CONNECTION DEVICE FOR FASTENING EXPANDED CELL CONFINEMENT STRUCTURES AND METHODS FOR DOING THE SAME

A cellular confinement system has a first unitary web of cells made from elongated plastic strips bonded together in spaced apart areas, the strips forming walls of the cells, at least some of the cells defining open slots. The system also has a second unitary web of cells made from elongated plastic strips bonded together in spaced apart areas, the strips forming walls of the cells, at least some of the cells defining open slots. At least one open slot of the first unitary web of cells is aligned with at least one open slot of the second unitary web of cells to result in a cell overlap region, the cell overlap region having opposite first and second sides. The system further has at least one connection device fastening the first unitary web of cells and the second unitary web of cells together. The device includes an insertion member having first and second opposite insertion ends and an insertion member extension therebetween, the insertion member having a first length between the first and second insertion ends and being located on the first side of the cell overlap region. The device also includes an integral shank extending generally perpendicular from the insertion member extension and being spaced from each of the first and second insertion ends, the shank extending through the cell overlap region by extending through both of the aligned one open slot of the first unitary web of cells and the one open slot of the second unitary web of cells. The device further includes an integral handle member extending generally perpendicular from the shank at an end of the shank remote from the insertion member, the handle member having first and second handle ends and a handle member extension therebetween, the shank being spaced from each of the first and second handle ends, and the handle member being located the second side of the cell overlap region.