Preserving a World Heritage Site

APPLICATION: Road Cell

PROJECT LOCATION: Chan Chan Peru

PROJECT DETAILS: Protecting Walkways and Preventing erosion

PROJECT COMPLETION: Sep 2016

Chan Chan, the largest City of the pre-Columbian era in South America is now an archaeological site in La Libertad Region, 5 kilometres west of Trujillo Peru. Chan Chan is located in the mouth of the Moche Valley and was the capital of the historical empire of the Chimor from 900 to1470, when they were defeated and incorporated into the Inca Empire. The city Chan Chan spanned 20km2 and had a dense urban centre of 6 km2.

The increasing popularity of the site forced the authorities to consider how to protect the walkways and to provide drainage, to remove rain water from the site to prevent erosion. The solution was to use the Atlantis® Road CellTM 53mm drainage cell. This installation made Chan Chan the second World Heritage site in all of Peru to have a highly technical system of protection of the original pavement installed and it covered almost the entire tourist circuit with the exception of the funeral zone.

A layer of water proof membrane was laid down on the walkway and the the Atlantis® Road CellTM 53mm drainage cells were clipped together on the water proof membrane and filled with gravel. Thus providing protection for the walkway and also providing a drain for directing rain water away from the archaeological site to ameliorate erosion. Also it facilitated the access of visitors, especially those with disabilities, by providing a firm stable walk way.

In all 1,700 m2 of the Atlantis® Road CellTM 53mm drainage cell were laid, and filled with gravel.