Elastocoast

Since 2003 North Sea storms havebeen faced with a brand new force. I tsname: Elastocoast. I ts special feature:itbinds broken rocks together to form a stable reinforcement which is bothsol id and elastic at the same time. Thisensures that the forces of nature donot take their tol l on the Elastocoastrevetment.

Various threatened constructions bothon the North Sea coast and on the riverElbe have already held fast with revet-ments made with Elastocoast.

l Elastocoast: A noble heritage

Elastocoast is a special elastomericpolyurethane system, made by Elastogran; one of the world's leadingcompanies in the f ield of development,

»More and more f lood disasters create moreand more catastrophies al l over the world: justremember the devastation caused by hurri-canes ›Katrina‹, ›Rita‹ and ›Wilma‹ in the Gulfof Mexico in 2005. Both the frequency and intensity of storm surges wil l increase further.Coastl ines wil l be put under ever greaterstrain by the force of high waves. Exposedcoastl ines, l ike those on the island of Sylt, wil lbe eroded dramatical ly, thus threatening thefuture of our islands.

This major challenge can only be met with in-novative concepts and solutions. Elastomericrevetments with Elasotcoast provide just suchan innovative solution. Elastomeric revetmentsuti l ise the propert ies of polyurethane (PU) toform a lasting and elastic reinforcement. Thiscreates extremely stable, open pore and resis-tant revetments. Apart from their excel lentstructural stabi l i ty, elastomeric revetments also excel due to their more ecological ly neutral propert ies and lower costs comparedto conventional revetments.«

Prof. Dr.-IngErik PascheTUHH, Ham-burg, Head ofthe Institute ofHydraulic Engineering.

Advantages of the reinforcement+ Open pore structure+ elasticity+ heat and frost resistant+ hydrophobic, water-repellent+ economic+ easy to process+ environmental ly neutral*

= revetments with Elastocoast

* tested at BASF in accordance with theDlBt Data Sheet – Analysis of Effects ofConstruction Products on Soil andGroundwater.

R e v e t m e n t s w i t h E l a s t o c o a s t :

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The components of revetments made withElastocoast: Broken rock and the two-component polyurethanesystem Elastocoast.

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Dr. MarcusLeberfinger,Chemist, Elastogran,Marketing, Project Leaderand Head ofSales for Maritime Appli-cations.

r e a d y f o r t h e c h a l l e n g e

Even before tr ials were conducted onthe North Sea coast and on the groynein the Elbe, Elastocoast had proved itsstabi l i ty and strength: in Elastogran'sdevelopment laboratories. Both Elasto-gan and BASF special ists have putElastocoast to the test using high-techmethods including every conceivablechemical and mechani-cal inf luencingfactors.

In addi-t ion, the

Institute ofHydraulic Engi-neering of the

TUHH (Techni-sche UniversitätHamburg-Har-

burg), headedby Prof. Dr-Ing.

Erik Pasche putElastocoast to

the test both in thelaboratory and in the

field.

l Elastocoast: all tests passedwith flying colours

The PU elastomer Elastocoast is:� heat and frost resistant� elastic� abrasion-proof� hydrophobic, water-repellent� easy to process� environmental ly neutral

l PU Elastomers by BASF used in track construction for morethan 20 years

With targets of increasing speeds,greater hub loads, improved safetyawareness and rising costs, rai lway operators are very keen to avoid bothdisplacement and propulsion of rocks:elastomers by BASF are an ideal solution.

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1 Endurance test: heavy-duty vehicle on a sampleof Elastocoast rock rein-forcement.

2 Nearly 200 Elastogranstaff work in the Technol-ogy Centre Lemförde inresearch, developmentand applications tech-nology.

3 Approximately 60 % ofElastocoast is made frommodified fatty vegetableacids.

4 Trials with zebra fish,water fleas, algae, lumi-nescent bacteria para-mecium and other micro organisms prove thecompatibility of Elasto-coast with the environ-ment.

5 Crude oil exploration:polyurethane as pipelinecoating in contact withsea water.

6 Medical technology:polyurethane applicationfor dialysis filters.

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What makes Elastocoast so ideal for revetments?

»Polyurethane or PU is an extremely versati lespecial ist plastic material. For decades PU applications have rendered our l ives safer,more pleasant and comfortable: in sports andleisure, in and around cars and l iv ing accom-modation. But PU materials by Elastogran arealready establ ished in other f ields such as me-chanical engineering, medical technology, andmarit ime applications such as buoys and oi lpipel ines.

Research and development teams at Elastogran and BASF uti l ise the innovative potential of the mult i-talented PU for ever neweconomic and environmental ly-neutral applica-tions. We are deeply committed to coastal andflood protection. Our contribution towards thefight against the elements: Elastocoast, a special ly developed PU system for open porerevetments. Elastocoast has tai lor-made prop-ert ies for marit ime, ecological, economic, andcivi l engineering requirements. – With our ex-pert ise as a developer of innovative materials,we regard ourselves as partner and rel iablementor for public authorit ies, engineering andconstruction companies and universit ies in the f ield of hydraulic engineering and coastalprotection.«

S e a r c h i n g a n a l y s i s :

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Impact on con-crete revetmentsresults in re-flections with a potentially ex-plosive effect.

Impact onrevetment rein-forced withElastocoast isdissipated bythe open porestructure.

High-tech measuring in-struments for an in-depthanalysis: lasers scan therevetment in three di-mensions to produce ex-tremely precise informa-tion about all structuralchanges in the groyne.

Surface defectin the compactconcreterevetment

Broken rocks with concrete reinforcement

Impactpmax

Open pore interstice

Broken rocks with Elastocoast reinforcement

Impactpmax

Elastomeric revetment (Sylt, Ellenbogen) framework drawing

Groyne with elastomeric revetment framework drawing

exis

tin

g s

hee

t p

ile

approx. +0,10

approx. -1,40

exis

tin

g s

hee

t p

ile app

rox.

1,5

0

approx. 10,50

ground

geotextile

sandy beachElastomeric Revetment

levelling layer

approx. +1,35

spike

MHW

MLW

groyne body (filterstable)

base layer

MHW

MWL

riverbed (foundation soil)

Elastomeric Revetmentd=25cm (Evertz, 2006)

quarrystone 1200 kg/m2

(O 100-300mm)

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E l a s t o c o a s t f o r e v e r y e v e n t u a l i t y

l Elastocoast creates valueadded revetments

Elastocoast secures the structural stabi l i ty of heavi ly pounded revetmentstructures through reinforcing rocks attheir points of contact. This stabi l izesthe open pore structure while at thesame time enabling it to dissipate trac-tive forces. This is what dist inguisheselastomeric from conventional revet-ments.

l Further reasons for choosingelastomeric revetments:

� considerably less bulky than conven-tional revetments

� uti l ises smaller, and thus cheaper,broken rocks

� relat ively simple constructionprocess

� open pore structure between thestones. Absorbs the energy of wavesand converts i t into thermal energy(instead of impacting the structure)

� the open pore construction retainsthe natural structure and al lows it tocontinue as a habitat for animals

� plants can be planted for natureconservation and/or aesthetic purposes

Monitoring of revetments made ofElastocoast

»Since the construction of the f irst groyne onthe banks of the river Elbe near Hamburg inSeptember 2003, Elastocoast projects havebeen undergoing a comprehensive monitoringprogramme.

The strain on the construction through the destructive action of high water, strong wavesand the current are recorded and changes tothe revetment surface are documented meticu-lously. The fol lowing process is employed toobtain these results:

� Load cel ls record the impact force of thewaves.

� ADV sensors measure the current� A 3D laser scanner scans the surface of the

revetment. In combination with height dif-ferentiat ion models it is possible to obtaincomplex information about changes to thesurface.

Scientif ic f indings:Elastocoast possesses visibly better propert iesto secure revetments than conventional meth-ods. Both in the navigable channel of the riverElbe and the coastal shores of the HamburgHolm, Elastocoast has proved to be a rel iablemethod of stabi l iz ing groynes, shores andriverbanks. Even in the surf along the shoreoff Sylt the revetment has withstood the strainof the power of the waves, corrosive seawaterand the effects of frost and ice throughout thewinter of 2005/2006.«

Meike Stielau,Dipl.-Ing. (TU),TUHH, Ham-burg-Harburg,Institute of Hydraulic Engi-neering, ProjectLeader on theisland of Sylt.

Elastomeric cross sectionframework drawing

Breakwater with elastomeric revetmentframework drawing

Overflow dyke with elastomeric revetmentframework drawing

inner dike

berm

geotextile

Elastomeric Revetmentd=20cm (Evertz, 2006)

soil layer withgrass 10cm

scour protectionand foundation

drainpipe

filter gravel

dyke body

impervious blanketmaintenance path

high storm level

storm level

MHW

bank protection filledwith bitumen

watt

geotextile

maintenance way

concrete curbstone 60x8cm

Elastomeric Revetmentd=30cm (Evertz, 2006)

seasideisland side

island sidebegins floo-dingfrom

filterstable body

The construct ion of e lastomeric revetments:

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Pilot project for elastomeric revet-ments at the Elbow on the North Seaisland of Sylt

»The implementation of the pi lot project at theElbow on Sylt with elastomeric revetment hasprovided a new and promising process whichmeets the needs of both coastal protectionand civi l engineering.

From a construction point of view the Elasto-coast revetment stands out due to its simpleand easy-to-use technology. A further advan-tage compared to conventional methods is thatless construction material is required as theelastomeric revetment is not as bulky as con-ventional ones. This saves approximately 30 %in broken rocks. In addit ion, the stone used isusually of a smaller grain size. This is cheap-er, easier to handle and increases the load-bearing capacity of the revetments comparedto coarser rock.«

Dipl.-Ing. Martin Lim-brecht, con-struction com-pany MartinLimbrechtGmbH & Co,Niebüll.

A The two components ofthe Elastocoast systemare blended.

2 The tumbler coats the broken rocks withElastocoast.

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The tumbling method

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S i m p l y b e t t e r w i t h E l a s t o c o a s t

l Sylt: protected from danger

Time and again, part icularly after theautumn and winter storm surges the island of Sylt laments the loss of land.In 2005 alone expenditure for coastalprotection amounted to Euros 3.5 mil-l ion. The Elbow on the North Sea islandof Sylt regularly suffers under the on-slaught of the North Sea. For decadesboth the t ides and the storms which,90 % of the t ime, blow from the westhave been posing a major threat to thecoastal area. So far al l coastal protec-tion measures in the most exposed areas have fai led.

l Elastocoast: for the protectionof the Elbow

The f ight goes on. On 17 June 2005the ALR (Amt für Ländliche Räume =Authority for coastal protection) approved a pi lot f ield on Sylt for theconstruction of an elastomeric revet-ment with Elastocoast.

Construction work for the 10.5 m by26 m strip of land started on 5th Sep-tember 2005. Fol lowing intensive plan-ning involving both the ALR and theTUHH, as well as experts from Elas-togran and the company who carriedout the work, Martin Limbrecht GmbH &Co. - low water and good weather con-dit ions al lowed the completion of thepilot project within a few days.

3 The Elastocoast-rockmix is applied to therevetment.

In the High-Pressure method Elas-tocoast is sprayed onto the loosebroken rock revetment.

3

The high-pressure method

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E l a s t o g r a n i s Po l y u r e t h a n e s

l Leader in its Field

Elastogran is one of the world's leadingcompanies in the f ield of special i typlastics polyurethanes (PU). Elastogran,a company of the BASF Group can lookback on over 40 years of PU know-how.Our headquarters in Lemförde, LowerSaxony, hosts the international tech-nology centre of the BASF polyurethaneworld. Second to none: the range of thedynamic market and technology leaderfor special i ty PU comprises nearly theentire polyurethane product portfol io.

l Working hand in hand with ourcustomers

The Elastogran Group has 11 sites inEurope. We distr ibute al l BASF PU baseproducts Europe-wide and develop,produce and distr ibute polyurethanesystems as well as thermo-plastic andcellular special i ty elastomers.

The entire BASF PU business in Europe,the Near East and Africa is concentrat-ed at Elastogran. From here we havebuilt a strong market posit ion. Closecustomer contact is implementedworld-wide through close co-operation:Elastogran representatives and BASFsales organizations work around the

globe in close partnership with theircustomers.

l Individual Innovations

No matter which PU application is in-volved – Elastogran turns the apparent-ly impossible into an innovative real i ty.In close project-related co-operationwith the customer our special ist teamsof chemists, physicists, engineers and sales experts develop tai lor-made,creative and economic solutions. Wecreate a sol id and rel iable base withour customers through both active dia-logue and combined experience. Oursectoral applications technology whichstretches throughout Europe is str ict lyfocused on value added benefit.

l Integration

Our close l inks with BASF (BASF – TheChemical Company), one of the world'sleading enterprises in the chemicalsbusiness, enables us, as part of thetrans-national BASF Verbund, to accessresources world-wide: for research,raw materials supply, infrastructure,sales and f inance.

Portfolio:Elastogran develops, producesand sells:� PU elastomers as thermo-

plastic specialty elastomers� PU elastomers as cellular

specialty elastomers� PU base products, such as

isocyanates, polyols, cata-lysts, auxillary materials

� PU systems, divided into system groups such as rigid,flexible, integral, compact

Sites� Germany (headquarters)� France� The UK� Italy� Russia� Sweden� South Africa� Spain � Turkey� Hungary

Research and DevelopmentWorld-wide BASF PolyurethaneResearch for PU systems and PU special elastomers has beencentralized in the newly createdResearch Centre in Lemförde.Nearly 200 Elastogran staff workin this think tank of expertise and creativity for the fields of Research, Development and Applications Technology. With the know-how of this inter-national technology centre weprovide our expertise to otherBASF Group companies in Ameri-ca and Asia which are active inthe field of polyurethane.

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A c t i n g w i t h R e s p o n s i b i l i t y

l Quality Management

Customer satisfaction is the basis forsustained business success. There-fore, we want to meet the customers'requirements on our products and services in the long run.

To ensure success in a rel iable way,Elastogran introduced a quality man-agement system already several yearsago including al l divisions.

Each business process is regularly assessed and further developed basedon informative performance indicators.The target is to reach optimum eff i-ciency and almost perfect coordinationof al l activit ies and operations. Eachemployee is asked to make a contribu-tion to quality assurance and continu-ous improvement with its capabil i t iesand ideas at i ts workplace.

The Elastogran quality managementsystem is based on the internationalstandard ISO 9001, supplemented bythe addit ional requirements of the automotive industry ISO/TS 16949.

l Responsible Care�

Elastogran supports Responsible Care,the worldwide init iat ive of the chemicalindustry, and thus commits itself tocontinually safety, health and environ-mental protection.

Within the Elastogran Group, Responsi-ble Care for safety, health and environ-mental protection is an issue, which –for the sake of environmental sustain-abil i ty – is considered as being a cor-porate value as important as economiccriteria for boosting the company'ssuccess.

The whole process of development,production and storage of our productsas well as their transport, applicationand f inal ly also their disposal or recycl ing is evaluated and continuallyfurther developed with respect to thereduction of possible environmental impacts.

This includes, in part icular, the protec-tion of resources as well as preventionof emissions and waste. Elastogran ap-propriately informs customers, partnersand neighbours about environmentalaspects of products and processes. Ourenvironmental management system isgeared to the guidel ines of Responsible

Care and meets the requirements ofthe international standard ISO 14001.

l Recycling

Methods for recycl ing polyurethanesare as diverse as their use. In order tof ind the right method, i t is necessary toclarify their specif ic origin and use.

Alongside thermal re-uti l isation of PUproducts, the recycl ing of productionwaste also plays an important role. Thefol lowing processes are already beingintroduced on a practical scale:

� Flock-bond� Particle-bond� Chemical recycl ing� Raw material processes

It is general ly not possible to statewhether such processes are more ecological ly beneficial than thermal re-uti l isation.

Elastogran GmbHEuropean Business ManagementSpecialt ies & ComfortElastogranstraße 60Germany49448 LemfördeTelephone (0 54 43) 12-42 33Telefax (0 54 43) 12-29 36www.elastogran.com

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Photos: Elastogran, corbis, TUHH (Technische Uni-versität Hamburg-Harburg), Limbrecht, GKSS

The data contained in this publication is based on ourcurrent knowledge and experience. In view of themany factors that may affect processing and applicati-on of our product, this data does not relieve proces-sors from carrying out their own investigations andtests; neither does this data imply any guarantee ofcertain properties, or the suitability of the product for aspecific purpose. Any descriptions, drawings, photo-graphs, data, proportions, weights etc. given hereinmay change without prior notice and do not constitutethe agreed contractual quality of the product. It is theresponsibility of the recipient of our products to ensurethat any proprietary rights and existing laws and legis-lation are observed. (04/06)