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Geosynthetics

Geosynthetics are natural or artificial materials used in geotechnical constructions to enhance soil performance, offering innovative and sustainable solutions. They include various types such as geotextiles, geogrids, and geomembranes, each serving specific functions like separation, drainage, and erosion control. The concept of reinforced soil, pioneered by Henri Vidal in 1963, combines soil with reinforcement materials to improve engineering properties, similar to reinforced concrete.

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3 views

Geosynthetics

Geosynthetics are natural or artificial materials used in geotechnical constructions to enhance soil performance, offering innovative and sustainable solutions. They include various types such as geotextiles, geogrids, and geomembranes, each serving specific functions like separation, drainage, and erosion control. The concept of reinforced soil, pioneered by Henri Vidal in 1963, combines soil with reinforcement materials to improve engineering properties, similar to reinforced concrete.

Uploaded by

Dilip
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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What is a

geosynthetic ?
• Natural or artificial product that is used along
with soil in geotechnical constructions.

• Natural: coir, jute, hemp, etc.

• Artificial: polymeric or metallic


Why geosynthetics
?
• Geosynthetics have entirely changed the way
geotechnical engineering is practiced.
• Innovative solutions to solve difficult problems
economically and expediently
• Enables the use of local materials – sustainable
solutions
• Unskilled labour can be employed
• Installation does not require heavy machinery
REINFORCED
SOIL
• Soil + reinforcement = reinforced soil
• Reinforcement:
Ancient: Tree branches, grass reeds, straw, roots of
vegetation, bamboo, tree trunks
Modern: Steel, polymeric, natural materials
• Soil is strong in compression & reinforcement is strong
in tension
• Combined product has much better engineering
properties than the individual constituents
• Reinforced soil concept is similar to that of reinforced
concrete
Henri Vidal (re)invents Reinforced
Earth in
1963

The concept of
reinforced soil was
Henri Vidal accidentally thought
French Engineer &
Architect about by Mr. Vidal while
playing with his children
on a beach
An early form of Reinforced
Earth using steel strip
reinforcement and steel
membrane facing

1963 : Patent filed for


Reinforced Earth
Graphical symbols proposed by IGS letter
Symbol symbol product
aggregate layer geotextile separator

subgrade
soil

Prevents the intermixing,


prevents piping, strength of
aggregate is preserved

Separation Function in a pavement layer


Filtration Function

Water coming out without Geotextile layer acting


fine soil particles as a filter
Surface Erosion protection

Erosion protection
layer
Drainage function of a geotextile layer

ingress of water into pavement layers


flow of water flow of water

drain drain
TYPES OF
GEOSYNTHETICS
• Geotextiles
• Geogrids
• Geonets
• Geomembranes
• Pre-fabricated vertical drains (PVD)
• Geosynthetic Clay Liner (GCL)
• Geocells (3-d confinement)
• Geocomposites & Geo-others
Geotextile
s
• Engineered sheet like products made of
natural or synthetic materials
• Woven and non-woven types
• Used for separation, drainage, filtration,
erosion control and reinforcement
Woven
fabric
– weave
pattern
is
visible
Non-woven fabric –
fibres are randomly
oriented
Two Types of Geotextiles
Rao (1995)
Some pictures of
geotextiles
woven non-woven

Natural geotextiles made of jute


A woven geotextile fabric
Geotextile layer being applied
belo
w
railway track
Geogrid
s
• Sheet like products with open apertures. Excellent
interlocking with soil. High strength products, used for
reinforcement.
• The geogrids are of several varieties. The extruded
grids have low strength (e.g. Netlon India products).
Stretched grids (e.g. Tensar products) are made by
stretching process. More recently several types are
made by knitting, welding process, etc.
• Uniaxial products used as reinforcement layers in
retaining walls and embankments
• Biaxial products used are used in road bases, below
rail tracks, ground reinforcement
Stretched uniaxial geogrid Stretched biaxial geogrid

Knitted polyester geogrids


Geogrid reinforcement in pavements
Innovative use of geogrids for shore protection at Navi Mumbai
GEONE
TS
• Geonets are also planar products
• Consists of ribs in two directions
• Apertures are of diamond shape
• Ribs in the two directions are at different planes
• Thickness of geonets is larger than that of
geogrids
• Geonets are also referred to as geospacers
TYPICAL
GEONETS
Ribs at two
horizontal planes
GEONET
APPLICATIONS
• Erosion control – ribs act as small
check dams to slow down the surface
runoff – decreases erosion potential
of water
• Drainage layers – water flows along
the geonet because of large thickness
Laying of boulder net

Vegetation growth after two


seasons
Courtesy: M/s Garware Wall Ropes Ltd., Pune
GEOMEMBRA
NES
• Thick impervious plastic sheets
• Thickness .5 mm to 3 mm approximately
• To contain liquids and gases

Rough surface texture Smooth – double sided membrane


APPLICATIONS
OF
GEOMEMBRA
• Landfill lining
NES
• Canal lining
• Tunnel lining
Geomembrane in a
landfill
Canal lining using
geomembranes
Concrete lining of surface
geomembrane Anchor trench
Tunnel lining for
moisture
protection
Pre-fabricated vertical drains
to accelerate the pre-consolidation
of soft clay soils

 c t v T  f (U%)
T v 2
v

d Tv = time factor
t = time
2 cv = coefficient of

t
T vd consolidation
d = drainage path length

c v
U% = degree of
consolidation
Reducing the flow path length
to accelerate rate of
consolidation
surcharge fill

Highly
per meabl
e
drainage
medium
PVDs for pre-consolidation

Corrugated
plastic core for
drainage
L
t

Geotextile filter
Pore water flows laterally
to the wick drains and
Connection
is carried through the arrangements for wick
core drain installation
Installation of PVDs at a construction site – notice
the connection of PVD with the anchor plate
PVD being pushed into the
ground
General view after installation of PVD’ s at a
site
Geosynthetic Clay
Liners
• Consist of a core of bentonite clay
sandwiched between layers of thick non-
woven geotextile
• Applied below and above geomembrane
layers in landfills
• Self-repair mechanism
• Bentonite expands when fluid leaks
through punctured geomembrane –
closes the gap
Geosynthetic Clay Liner
Geotextile layers

dry bentonite
powder
GEOCELL – 3d
confinement
produc
t

Iso-metric view of
Plan view showing the a geocell layer
mechanism of
confinement
Photograph of an expanded
geocell
Advantag
•
es
Easy to transport
• Any fill material can be used
• All round confinement to soil
• Semi-rigid layer (very stiff support)
• Spreads loads over a large area
• Excellent support even under cyclic loads.
APPLICATIONS
• Erosion control
• Steep slopes and retaining walls
• Sub-base support
• Road bases
• Railway tracks
• Container yards
Use of geocells for construction of unpaved road Factory

Stapling to join Stretching of the geocell layer


Preparation of ground
different geocells

Stone aggregate filled in geocell pockets Compaction by a 10 tonne roller


Geocells used for
construction of a
steep slope
Vegetation taking root through geocell
pockets
Typical mud wave formation in container yards due to
heavy loads and extremely soft subgrade soil
Geocell layer laid on the geotextile separator and filled
with stone aggregate
Container yard 3 years after geocell
treatmen
t
Some more pictures of the same
yard

Perfectly level surface – minor damage in paver


blocks
Polymeric erosion control
mats
Geocomposit
• Combinationes
of two different types of
geosynthetics to take advantage of each
Geo-
• Geodrains others
• Lightweight fills
• Geopipes
• Geotextile bags & soil encapsulation
• Gabions
• Geosynthetic Encased Stone Columns
• Many others – left to your imagination
Drainage boards for use in Retaining Walls
Light-weight fill cum drainage
medium

Thick medium made of polystyrene


beads
Gabions filled with
stones
Gabions filled with sand
bags

SAND FILLED GEOBAGS PLACEMENT OF GEOBAGS

TYING OF ROPE GABIONS FINALVIEW

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