GEOSYNTHETICS IN ROAD CONSTRUCTION

By

Rohit Chaurasia

71/08

III B.Tech Civil Engineering

INTRODUCTION Environmental factors, subgrade conditions, traffic loading,

utility cuts, road widenings, and aging affect the service life of roads and pavements .

The development of geosynthetics in the past three decades has provided the strategies for enhancing the overall performance of the paved roadways.

Geosynthetics are the most costeffective tools for safeguarding roads and pavements in these ways.

GEOSYNTHETICS

Geosynthetics is defined as “a planar product manufactured from polymeric material used with soil, rock, earth, or other geotechnical engineering related material”.

Has steadily increased in both public and private construction projects.

It is likely to increase in the future with stricter environmental regulations enforcement.

GEOSYNTHETICS

PRODUCTS OF GEOSYNTHETICSGeotextilesGeogridsGeocellsGeonetsGeomembranesGeocomposites

PROPERTIES OF GEOSYNTHETICS

Thickness Tensile strength Tear strengthApparent opening sizePuncture resistancePermittivityTransmissivityUltraviolet resistance

GEOSYNTHETICS IN PAVEMENT

The primary purpose is to reduce reflective cracking

Geosynthetics resist moisture intrusion into the underlying pavement structure, stabilize roadways and their edges.

It improve road quality, particularly when roads were built on unstable soil.

GEOSYNTHETICS IN PAVEMENT

METHODS OF INSTALLATION

Installing geosynthetic over soft subgrade soil

Geosynthetic covered by base course material

Levelling the base course material

Curing the geosynthetic pavement

Compacting the geosynthetic pavement

POST CONSTRUCTION

FUNCTIONS

SEPARATIONGeosynthetics is

sandwiched between aggregate base course and subgrade material.

It prevents mixing of the two layers, aggregate loss and pumping.

FUNCTIONSFILTRATIONGeosynthetic acts

as a filter by preventing material from washing out while allowing the water to flow through.

Allowing an increase in subgrade strength.

FUNCTIONSDRAINAGEDrainage

applications refer to situations where the water flows within the plane of the geosynthetic product .

Prevents water logging in the pavement structure.

FUNCTIONS

REINFORCEMENTIt helps in maintaining

the pavement integrity and uniformity.

It reduces the differential settlement in roadways.

ADVANTAGES

Reduces the intensity of stress on the subgrade.

Prevents the base aggregate from penetrating into the subgrade.

Prevents subgrade fines from pumping.Reduces the thickness of aggregate required to

stabilize the subgrade. Reduces the differential settlement of the

roadway.Reduces maintenance and extending the life of

the pavement.

CONCLUSIONThe future of geosynthetic material is very

bright .The use of geosynthetics significantly

reduces civil engineering construction costs and drastically extends the life of any road construction.

"Geosynthetics instead of concrete" is not only a slogan, but a fact. Geosynthetics have flexibility, making them better and more economical than any other building materials.