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[legal note: EDI is the only North American manufacturer's authorized representative + distributor
of these German ecogrid and ecoraster soil stabilization systems and products
which is incorporated in the USA (and in Washington State)
and is subject to and bound by the consumer protection and product liability laws of the USA .]
 the brands. The Brand names in the United States of America:
 the European products known by the internationally trademarked brand name "ecogrid®" (in English-speaking nations)
 are known by the trademarked brand names: StabiliGrid™, HomeGrid™ and HoofGrid™.
Only the genuine, original geogrids manufactured in Germany under the Internationally Registered Trademarks "ecogrid®" and "ecoraster®" will bear these maker's marks on the leading, traffic-bearing (top side) edges of the grids, either/or: ecogrid®, ecoraster®.
... more about these internationally registered trademarks?
 which geogrid to use. If you are not certain whether to use the original...
whether the product you are comparing is the German Original (German-engineered and German-manufactured) ' ecogrid®' or ' ecoraster®'
 or whether it is one of the many "look alike" grids (all low quality replicas and knockoffs),
 then please contact us immediately.
 relevance. Why is this important?
 Because of the international reputation of these German Originals, many low-quality, HDPE-based, fracture-prone replicas, imitations and knockoffs are appearing in the international markets.
 Unfortunately, the list of imitations throughout the world now includes a handful of very poor quality knockoffs which are manufactured in the United States of America.
 comparable product substitutions. Some projects let contract specifications sheets, which allow "comparable product substitutions" or "substitute products per specifying Engineer" etc.
Question: What would be a subsitute product for a contract specifications sheet which specifies "StabiliGrid" by name?
A. Because none of the replica/imitation geogrids are able to perform as do StabiliGrid™, HoofGrid™ and HomeGrid™.
B. Therefore there exists no "comparable substitute product" for StabiliGrid™
C. Period.
 competitive geogrid products. The savvy consumer, architect or engineer will not find any "other plastic geogrid"
 which is sold under any other other brand name,
 or which is made by any other manufacturer,
 which is legally sold in the United States of America under any other brand name,
or anywhere in the world,
... which are able to achieve what StabiliGrid™, HomeGrid™ and HoofGrid™ are able to achieve:
(i) porous paving which directly supports vehicular loading,
(ii) thereby providing truly "green," environmentally sound pervious paving; permanently and cost-effectively.
 product comparisons. If you wish to compare StabiliGrid™, HomeGrid™ or HoofGrid™
to any other plastic geogrid,
manufactured under any other brand name or by any other manufacturer, then:
 please understand that there is no comparable product.
 There are only products which are intended to look like they might work the same,
 until they are exposed to real-world vehicular or livestock traffic.
 product sampling protocols. Please follow comparable-sampling-protocols, before purchasing any plastic geogrid system.
(i) Request Samples ... full-sized samples of competitive products you are considering.
(ii) Hold the competitive samples in your hands.
 Twist them, fold them, try to break them, freeze them and drop them on hard ground, drive a metro bus or loaded dump truck on top of them, and so forth.
Simply holding the various samples in one's hands will prove to be quite informative.
(iii) Or refer to an exert ... refer your qualified geotechnical consultant or pavement engineer to
 the products' laboratory test results (relevant known physical characteristics),
 governmental certifications (for public roadways and bridges, military usage, etc.),
 differences between the geogrids. Please expect the differences in the following physical characteristics to be quite shocking:
(a) quality of the raw materials,
(b) quality production standards,
(c) unmatched flexibility + durability,
(d) unmatched, internationally proven high-loading applications and installations,
(e) unequalled expected lifespan (i.e. indefinite/unlimited),
(f) laboratory-tested and certified relevant physical characteristics, such as:
Relevant to paving - 1: resistance to fracture, max. shearing load, strength of the connectors, tensile strength, and so forth,
Irrelevant to paving - 1: (or only minimally/remotely relevant)
 resistance to pressure at the surface (aka "compressive strength" or "loadbearing")
which is relevant only for stationary objects,
 and is virtually irrelevant for vehicular or pedestrian traffic surfaces,
Irrelevant to paving - 2:
 a raw material's "elasticity"
which only addresses the question, "Will it bounce?"
note: about the physical characteristic denoted as "elasticity"
» glass marbles, raw pig iron and porcelain cups will bounce
That is, they will convert inertial engergy into stored energy upon contact with an adamant surface.
After the object comes to complete rest, the stored energy - like a coiled spring - results in the rebound
» hence: glass, pig iron and porcelain may be described as "elastic" in scientific terms.
Unfortunately, this kind of "elasticity" is irrelevant - and is most often contraindicated - for any traffic surface, whether vehicular or agricultural.
Relevant to paving - 2:
+ resistance to fracture (aka "flexibility")
+ which addresses the relevant question, "Will it shatter on contact, or will it flex back to its previous state?"
performing physical comparisons. If the geogrid you are holding does not have the maker's marks " ecogrid®" and/or " ecoraster®" imprinted on the top edges of the geogrid,
 then you are holding an inferior, short-lived, low-loading product.
 Please expect it to shatter, whenever vehicle tires or livestock hooves ever come into direct contact with it.
 Please call us, when it requires replacement.
  why is this important? So, what's the difference?
See below: examples of the applications using The German Originals™,
which are impossible to achieve, when using any plastic geogrid
... other than StabiliGrid™, HoofGrid™ or HomeGrid™.
The key features of the genuine ecoraster® (aka ecogrid® in European English-language nations):
 flexibility, the ability to flex under horizontal loading, instead of breaking;
 not only resistance to pressure at the surface (aka"loadbearing capacity" or "compressive strength") which is applicable to stationary objects as opposed to typical surface traffic (vehicular, pedestrian or heavy stock).
What does this mean, "Bend, not Break" ?
 In order to avoid fracturing under horizontal load acceleration, deceleration or torsional rotation:
  whenever the vehicles:
 brake or accelerate suddenly,
 rapidly change velocity,
 or rotate the sterring tires on the traffic surface when stopped (such as when the steering axle is rotated while a vehicle is stationary),
 or whenever a horse or cow:
 paws at the surface,
 or stops and starts,
 or turns suddenly on the surface,
  or whenever any type of traffic LOADING moves horizontally across the surface in any typical pattern (that is, whenever the LOAD is not stationary);
 The edges of the plastic geogrid must " bend but not break."
 The loadbearing surface must flex horizontally ('give') when exposed to these extreme horizontal or torsional dynamic forces,
 and "bounce back" to the static position - whole and undamaged,
 instead of fracturing, cracking, separating, or shearing off (as do all HDPE-based geogrids when they are exposed to direct vehicular or livestock traffic that is not stationary).
Below: Please notice that the genuine ecoraster®
 aka ecogrid® in Europe and worldwide,
 also known under the trademarks in the United States as:
 "ecoraster®"
 StabiliGrid™
 HomeGrid™, and
 HoofGrid™
... is able to take the beating from real traffic (not only stationary objects).
Below: examples of traffic that StabiliGrid holds up to, which HDPE-based (rigid) grids are not ...
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