New Flex MSE vegetated wall system at Resilience 14

Flex MSE, an innovative vegetated wall system that offers an eco-friendly flood defence solution with enhanced engineering stability and durability, will be exhibited at Resilience 14 in November, where the focus is on technologies developed to protect the built environment from flooding and storms.

Developed in Canada and now available in the UK following an exclusive distributorship deal, the patented Flex MSE system comprises two engineered components; soil filled geotextile bags and spiked interlocking plates.

A proven erosion control solution, Flex MSE is ideal for applications where land meets water, for example on culvert headwalls, channels, unstable stream banks, groins and weirs or on flood protection schemes. With very high settlement tolerance and rapid drainage, its components are able to withstand strong water flow and even complete submersion without breaking down prematurely.

Using the same globally accepted principles of mechanically stabilised earth that builders rely on for making massive retaining walls, Flex MSE is also ideal for many landscaping projects. It can be built up to 82 degrees, providing a natural solution when near-vertical structures are needed, and can be installed in two thirds the time of concrete block and other conventional retained wall structures and requires no specialist equipment or skilled labour.

Flex MSE is also able to accept almost all types of vegetation. Depending on the application and desired aesthetic, this can include pre-seeding and hydro-seeding with native grass and flower blends, or live planting and staking of perennial ground covers, shrubs, grasses and flowers to achieve an instant, fully customised vegetation finish. In a rural environment, the vegetated wall system can blend seamlessly with the surrounding countryside; in an urban application it can reinvent the landscape with an attractive, graffiti-free green space.

Savings in complex installation equipment, materials, labour and transportation help to keep project overheads down, with all-in costs for a Flex MSE wall generally 60% of comparative concrete wall systems. With an anticipated lifespan of 120 years, Flex MSE lasts almost twice as long as other systems, making it the ideal choice in today's challenging market.

Flex MSE's UK sales director, Mike Bailey, explained his company's presence at Resilience 14: "With its focus on solutions developed to protect the built environment from the challenges of flooding and storms, this exhibition and seminar event provides the ideal platform for us to demonstrate our Flex MSE system, whilst strengthening our relationship with BRE Centre for Resilience. We are anticipating strong interest in our new system but also looking forward to meeting other businesses and organisations involved in sustainable construction solutions."