SteLar Consulting Services, LLC (SteLar) is a professional services firm based in Houston, Texas. SteLar’s founders, Steve Connor and Larry Ragsdale, have over 38 years of combined experience managing and executing a broad range of engineering, environmental and construction projects in the Energy, Industrial, Government, and Commercial markets. Our company was formed on the ideal that by truly understanding our client’s needs, we can provide superior service and tailored professional solutions.
FEATURED PRODUCT
BERM TOPPER FOR INDUSTRIAL RETENTION PONDS
The Berm Topper is a patented system for increasing the height of Geosynthetic lined containment levees. The system has unique benefits that other engineered solutions cannot provide:
- Negligible load added to existing levee – ensures geotechnical slope stability
- Increased free board allows old freeboard to become operational capacity
- Limited areas require custom design – pipe crossings, access areas, flare stacks, etc.
- Retrofit to existing facilities or installed during initial construction
- Minimal to no operational interruption for installation
- No new utilities, infrastructure, or land acquisition
- No increase in pond footprint at outer levee toe
- No increase in pond outer slopes
US Patents: 9,783,944 B2 | 10,240,310 B2 | 10,538,889 B2
The Berm Topper accomplishes these benefits by utilizing a lightweight structural material such as Geofoam® anchored by a Geosynthetic liner. The Geofoam is installed on the levee crest and covered by new liner. The new liner is extrusion welded to the existing liner and secured in a new anchor trench.
The system is designed for hurricane wind loading and hydraulic force from the contained fluid. The system utilizes the same liner material as the existing liner system to ensure material compatibility with the contained fluid. Installation requires limited construction access – a mini excavator is utilized for anchor trenches and the Geofoam and liner are lightweight to allow manual placement and installation. The standard Berm Topper height increase is 3’, however additional height may be possible at certain facilities.
The Berm Topper can provide significant increases in storage capacity, dependent upon the existing pond configuration. For example, a 500’ x 500’ pond that is 10’ deep with 2’ of operational freeboard could be increased to a 13’ depth, representing approximately 41% increase in operational pond capacity.
