Innovations in Biplanar Geonet Structure

to Increase the Allowable Flow Rate and

the Compressive Strength

NY FEDERATION CONFERENCE
MAY 2010

Mengjia Li, Ph.D., P.E.

GSE Lining Technology, LLC

gseworld.com
 Geosynthetic Planar Drainage Materials

1. Biplanar Geonet 1 2

2. Triplanar Geonet
3. Cuspated or
3 4
Dimpled Core
4. Drain Liner
5. Sheet Drains
5 6
6. Wick Drains
Innovations in Biplanar Geonet Structure

• High-Strength PermaNet biplanar series

• Optimized Strand Cross-section Shape

• High-Flow TRx biplanar series

• Optimized Strand Orientation

 Important Design Elements

• Transmissivity or Transmissivity test

flow rate
• Interface shear
strength
• Filtration properties
of geotextile
Direct shear test
• Cost
 Important Design Elements

• Transmissivity or Transmissivity test

flow rate
• Interface shear
strength
• Filtration properties
of geotextile
Direct shear test
• Cost
 Hydraulic Performance

Factors affecting the hydraulic performance of

geocomposites :
• Stress and Stress Duration
• Boundary Conditions
• Temperature
• Compression Strength & Creep Resistance
 Hydraulic Performance

Factors affecting the hydraulic performance of

geocomposites :
• Stress and Stress Duration
• Boundary Conditions
• Temperature
• Compressive Strength & Creep Resistance

Why high compressive strength

is important?
 Thickness vs. Hydraulic Performance

Transmissivity reduction ratio is a cubic function of the

thickness reduction ratio (Giroud et al., 2000)

3
 2  1  ( t 2 / t 1) 
 1  
1  n1 

Examples: typical geonet original porosity n1 = 0.7

Original Retained Thickness Transmissivity

Thickness t1 Thickness t2 Reduction% Reduction%
320 mil 280 mil ↓12.5% ↓44%
340 mil 230 mil ↓32.3% ↓84%
 Allowable Transmissivity

According to GRI GC8:

 100  allow
 allow  FS   2to 3
RFcr xRFcc xRFbc  req

where:
θallow = allowable transmissivity
θ100 = 100-hour transmissivity data – ASTM D4716
RFcr = reduction factor for creep
RFcc = reduction factor for chemical clogging
RFbc = reduction factor for biological clogging
FS = Overall Factor of Safety
θreq = required transmissivity (from design calculations for the site)
 100 and RFcr

These two properties are specific to each product

and differentiate various products as well as their
suitability for a particular application
 Geonet Strand Junction

Strand
Junction
 Geonet Strand Junction

Strand
Junction

- Effective Stress-bearing Area:

AJ = (1 - porosity)2 = 3%-10% of total area
 Geonet Strand Junction

Strand
Junction

- Effective Stress-bearing Area:

AJ = (1 - porosity)2 = 3%-10% of total area
HDPE Resin Compressive Strength:
Presin = ~4,500 psi @10% Strain
 Geonet Strand Junction

Strand
Junction

- Effective Stress-bearing Area:

AJ = (1 - porosity)2 = 3%-10% of total area
HDPE Resin Compressive Strength:
Presin = ~4,500 psi @10% Strain
HDPE Geonet Compressive Strength:
Pgeonet = Presin x AJ = 135 ~ 450 psi @10% Strain
 Compression Strength of Geonets

400

350

300

250 300 mil

Stress (psi)

200
250 mil
150
200 mil
100

50

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Strain (%)
 Compression Strength of Geonets

400

350

300

250 300 mil

Stress (psi)

200
250 mil
150
200 mil
100

50

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Strain (%)
 Compression Strength of Geonets

400

350

300
roll-over
250 failure 300 mil
Stress (psi)

200
250 mil
150
200 mil
100

50

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Strain (%)
Geonet Strand Inclination

Strand
Inclination
(roll-over under stresses)
X-section BB
 On Strand Inclination

• An alternative to measuring and controlling

strand inclination: eliminate it

• Round-shape biplanar are the only product in the

market with zero strand inclination

• This results in significantly better compression

strength, creep and transmissivity
 GSE HyperNet
GSE HyperNet – conventional
– conventional biplanar
oblong-strand biplanar

GSE PermaNet
GSE – round-strand
PermaNet – round-strandbiplanar
biplanar
 Short-term Compression Strength

400
Round-Strand
350

300
Compressive Stress (psi)

250

200

150

100 PermaNet PermaNet

Conventional HyperNet UF HyperNet HF

50
Strand HyperNet

0
0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12 0.14 0.16 0.18
Compression (inches)
 Creep Behaviors of Conventional Geonets

Short-term Compression Strength = 30,000 psf

100

90
Thickness Retained (%)

80

1,000psf 5,000psf
7,500 psf 10,000psf
70
15,000psf 15,000 psf
22,500 psf

60 Reference Temperature:20oC

50
0.001 0.01 0.1 1 10 100 1000 10000 100000
Time (hour)

Creep failure can occur for stresses > 50% of short-term strength
 Creep Response of Round-Strand

GSE Lining Technology, Inc.

Short-term Compression Strength
Compression Creep Test Results > 45,000 psf
100

90 15,000 PSF
25,000 PSF
80
PERCENT RETAINED THICKNESS

70

60

50

40

30

20
o
Reference Temperature:20 C
10
10,000 HR CONVENTIONAL CREEP

0
0.001 0.01 0.1 1 10 100 1000 10000 100000
LOG TIME (HR)
 Creep Factors of GSE Geonets

• RFcr = reduction factor for creep


3

 tco    • tCO = thickness at 100 hours
RFCR  
t   
• tCR = projected thickness at 30 years
 CR   •  = mass per unit area of net alone
•  = polymer density of net alone

Creep Reduction Factor

Normal Load
Conventional Round-Strand
5,000 psf 1.20 1.05
10,000 psf 1.30 1.12
15,000 psf 1.60 1.13
20,000 psf Not recommended 1.19
25,000 psf Not recommended 1.22
Geonet Strand Orientation

Strand
Orientation
Conventional Biplanar Geonet

Machine Direction
1.0E-02

(MD)

1.0E-03
Conventional Biplanar Geonet

Machine Direction
1.0E-02

(MD)

1.0E-03

Cross Direction
(XD)
 Typical Installation Direction

On steep slopes (>10%)

Deployed with MD parallel to

maximum downward gradient
(MDG)

On flat slopes (1-10%)

Deployed with MD convenient to

installation
Typical Landfill Cell (Plan View)
 Typical Landfill Cell 2-D Slope

S1

S1
S

Coll
ecti
on P
ipe
S2

S1
ω
S1

Sump
 Typical Landfill Cell 2-D Slope

S1

S1
S

Coll
ecti
on P
ipe
S2

S1
ω
S1

Sump

S1 S2 S ω
2% 1% 2.24% 26.6o
2% 2% 2.83% 45.0o
1% 2% 2.83% 63.4o
 Typical Landfill Cell 2-D Slope

S1

S1
S

Coll
ecti
on P
ipe
S2

S1
ω
S1

Sump

So, MDG (S) is in a diagonal direction

But the flow through a geonet is anisotropic….
 Other Biplanar Geonet Axes

MD
1. 0E- 02
Angle to
Test Flow Machine
UR LR
Symbol
Direction Direction
(Clockwise)
Machine
MD 0o
CLR CUR
Direction
Lower Rib
LR 30o
Direction
XD 1. 0E- 03 XD
Cross
Upper Rib CUR 60o
Direction
Cross
CUR CLR Machine XD 90o
Direction
Cross
LR UR
Lower Rib CLR 120o
MD
Direction
Upper Rib
UR 150o
Direction
 Lower Normal Stress

MD
1.0E-01
UR LR

1.0E-02

XLR 1.0E-03 XUR

1.0E-04
Transmissivity (m2 /sec)
XD 1.0E-05 XD @ Gradient = 0.02
Stress = 48 kPa
Seat Time = 15 min.

XUR XLR
Compliant Upper Boundary,
Rigid Lower Boundary
Two Rigid Boundaries
LR UR

MD
 Higher Normal Stresses

MD
1.0E-01
UR LR

1.0E-02

XLR 1.0E-03 XUR

1.0E-04
Transmissivity (m 2 /sec)
@ Gradient = 0.02
XD 1.0E-05 XD
Stress = 718 kPa
Seat Time = 15 min.

XUR XLR

Compliant Upper Boundary,

Rigid Lower Boundary
Two Rigid Boundaries
LR UR

MD
250% x MD Flow

MGD

10% x MD Flow
 250% x MD Flow

MGD
250% x MD Flow
 Conclusion from the study

Flow Direction and Strand Orientation of geonets

are important during:

• Design
• Specification
• Lab Testing (MQC/CQA)
• Installation
 GSE TRx - Straight-Strand Biplanar

HyperNet TRx Geonet FabriNet TRx Geocomposite

• Biplanar product with high flow capacity in machine direction

• One set of straight strand and one set of diagonal strand
MD Transmissivity Performance
 GSE PermaNet TRx

• One set of straight

strand and one set of
diagonal strand

• Straight strand also has

a round X- section with
Ma best compression and
chi
ne
D ir
ect creep resistance
io n
(MD
)
 GSE PermaNet TRx Creep Resistance

Creep Curves for GSE PermaNet TRx geonet at 1,000 psf and 15,000 psf.
 Summary

• Round shape X-section eliminates the strand

inclination and results in high compressive and
creep strength

• Optimized strand orientation matches slope

MDG and results in high allowable flow rate

• Biplanar products w/ various combinations of

strand X-section shapes and strand orientations
are available