Chapter 4: Geo-Synthetics

GCLS
Geo-Synthetics
 Introduction
• Geo-synthetics products are made from polymeric material. Geo
means the Earth which represents the soil where the synthetics
represent the polymeric material or synthetic materials.
• The synthetic material which is used to increase the stability of
soil is known as geo-synthetics.
• Geo-synthetics are synthetic products, where at least one of the
components is made from a synthetic or natural polymer, in the
form of a sheet, a strip or a three dimensional structure, non-
woven, knitted, or woven which is used in contact with soil/rock
and/or other materials in geotechnical and civil engineering
applications .
• These include:
• Planar structures (geo-membranes, geotextiles, geo-synthetic
barriers, geo-nets, geo-grids, geo-strips, geo-spacers and geo-mats,
etc.) and
• Three-dimensional structures (geo-cells, geofoams, gabions and
concrete filled mattresses).
 Cont’d

Geo-cell Geo-net

Geo-textiles

Nonwoven woven
Geo-grid
 Polymers used in Geo-synthetics

Chemically linked large molecules of carbon atoms with hydrogen or other

atoms attached
 Polypropylene
 Polyethylene
 Polyester
 Polyamide
 Polystyrene
 Poly Vinyl Chloride
PP/Polyester /PE Geosynthetics – Most widely used across the Globe
(more than 95 percent)
Geosynthetic Division
 Cont’d

• Geo-synthetic materials are used in Soil related projects of

construction such as in Road, railway, Dam, hydraulics, retaining
wall, canal, marine structure, foundation, embankment, etc.

• Geo-synthetics material is the most suitable material for inside

ground usage due to its synthetics nature and high durability of
that material.

• The main objective of geo-synthetics material is to increase the

stability or strength of soil and to reduce cost of construction.
 Soil Reinforcement

• The soil reinforcement function ensures improved response

of the soil to loading It increases normal loading and reduces
disturbing shear forces.

• As a result, steep slopes can be constructed or an

embankment of increased height be built on soft soil, which
otherwise would not have been possible.
 Separation

• Geo-synthetics are useful to separate dissimilar soils. A

separator helps prevent intermixing of poor in situ soil with
good quality granular materials when the structure is
subjected to surface loading.

• It acts as a barrier to the migration of particles between two

dissimilar soils, a requirement in many applications such as
pavements, graded filters, clay covers, and liners in landfills,
etc.
Cont’d
 Filtration

• Geo-synthetics such as geotextiles allow the movement of a liquid

across the plane of geotextile while retaining the soil on the
upstream side.

• To achieve this, the material should meet conditions of both

adequate permeability, requiring an open fabric structure, and soil
retention requiring a small opening size.

• The long-term soil to geotextile flow compatibility is also

important in that the filter must not clog excessively during its
lifetime.
 Drainage

• The drainage function of geotextiles enables flow in the plane

of geotextile. Apart from geotextiles that transmit the
fluids, nowadays, their specific products such as geo-nets and
drainage composite meet drainage requirements.
 Barrier

• The barrier function using geo-membranes and geotextiles

coated with bitumen is useful in many applications
for minimizing fluid and vapor flow. It is useful in
many applications such as canal linings, liquid impoundments,
dams, municipal waste landfills, etc.
 Types of Geo-synthetics
• The classification of geo-synthetics based on materials are listed
below.
a) Geotextile
b) Geogrid
c) Geomembrane
d) Geocell
e) Geosynthetics Clay liners
f) Geopipe
g) Geofoam
h) Geocomposite
 Geotextile
 Geotextiles are the synthetics products that consist of thin & strong
membrane fabric.
 Geotextiles are made from synthetic fibers such as cotton, wool, or
silk, etc.
 Geotextiles are made of flexible, porous fabric by standard weaving
machinery or matted together in a random, or nonwoven manner.
 Geotextiles are used in soil for separation, reinforcement, filtration,
and drainage purposes.
 Mostly geotextiles are used in soil for drainage function. And it is
mostly used in road construction to make it more strong and
durable.
Cont’d
 Geogrid
 Geogrids are polymeric materials that have a net or grid-like
configuration. Due to its grid-like configuration, geogrid has a
large opening which is known as apertures.
 Geogrids are used for reinforcement purposes in soil, and it is
commonly used in subbase of roads pavements.
 Geogrids are made of a polymeric material such as polyester,
polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene or propylene.
 Geogrid materials are strong in tension and it transfers or
distributes the load on large areas of soil surface which
increases the stability of the soil.
Cont’d
 Geomembrane

 Geomembranes are the impervious thin sheets of

plastic material that are used to cover liquid or solid
storage.
 Geomembranes are the most used geosynthetics
material. And the main function of a geomembrane is
to act like a liquid or vapor barrier.
 Applications of Geomembrane
 Geomembrane was used to control expansive soil.
 Geomembrane was used to control frost susceptible soils.
 It was used to prevent the infiltration of water in sensitive
areas.
 It was used to form barriers as dams.
 It was used to contain seepage losses as a temporary
cofferdam.
 Geomembrane is used as a liner for radioactive or hazardous
waste liquid.
 Geomembrane is used as a liner for solar ponds, etc.
Cont’d
 Geocell

 Geocells are the three-dimensional honeycomb cellular

structured synthetic material that is filled with compacted
soil to form a confined system.
 Geocells are used for erosion control, soil stabilization,
stability of steep slopes, and for earth retention, etc.
 In research of geocell, it is found that geocell confined gravel
bases are equivalent to the twice thickness of unreinforced
gravel bases. And geocells are much better than geotextiles
or geogrids.
 Application of Geocells

• Geocells are used as a reinforcement material in the

roadway.

• Geocells are used for steep soil slope and channel

protection.

• Geocells are used for earth retention purposes.

• Geocells are used for protection of landfills.

Cont’d
 Geosynthetics Clay liner

• Geosynthetic clay liner consists of a liquid barrier material

such as bentonite or other very low permeability material
that is sandwiched between two geotextiles or bonded to a
geomembrane with the help of needle punching or
adhesives materials.

• It was the newest subset of geosynthetics materials. And it

was used as a water barrier.
Cont’d
 Geofoam

• Geofoams are lightweight large blocks that are made by

processing polystyrene into a foam.

• This was a lightweight and thermally insulating mass that is

buried in the soil to achieve various engineering functions.

• Geofoams are used for lightweight fills, green roof fills,

compressible inclusion, thermal insulation, drainage, etc.
Cont’d
 Geopipes

• Geopipes are the type of geosynthetics material that is

made from perforated or solid polymeric pipes and used for
the drainage purpose of liquid or gas.
Cont’d
 Geocomposites

• Geocomposites are the composite material of geotextile,

geogrid, geomembrane; which consist combination of
geogrid and geotextile or geotextile and geomembrane, or
geogrids, geomembrane and geotextiles or any of these
three geosynthetics material.

• Also any one of these three materials can be combined with

another synthetic material such as soil.

• Mostly geocomposites are used in soil for separation,

reinforcement, filtration, drainage, or barrier function.
Cont’d
 Properties of Geosynthetics

Physical Properties
 Specific gravity
 Unit mass
 Thickness
 Stiffness
Mechanical Properties
 Compressibility
 Tensile strength
 Cont’d

Survivability Properties
 Tearing strength
 Static puncture strength
 Impact strength
 Bursting strength
 Fatigue strength
 Major problems associated with weak deposits

• Low bearing capacity

• Higher settlement ( both total and differential )

• High seepage losses

• Liquefaction during earthquake

• Instability of foundation excavations

• Higher earth pressures on retaining structures

 Benefits of Geosynthetics in roads
Advantages of geosynthetics use in roads are as follows:
• Improved performance
• Significant saving in cost
• Very good serviceability in both short and long term
• Possible to construct roads in difficult locations such as Marshy
land, soft/organic deposits, expansive soil.
• Geotextile acts as a filter, prevents fines from migrating into
aggregates
• Excess pore pressure dissipates through geotextile
• Subgrade soil gains strength through consolidation
 Areas of application in brief
• In Roads and Pavements:
– Subgrade separation and Stabilization,
– Base Reinforcement,
– Overlay Stress Absorption and Reinforcement.
• In Subsurface Drainage:
– Sub-grade dewatering,
– Road base drainage,
– Structure drainage.
• In Erosion and Sediment Control
– Hard Armor Systems, Silt Fence.
• In Reinforced Soil Systems:
– Embankments over soft foundations,
– Reinforced Steepened slopes,
 Cont’d

- Reinforced soil walls.

• In Seepage control systems
- Structure water proofing,
- Environmental Protection.
• In Support Systems:
- Prefabricated Systems and On-site Fabrication
 Advantages of Geo-synthetics
• Cheaper in product cost, transport and installation.
• Can be designed (predictability)
• Can be installed quickly with flexibility to construct during short period
• Consistent over a wide range of soils
• Space Savings
• Material Quality Control - More homogeneous than soil and aggregates.
• Better Construction Quality Control at site
• Easy Material Deployment
• Less Environmentally Sensitive
• Improved performance and extended life
• Increased safety factor
• Compatible with field conditions
• Increased service life of flexible pavement section by a factor of 2.5 to 3.0 for
weak subgrades (CBR 2%) and by 2.0 to 3.3 for moderate subgrades (CBR 4.2 to
4.5%)
• Increase in allowable load bearing capacity by 40 to 50% for subgrade CBR>3
and well over 50% for subgrade CBR<3
• Increase in Traffic Benefit Ratio (TBR) from 1.5 to 70.
 Economic Importance of Geosynthetics

• Commonly accepted as durable, long lasting and environmentally safe

solutions to geotechnical engineering projects.

• The cost of geo-synthetics applied usually between 3 to 5 percent of the

total cost of projects.

• For a number of projects, savings of 30 percent in total project costs have

been reported.

• Minimizes the regular repair and maintenance costs directly.

• Prevent accidents, increase efficiency of structures, minimize pollution

and leads to efficient use of natural resources.
 Environmental Importance of Geosynthetics
• The civil engineering structures need to have long term durability to prevent
potential ecological disasters (floods, draughts, earthquakes, global
warming) . Geosynthetics provide such long lasting solutions with minimum
cost.

• Geo-techs are difficult or impossible to degrade. However, in view of their

inert nature they can be disposed off without the danger of contamination.

• Geosynthetics assist the environment by acting as a containing barrier for

toxic materials.

• The envisaged functional lifetime of geo-synthetics is extremely long, in

many cases over 100 years.

• Geosynthetics provide sealing and capping of pollution due to chemicals

released after road and rail accidents into groundwater areas.
 Geosynthetics -National / International Regulation
• Worldwide, approx. 40 countries have legislation/regulations (GRI Report).

• In Europe, the Construction Products Directive (89/106/EEC ; M/107) has to be followed

and the use of geo-textiles is mandatory.

• In Japan, the Government Directive applies to landfill construction sites.

• In the US, many Govt agencies (federal and state) have mandated the use of geo-
synthetics in many applications. e.g. the use of silt fence fabrics for erosion and
sediment control. US Environmental Protection Agency has mandated use of geo-
synthetics in landfills (under Resource Conservation and Recovery Act). Also, in many
applications geo-textiles are specified by govt agencies as the best product.

• Similarly California State has mandated the use of asphalt overlay over existing
roadway.

• It is essential that their use is made mandatory in India in order to have increased
efficiency with potential large cost saving, safety of structures and minimum
environmental pollution including large saving of natural resources .
 Geo-synthetics Standards
• ASTM Standards

• ISO standards (ISO/TC221)

• Indian standards (BIS)

• AASHTO standards

• FHWA standards

• NORDIC guidelines

• British Standards

• International Geo-synthetic Society standards (IGS)

• Geo-synthetic Research Institute (GRI)

• Geo-synthetic Materials Association (GMA)

• US Provincial standards
 Cont’d

• Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI)

• Geo-synthetica

• International Erosion Control Association (IECA)

• European Center For Standardization (CEN)

 Aims of standards
• Interchangeability
• Variety Control
• Fitness for Purpose
• Compatibility
• Safety
• MAXIMUM OVERALL ECONOMY IN TERMS OF:
– COST
– HUMAN EFFORT
– CONSERVATION OF RESOURCES
RESULT:
– POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO RECURRING PROBLEMS
– DEFINITION OF THE QUALITY LEVEL OF PRODUCTS
European and international Geotextile
standards - functions and application
European and international Geotextile
standards
 Requirements of Geo-synthetics
• General Properties Index Properties
– Material Type & Construction Strip tensile strength (2% & 5%
strain and ultimate tensile strength)
– Polymer(s) Grab strength
– Mass Creep resistance
– Thickness Flexural strength
– Roll dimensions Cutting - Trapezoidal tear strength
– Specific Gravity Shear modulus
– Absorption Poisson’s ratio
Burst Strength
Puncture Resistance
Penetration
Flexibility (Flexural Strength)
 Requirements of Geo-synthetics
Endurance Properties Hydraulic Properties
– Abrasion Resistance Apparent Opening Size (AOS),
– UV Stability Percent Open Area, Porosity
– Biological Resistance Permeability / Permittivity
– Chemical Resistance Soil Retention Ability
– Wet/Dry Stability Clogging Resistance
– Temperature Stability In-Plane Flow Capacity
– Long term durability
Performance – Soil / Fabric Properties
– Stress - Strain
– Creep
– Friction/Adhesion
– Dynamic and Cycling Loading
– Soil Retention
– Filtration
 Parameters for Geo-synthetic Selection
• Geo-synthetic Specification should also cover:

– Material Selection

– Designing of Geo-synthetic

– Functional Requirements

– Application and Performance Requirements

– Durability Requirements

– Survivability Requirements

– Required Geo-synthetic Structural and Integrity Properties

– Storage, handling and installation requirements

 Typical Applications

Retaining wall Fluid barrier

Retaining wall with Gabion Face and Geogrid and road durability
Geogrid as reinforcement
 Cont’d

Geo-cell in erosion control

Geo-cells in stabilizing steeper slopes without steel reinforcement

 Cont’d

Geomembrane Landfill
 Cont’d

Steel gabions in bridge Abutment

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