New Technology Initiatives in Rural Roads and Use of

Marginal Materials
Use of Geosynthetics in Low Volume Roads

National Rural Infrastructure National Institute of

Development Agency Technology

Ministry of Rural Development Warangal, Hyderabad

 Lecture 8

Use of Geosynthetics in Low

Volume Roads
 Presentation Outline
• History of Geosynthetic and Preamble
• Different Type of Geosynthetics
• Main Functions of Geosynthetics
• Major Applications of Geosynthetics
• Major Benefits of Geosynthetics
• IRC Guideline on Geosynthetics
• Discussions!!
 History of Geosynthetics
• First use, South Carolina Highway Department in 1926
• First geotextile in a dam, in 1970-Nonwoven geotextile
• Geofoam applied as a lightweight fill-Norway -1972
• First conference on geosynthetics was held in Paris in 1977
• Reduces the construction time, save consumption of energy
• IRC:SP:59-2019, addressed the following applications
• Stabilization and reinforcing of pavement layers
• Separation and filtration and Subsurface and surface
drainage
• Under-utilized on LVRs, it takes good people to do good work!
 Preamble- Purpose of Pavement
• To support eh traffic laods and provide riding comfort
• Rutting and fatigue cracking failure on roads
 What is a Geosynthetic Material!

• Planar product manufactured from polymeric material

used with soil, rock, earth or any other geotechnical
engineering related materials as an integral part of a
man made project, structure or system.

ASTM D4439
• GS is a generic term for all synthetic material used in
pavements/ Geotechnical applications.
Classification Geosynthetics
 Contd…..

Woven geotextile nonwoven geotextile

stitchedgeotextile

Knitted geotextile
Geomemebra
nes
 Geogrids
• Formed by a regular networkof tensile elements and
apertures typically used for reinforcement purposes
(a)Extruded Geogrids (i) uniaxial, (ii) biaxial and triaxial;

Bondedand woven geogrids

Typical geonets.
 Geocells
• Less work has been done on mechanisms of 3D geocells
• Geocells are apparently much more expensive than geogrids
• Major area of implementation of geocells is in soil stabilization
• Geocells have seen very successful application in subgrade and sub-
base stabilization in temporary roads, such as haul roads, in areas with
very low-bearing capacity soils such as swampy and sandy areas, and
also in railroad ballast stabilization.
Coir Based Products

India annual production of 12,597 million

tons. Production of coir fiber is 3,69,400
million tons and Utilization of husk is 36%
only.
Ranking of Geotextile Based on Performance
Types of Functions
# Rank
Combination
Geotextile Reinforcement Separation

Geogrid with Appropriatein inAppropriateas Goodwithgravel

1 Non-Woven
reinforcement, separation sub-baselayerII andIII
1 Coir mat

Coir Appropriate Appropriate Suitable withmorrumandgravel

2 2
Composite reinforcement Separation sub-baselayerII andIII

Wovencoir inAppropriate InAppropriate Suitable forseparation/partial

3 3
mat Reinforcement Separation reinforcementsub-baselayerIII

NonWoven inAppropriate Appropriate Suitable forseparationin all the

4 4
Coir mat Reinforcement Separation, combination

12
 Main Functions of Geosynthetics
• Separation

• Reinforcement

• Drainage

• Filtration

• Erosion Control

• Containment/ Moisture
Barriers/Protection
 Geosynthetics in Road Construction

Weak sub-soil ?

Without
Reinforcement

With Reinforcement
 Contd..

Roles of the geosynthetic reinforcement: (a) causing change of failure mode (b) redistribution of
the applied surface load (confinement effect); (c)providing vertical support (membrane effect)
(Bourdeau et al. (1982) and Espinoza(1994)); (d) providing passive resistance through
interlocking of the soil particles (interlocking effect).
 Separation
Salient Points:
• Geotextile’s primary function
• Geotextile modulus is not significant for separation
• Need separation when subgrade CBR < 4%
• Geogrids provide minor separation benefit
• Separation saved 25% on aggregate surfaced road

Asphalt Concrete Course

Granular Base Course geosynthetic separator

Subgrade aggregate-subgrade
effectively separated
Separation: Compaction Problem!
Biaxial
Geogrid

weak soil Proper Compaction| Possible!

It Prevent fine grained soil from

lowering the strength of the load
bearing aggregate base course layer.
 Reinforcement
Synergistic improvement of a total system’s strength created by
introducing a geosynthetic (good in tension) into a soil (good in
compression).
• Reinforcement Mechanisms Membrane tension
• Tensioned membrane effect
• Lateral restraint
• Increased bearing capacity

Vertical Membrane support

Lateral shear flow

Reinforced shear surface
 Reinforcement
Civil Engineering/Pavement Engineering/ Automobile Engineering Issue!!
 Solution Could be….
More effective load
distribution
enables heavier loading

Biaxial Geogrid

Provides high strength at

low strain resulting in
reduced aggregate
weak soil thickness and low
vertical deformations.
Construction without Geogrid Reinforcement

Weak soil
Weak soil
Weak soil
Reducing the Pressure on Sub-soil

Tensar geogrid
Granular soil
Tensar geogrid

45° Tensar geogrid 45°

Construction WithGeogrid
Reinforcement

Granular base
Sub-base

geogrids

Weak soil
How Are Reinforcement Benefits Provided

Lateral Restraint or
Shear-Resisting Interface

Reduced v, v
Base course
Geosynthetic Increased h

Reduced v, v
Geosynthetic (+)
Tensile Strain Reduced 

Subgrade
(-)
 Contd..
• Base Reinforcement
• Benefit shown for subgrades up to CBR 8%
• Geogrid primary function: reinforcement
• Geogrid reinforcement is a function of lateral confinement
• “Stiff” geogrids tend to provide better base reinforcement
• Geotextiles/geogrids allow aggregate thickness reductions
• Construction Expedient
• Geogrids serve as a compaction aid
• Place aggregate full depth prior to spreading
• “Stiff” geogrids can serve as walking platforms
• Effective solution for temporary construction
During Construction Time…

Quick and easy access to the site !

Drainag and Filtration

T T
i i
r r
Subgrade
Subgrade
e
 HMA
Base

Subgrade

Contaminated/Pumping
 Properties and Test Methods For Geosynthetic
• GS shall be Tested and Certified in the following manner:
• The manufacturer shall have ISO certification and quality control.
• Shall provide manufacturer’s test certificate for every lot supplied
• Shall provide third party test reports from an independent lab.
• GS shall be tested in accordance relevant BIS, ISO, ASTM.
• ‘Typical Value’ and ‘Minimum Average Roll Value’!!
• The “typical "refers to the avg or mean value and is valid for any
GSM
and 50 per cent can be expected to fall below this value.
• MARV is 97.7% as per IS 16362
 Geotextile and Test Methods
• Physical properties
• Specific gravity
• Mass per unit area
• Thickness
• Mechanical properties
• Tensile strength
• Puncture strength
• Sewn seam strength
• Hydraulic properties
• Apparent opening size (AOS)
• Geotextile permittivity
Geotextile Properties and Test Methods
 Physical Properties
• Sp. Gr is the ratio of material’s unit volume weight(without any voids)
to that of distilled, de-aired water at 27°C.
• Polypropylene : 0.91
• Polyester : 1.22 to 1.38
• Nylon : 1.05 to 1.14
• Polyethylene : 0.90 to 0.96
• Polyvinyl chloride : 1.69
• Mass per unit area governs the fabric cost and normally mechanical
properties are directly related to it. Length and width should be measured
under zero tension induced in geotextile.
• The range of typical values for most geotextiles is100 to1000 gm/m2.

• The thickness of geotextiles ranges from 0.25 to 7.5 mm

 Mechanical Properties
• For tensile properties use a wide-width Strip method. The geotextiles
when tensioned tend to have a severe necking effect under increasing
stress and they rope up, giving artificially high values.

• Grab strength test will also conducted for the determination of tensile
properties of geotextiles- ISO 13934 or IS 16342 orASTM D4632.

• Puncture strength: Assessment of geotextile resistance to objects, such as,

rocks or pieces of wood. ISO 12236, IS:13162 (Part 4) andASTM D6241.

• Sewn seam strength: Seam strength is typically evaluated in the laboratory

using ISO10321 “Geosynthetics- Tensile test for joints/seams by wide-width
strip method” or IS 15060or ASTM D4884,
Geosynthetic Applicability Assessment For Aggregate-Surfaced Pavements

Case01: Subgrade CBR <= 0.5, adopt mechanical subgrade stabilization

Ω Nonwoven geotextile is recommended for separation
ΩBiaxial geogrid is recommended for aggregate reinforcement
ΩAggregate fill should be used and no reduction in aggregate thickness.
Ω Nonwoven geotextile is placed directly on the subgrade-geogrid- aggregate fill
Case 02: Subgrade 0.5 < CBR 2.0.
ΩStabilization and base reinforcement applications are mobilized.
ΩAnonwoven is recommended for separation at subgrade strengths <2.0 CBR
ΩAggregate thickness can be reduced- Use bearing capacity factor
Case 03: Subgrade 2.0 < CBR 4.0
Ω Nonwoven geotextile- Separation for fine-grained subgrades with CBR <=4. Ω
CBR b/w 2.0 and 4.0, the primary geogrid application is base reinforcement. Ω
Bearing capacity factor for the inclusion of both a geotextile and a geogrid.
Case 04: Subgrade CBR > 4.0.
ΩReinforcement potential at these subgrade strength. geogrid reinforcement is
ΩCost-prohibitive for projects in which the design subgrade CBR strength is > 4.0
 GuidelinesforUseof Geosyntheticsin RoadWork
• The material properties are only one factor in a successful
installation using geosynthetics.
• Proper construction and installation techniques are essential in
order to
ensure that the intended function of geosynthetics is fulfilled.
• Though, the installation techniques appear fairly simple, most
geosynthetic problems in roadways occur as a result of improper
construction techniques.
• If the geosynthetic not handled properly during construction
activities, it will not perform as desired. If the geosynthetic is
placed with lot of wrinkles or folds, it will not be in tension and,
therefore, cannot provide a reinforcing effect.
• Step-by-step procedure should be followed in different construction
activities with geosynthetics.
 General Road Construction

Traffic

Full-Depth Aggregate Placement Spread Aggregate To Shoulders

Reinforced Section

Strength Determination By DCP Unreinforced Section

 Construction Guidelines for Subsurface Drainage
Step1: Trench excavation shall be done as per designs/ requirements.
Step2: Geosynthetic material shall be placed loosely with no wrinkles or folds. Sheets of
geosynthetics shall be overlapped a minimum of 300 mm with the upstream sheet
overlapping the downstream sheet.
(a)Trenches = or >to 300 mm in width, after placing the design filter material, the GS
Step3:
shall be folded over the top of the backfill material in a manner to produce a min.
overlap of 300 mm.
(b)Trenches <300 mm, but>100 mm wide, the overlap shall be equal to the width of
the trench. (c) Trench <100 mm, the geosynthetic overlap shall be bonded
Step4: Placement of design filter material should proceed immediately after placement of the
GS material. The geosynthetic should be covered with a minimum of 300 mm of loosely
placed aggregate prior to compaction. If a perforated collector pipe is to be installed
in the trench, a bedding layer of drainage aggregate should be placed below the pipe,
with the remainder of the aggregate placed to the minimum required construction
depth.
The aggregate should be compacted to a minimum of 90 per cent of standard proctor
Step5: density.
 Contd….

Arrangements for trench Drains Sequence of Works for Drains

 Guidelines for Separation/Filtration/Subgrade/Base/Subbase
Reinforcement Function
Clear any unsuitable materials. If moderate site conditions exist,
. Step1:
i.e., CBR >1, lightweight profiling operations should be
considered to locate unsuitable materials. Isolated pockets where
additional excavation is required should be backfilled.
Step2: Care should be taken not to excessively disturb the subgrade.
This may require the use of lightweight dozers or graders for low
strength, saturated, on-cohesive &low-cohesive soils. The
subgrade preparation must correspond to the survivability
propertiesofthe geosynthetic.
Step 3: Once the subgrade is prepared the geosynthetic should be rolled in
line with the placement of the aggregate. The geosynthetic should not able
dragged across the subgrade. The entire roll should be placed and rolled out as
smoothly as possible.
Step 4: Adjacent rolls of geosynthetic should be overlapped. Folds in the
geosynthetic should be stapled or pinned approximately 0.6 m c/c.
Step5: If excessive defects are observed, the section of the geosynthetic material
containing the defect should be repaired by placing a new layer of
geosynthetic over the damaged area in case of geotextiles and
geomembrane for separation, drainage and capillary barrier applications.
Step6: In case of geogrids and geocells for reinforcement and stabilization function,
if the material is damaged, placing a new layer over damaged portion won't
provide membrane effect and intended function may not fulfil. In those
cases replacing with a new material for entire design role length of
geosynthetic material in transverse directions advisable.
Step7: The first lift of aggregate should be spread and graded to 300 mm, or to design
thickness if less than 300 mm prior to compaction. At no time should traffic be
allowed on a soft roadway with less than 200 mm of aggregate over the
Step8: geosynthetic.
over Any ruts that form during construction should be filled to maintain adequate
cover the geosynthetic. Base aggregates should be placed in lifts not exceeding
250 mm in loose thickness and compacted to the specified density.

1 Prepare the Ground 2 Unroll the Geotextile 3 Back Dump Aggregate 4 Spread the Aggregate
5 Compaction the Aggregate
 Overlap of Geosynthetics

• If the subgrade does not rut under construction activities, only

minimum overlap is required to provide some pull-out resistance.
As the potential for rutting and squeezing of soil increases, the
required overlap increases. Since rutting potential can be related
to CBR, it can be used as a guideline for the minimum overlap
required.
 Road Construction Over Soft grounds
Geotextile Placement
VerySoft Soil
Geogrid Walkways

Compaction and Traffic

Aggregate Placement Alternate Lightweight Fills
- Wood Chips (Temp. Roads Only)
- Sand
Subgrade Separation and Reinforcement
Erosion Control Netting and Turffing
Geocell Confinement in Low Water Crossings
Geo Protection-Fencing
Sealed Crack
Fatigue Cracking and Rutting
Remove Rutted/Fatigue Section and Repair Subgrade/Base
Patch Repaired Section
Band-Aid Interlayer for PCC or Reflective Cracking
Seat Interlayer Material with Modern Equipment
Apply Tack Coat at 0.26 gallons/yd2
Problems: Clean Nozzles, Adjust Spray Height, Ensure Spray Overlap,
Adjust Spray Bar Height, Watch Out for Mischievous Onlookers
Use Automated Equipment to Place Fabric If Possible
Place Fabric ImmediatelyAfter Tack Coat Application
Ensure Proper Tensioning of Fabric to Prevent Wrinkles
Place Fabric Along Edges First, Then Place Center Fabric with 6 in. Overlap.
Seat Fabric With Pneumatic Roller to Ensure Intimate Contact With Surface
Fabric in Curves Must be Placed By Hand and Broomed Into Place
Fabric Edge Should Be Folded Back 6 in. to Start a New Roll
Transverse Joints Can Be Tacked In Place
Pave Surface
Finished Product
Place Aggregate In Center of Traffic Lane and Spread Towards Shoulders
Place Geotextile Separator Directly On The Subgrade
Aggregate Placed In Center and Spread To Shoulders Over Geosynthetics
Rutted Section of Unreinforced Road
Subgrade
Geotextile Placement
Aggregate Placement – Avoid Thin Lifts (Probably Too Thin Here)
Spread Aggregate From Center to Shoulders
Rear Dumped Aggregate
Spreading Aggregate With AGrader –Avoid Graders During Initial Lift
-Use Front-Bladed Equipment to Prevent Rutting and Damage to Fabric
Establish Final Grade With A Grader – Ready For Compaction
Works at NITW
In-Situ Evaluation-APT
Contd..
 Summary
• Assessment of the suitability of a project and
selection of appropriate geosynthetic type are
most important.
• Geosynthetics offer a wide range of solutions LVRs.
• GS can facilitate construction and be very cost-
effective.
• Many simplifying soil correlations and basic
GS can appropriately be used
• GS are generally under-utilized on LVR projects.