SEMINAR ON

GEOSYNTHETIC
S :-ITS RECENT
ADVANCEMENT
S& By
Karamjeet Chahal
What are 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 (geomembranes, geotextiles, geosynthetic barriers,
geonets, geogrids, geostrips, geospacers and geomats, etc.) and
Three-dimensional structures (geocells, geofoams, gabions and concrete
filled mattresses).

TYPES OF GEOSYNTHETICS
Geosynthetics commonly used for soil reinforcement

Geosynthetics used in environmental protection

works

GEOSYNTHETICS AREAS OF APPLICATION
In Roads and Pavements:
Subgrade separation and Stabilization,
Base Reinforcement,
Overlay Stress Absorption and Reinforcement.
In Subsurface Drainage:
Subgrade dewatering,
Road base drainage,
Structure drainage.
In Erosion and Sediment Control
Hard Armor Systems.
In Reinforced Soil Systems:
Embankments over soft foundations,
Reinforced Steepened slopes,
Reinforced soil walls.
In Seepage control systems
Structure water proofing,
Environmental Protection.

SOME LATEST APPLICATIONS
A different approach to construction on soft ground was used in Japan in 2006 where a composite
geotextile using a polyester fabric sheet combined with
a pattern of woven textile was installed and the tube lattice was
then filled with pumped mortar (Yoshidaet al. 2006). The result
was greatly reduced settlements compared to the conventional
construction onfabric over softground.

Geosynthetic-reinforced soil retaining wall(2007)

"GRS RW the standard retaining wall construction technology
for railways in Japan (Tatsuoka et al., 2007).
This new type GRS RW has been constructed in more than 600 sites in Japan,and the total wall length is
now more than 300 km as of March 2010.

FEATURES:-
1. Use of a polymer geogrid ensure better interlocking with backfill.
2. Facilitate both drainage and tensile reinforcement of the backfill
3. Use of low-quality on-site soil as the backfill .
4. The use of relatively short reinforcement.
 LANDFILL WITH GEOTEXTILE
Bottom Liner
Prevents buried waste from reaching in contact with natural soil and underground water
Covering Layer or Cap
Masks undesirable odour
Isolation from exposure to air, rainwater, pests and moisture.

Advantages of Geo-synthetics
Cheaper in poduct 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
Increase in allowable load bearing capacity by 40 to 50% for

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 per cent of
the total cost of projects.
For a number of projects, savings of 30 per cent 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 mitigate potential ecological disasters
(landslides, 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 geosynthetics 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.

 Thank You
for
Your Attention