Touch ‘n Seal And Tensar Join Forces To Improve Mine Safety, Protect Underground Workers

ST. LOUIS, MO – Dec. 20, 2012 – For years, the industry standard for supporting loose strata and keeping debris from falling on miners has been meshing mine tunnels with sheets of welded steel wire – a less than ideal solution as wire mesh is heavy, unyielding and potentially dangerous. Now, two major suppliers to the mining industry, Touch 'n Seal and Tensar International Corporation, have teamed up to offer a better and safer way to protect miners from falling debris in mine tunnels.

Known in the industry for their polymeric grid and composite mining products, Tensar developed Tensar TriAx® TX Geogrid, an extruded and stretched polymeric grid, ideal for rib and roof installations. Made from lightweight, high-strength, corrosion-resistant polymers, TriAx TX, equivalent to 10 gauge welded mesh, comes in rolls that can be installed using roof bolters, miner-bolters and even jumbos. "Polymeric rolled grids are much safer and easier to handle, transport and install than metal screens," states John Steffenino, Industry Manager Resource Extraction at Tensar. "For years, everyone has tried to install rolled mesh without the use of holding brackets."

Familiar with the flexible capabilities of Touch 'n Seal Mine Foam, Steffenino approached Touch 'n Seal with an innovative idea. "I suspected Touch 'n Seal's Mine Foam would be strong enough to hold the mining grid in its rolled configuration and with just the proper amount of resistance would allow it to be pulled apart when the roll was unwound during installation," says Steffenino. Touch 'n Seal agreed with the concept and they set out to test the theory.

"A lot of time was spent underground testing and tweaking the combined products to determine the right amount of Mine Foam needed to adhere the roll interlayers and where to place the foam on the grids," says Michael Sites, Touch 'n Seal Marketing Manager. "Once we nailed down the precise requirements, both companies knew we'd hit a homerun." The end result is now a patent-pending process known as 'resistive unrolling.'

"Touch 'n Seal's Mine Foam is the perfect adhering material," said Sites. "It's strong enough to prevent the rolls from unwinding under their own weight. It also allows the rolls to be pulled apart in a controlled manner while keeping the remainder of the roll, not yet under installation tension, intact as a roll."

About Touch 'n Seal: Convenience Products, the manufacturer of Touch 'n Seal products, is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Touch 'n Seal insulating foams and sealants are the benchmark for performance in commercial and industrial building and maintenance, OEM manufacturing and specialty applications. A full line of one and two-component spray foams and adhesives are available, including fire blocking foam (ICC-ES: ESR-1926), Low Pressure Window & Door Foam, Drywall Panel Adhesives, Heating Systems and Accessories, Two-Component, Disposable Units, Mining Specialty Units and One-Component Disposable Cylinders. Spray foam is available from 15 bd. ft. kits to 120-gallon refill systems. One-component straw and gun foam available in 12 to 30.5 oz. aerosol cans.

About Tensar International: Headquartered in Atlanta, Tensar International is a full-service provider of specialty products and engineering services that offer innovative and cost-effective alternatives to traditional construction methods. Tensar solutions are based on advanced soil reinforcement technologies and incorporate proprietary, engineered applications for commercial, industrial, municipal, residential and transportation infrastructure site development.

The company specializes in solutions for common site development challenges, including grade changes requiring retaining walls and poor soil conditions affecting the cost of roadways, parking lots and building structures. Patented, polymeric Tensar® Geogrids are the primary component of the company's systems, offering reliable strength and durability. Contracted services include site evaluation, conceptual engineering, design value engineering and installation advice.

For more information about Touch 'n Seal and Tensa International Corporation, please use the contact details and links provided below.