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GUJARAT TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

Government Engineering Collage, Modasa

A Project Report on
Study of Geosynthetics Polymer

Under Subject of
DESIGN ENGINEERING – 2
B.E. Semester-6th
(Civil Branch)
Guided by – Prof.D.A.Sagar

SR.NO NAME OF STUDENT ENROLLMENT.NO

1 Prajapati Vaidik.M 220163106057

2 Patel Ketul.C 220163106038

3 Chaudhri Dhruv.G 220163106003

4 Patel Jay.P 220163106036

5 Patel Vraj.R 220163106052

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GUJARAT TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

Government Engineering Collage, Modasa

Shamlaji road Bypass highway
Modasa
Gujarat 383315

CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that project entitled Hybrid energy generator
been carried out 1.Prajapati vaidik, 2.Patel ketul, 3.Chaudhri Dhruv, 4.Patel
jay, 5.Patel vraj, under My guidance in partial fulfilment for the degree of
Bachelor of Engineering In civil Engineering 6th Semester of Gujarat
Technological University, Ahmadabad during the academic Year 2023-24.

Date:-

Prof. D.A.Sagar Prof. U.k.khare

(Faculty Guide) (Head of Department)

Signature of
External examiner
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:

Primarily would thank for my group members being able to complete this
project with success. Then would like to thank my Prof. D.A.SAGAR whose
valuable guidance has been the ones that helped me patch this project and
make it full proof success his suggestions and his instructions has served as the
major contributor towards the completion of the project.

Then I would like to thank my friends who have helped me with their
valuable suggestions and guidance has been helpful in various phases of the
completionof the project.
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CONTENT

Sr.no Title Page.no

1 Introduction 5

2 The types of geosynthetics 7

3 The function of geosynthetics 13

4 Geosynthetic application 17

5 The benefits of geosynthetics in geotechnical 21

engineering

6 Tensar case study - Geogrids usage on the 22

Gemas Mentakab Railway:

7 conclusion 23
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INTRODUCTION:
Geosynthetics are synthetic products used to stabilize terrain. They are

generally polymeric products used to solve civil engineering problems. This includes eight

main product categories: geotextiles, geogrids, geonets, geomembranes, geosynthetic clay

liners, geofoam, geocells and geocomposites. The polymeric nature of the products makes

them suitable for use in the ground where high levels of durability are required. They can

also be used in exposed applications. Geosynthetics are available in a wide range of forms

and materials. These products have a wide range of applications and are currently used in

many civil, geotechnical, transportation, geoenvironmental, hydraulic, and private

development applications including roads, airfields, railroads, and embankments, retaining

structures, reservoirs, canals, dams, erosion control, sediment control, landfill liners, landfill

covers, mining, aquaculture and agriculture.

 What Is Design Thinking?

Geosynthetics are artificial synthetic materials in the shape of strips, sheets, or

three-dimensional structures constructed of polymeric or natural materials. They are simple to

prepare and transport, and they can aid in the greening of construction projects. When used in

construction, they serve five critical functions separation, reinforcement, filtration, drainage,

and containment.
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Design think in is a formal method for practical, creative resolutionof problems and creation

Of solutions, with the intent of an improved future result. In this regard it is a form of solution -

Based or solution-focused thinking starting with a goal (a better future – situation) instead of

Solving a specific problem

 GENERAL:-

Geosynthetics are man-made materials used to improve soil conditions.

The word is derived from: Geo = earth or soil + Synthetics = man-made

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The types of geosynthetics:

There are nine different types of geosynthetics, each differing in the way that they’re
designed and created, as well as what they’re used for. The categories of geosynthetics are:

1. Geogrids
2. Geotextiles
3. Geocells
4. Geonets
5. Geopipes
6. Geofoam
7. Geocomposites
8. Geomembranes
9. Geosynthetic clay liners

1.Geogrids:
Geogrids consist of a regular open network of integrally connected, tensile elements (ribs),

which may be linked by extrusion, bonding or interlacing. The apertures between the ribs are

larger than the constituents. The ribs are made of polymeric materials such as high-density

polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene, or other durable polymers. The manufacturing process

may involve stretching of the polymer material to orient the molecular structure, increasing

strength and stiffness of the ribs.

The stiff ribs and strong junctions of a geogrid enable a high degree of interaction between the

geogrid and the surrounding soil. Soil particles are able to partially penetrate into the apertures

and become restrained by the ribs or confined within the apertures. Geogrids are ideal for

stabilisation or reinforcement of soils, with applications such as construction over weak soils,

road foundations and earth retaining structures – as such, they are one of the most commonly

used geosynthetics.

Tensar produces four types of geogrids: uniaxial geogrids, biaxial geogrids, multi-axial geogrids

(TriAx®), and the more complex Tensar InterAx® geogrids. Visit Tensar’s geogrids page to

learn more about them

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2. Geotextiles:

Geotextiles are the largest group of geosynthetics, as well as one of the earliest types to be

created. They are permeable fabrics that consist of synthetic fibres such as polyester or

polypropylene, and can be created as either woven, knitted or non-woven textiles. The non-

woven types are manufactured from directionally or randomly oriented fibres/filaments

mechanically or thermally/chemically bonded together. They can vary in strength and weight,

from lightweight filter products to high strength reinforcement materials.

This category of geosynthetic, when used in association with soil, can provide a wide variety of

functions including separation, filtration, drainage, protection and reinforcement, Although most

commonly used as a separator before construction of roads, or as filter/separators in drainage

applications, they can be used across a range of applications in engineering projects.

Tensar Basetex® is a great example of a high-performance reinforcement geotextile.

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3. Geocells:
Geocells are three-dimensional geosynthetic products composed of ultrasonically welded

polyethylene webs or geotextile strips, that expand into a honeycomb-like structure intended to

be filled with soil, sand or gravel.

The cellular structure contains and stabilises the infill material, minimising soil movement. This

allows geocells to have multi-functional uses, including soil erosion protection, and stabilisation.

4.Geonets:

Geonets have extruded polymer strands in a parallel design to form a diamond shaped net

structure. Sometimes geonets will be laminated with geotextiles to establish them as a ‘drainage

composite’.

5. Geopipes:

Geopipes are any polymeric pipes, either perforated or solid-wall, that facilitate the drainage of

gases and liquids on construction projects. They are most commonly wrapped in a geotextile

filter, to maintain their drainage capability.

There are a variety of situations in which geopipes can be applied, including leachate or gas

collection in landfill applications.

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6.Geofoam:
Geofoam, also known as EPS (Expanded Polystyrene), is an incredibly lightweight durable

material that's can be used in numerous applications as an alternative to soil backfill. Geofoam

blocks are created via polymeric expansion of the polystyrene, which produces many gas-filled,

closed cells throughout the block. This design is what makes them so low in density.

The low density of geofoam makes it very useful on engineering projects as a fill material over

soft or compressible foundation soils. Used as a lightweight core for an embankment, it will

reduce settlements and may make it possible to avoid staged construction.

7. Geomembranes:

A geomembrane is an impermeable (or low-permeability) synthetic membrane. They’re typically

used as a barrier for liquids or gas, controlling the movement of fluids and providing

containment on geotechnical engineering projects.

Geomembranes can be especially useful where there is the potential for leakage of hazardous

contaminants as this geosynthetic offers chemical-resistant properties. Otherwise, they’re

generally used as liners in landfill, mining, or agricultural industries

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8. Geosynthetic clay liners:

Geosynthetic clay liners (GCL) are built using two sheets of non-woven geotextile with a layer of

sodium bentonite clay sandwiched between. The sheets are bonded together (using stitching or

needle punching) to create structural integrity; they’re then heat treated to secure the layers in

place.GCL’s provide a faster more convenient alternative to traditional clay lining of containment

ponds. These materials have an added advantage in that the sodium bentonite layer has

swelling properties. As such, clay liners offer a degree of self-sealing that reduces leakage. GCL

liners benefit many geotechnical applications, including waste treatment and landfill.

9. Geocomposites:

Geocomposites combine of two or more of the geosynthetic types discussed above. Combining
the features of each geosynthetic creates a product with more benefits than any individual
product type, particularly useful in drainage and containment applications and some road
foundation situations. For example, Tensar combines stabilisation geogrids with
separation/filtration geotextiles for use in road and rail foundations where fine soil migration may
be an issue. Take a look at the Tensar TriAx TX-G product page for an example of a
geocomposites
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The functions of geosynthetics:

a) Stabilisation

b) Reinforcement

c) Drainage

d) Erosion control

e) Filtration

f) Separation

g) Barrier

h) Protection

a. Stabilisation:
Where geosynthetics are used to stabilise granular soils, this typically occurs via an interlocking

mechanism. With geogrids, for example, the apertures between ribs allow aggregate to strike

through and interlock, confining the aggregate material. Provided that the geogrid has strong

junctions, and ribs that offer high stiffness at low strain, movement of the soil particles can be

minimised, improving the mechanical behaviour of the soil. This mechanical stabilisation creates

a composite layer that is stronger and more resistant to deformation.

Geogrid stabilisation is common in roadway foundations and in working platforms that will

endure heavy loads, as it increases bearing capacity and reduces deformation under load.
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b. Reinforcement:

geosynthetics that have high stiffness and high strength, such as certain types of geogrids and

some geotextiles, can improve the mechanical properties of a soil mass by adding a reinforcing

element that provides increased strength and deformation resistance.

The use of geosynthetics providing a reinforcement function enables engineers to build

embankments on soft foundations and create earth slopes with steeper slope angles.

c. Drainage:
The drainage function of geosynthetics allows groundwater or other fluids, to be collected and

pass through less permeable soils. Drainage geosynthetics can be used to dissipate pore

pressure below embankments, intercept groundwater in slopes or behind structures, and

provide edge drainage to road pavements.

Drainage geosynthetics are usually geocomposites, typically combining a geonet drainage core

with one or more layers of geotextile. They are able to pass water (and other liquids or gas)

through their structure to a collector or open space.

Good drainage is essential for roadways as water under the surface can lead to softening of

subgrade soils and eventual loss of strength in the road structure. Therefore geosynthetics can

commonly be found in roads and railways, behind retaining walls, as well as below

embankments where less permeable soils exist.

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d. Erosion control:
Erosion control is the practice of limiting damage to land due to the action of wind or water.

Once the top layer of land is eroded, re-growth takes a long time, and this is where erosion

control geosynthetics come in to give nature a helping hand.

Erosion control geosynthetics, typically, in the form of multi-layered mats, reduce soil erosion

caused by impact of water droplets and surface runoff. They are rolled onto a surface and

pegged in place. Some products combine synthetics with natural materials to provide enhanced

moisture retention to encourage vegetation growth.

In areas where land is exposed to water flow or rainfall, erosion control geosynthetics are ideal

for protecting the top layer of soil, encouraging vegetation to grow and preventing soil loss in the

future. This is particularly common around areas of water and embankment slopes.

e. Filtration:
Soil particles, particularly finer particles, can be transported by water passing through soils.

Filtration geosynthetics, usually geotextiles, are designed to retain soil particles on the upstream

side of the filter, while allowing water to pass freely through. Even fine soil particles can be

retained due to the ‘bridging’ effect of larger particles on the upstream side of the filter. Filtration

is therefore most effective with one-directional water flow.

The filtration properties of geotextiles can be designed by varying the type and density of fibres,

and the thickness and structure of the fabric. They are often combined with a drainage core in

the form of a geocomposite. Suitably engineered products may be used to prevent soil migration

into drainage aggregate layers or gravel filled drains, or for critical applications below riprap

protection in river or coastal works.

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f. Separation:
To function as a separator, the geosynthetic must prevent soil with different particle size

distributions from intermixing and causing the structural integrity to fail.

Separation is a required function in many applications, however it is vitally important to

the layers of roads and pavements. Geotextile separators are routinely used below road and rail

construction, in isolation or combined with a geogrid in the form of a geocomposite.

A geogrid can prevent expensive subbase material from punching into the soft subgrade. When

a well-graded subbase is stabilised with a geogrid the geogrid/soil composite layer can prevent

finer grained soil from migrating up into the subbase. When soil moisture levels are high, a

geocomposite with geogrid and separator/filter properties may be used.

g. Barrier:
Geosynthetics can be used to provide a relatively impermeable barrier for the containment of

fluids or gasses. There are several forms of barrier geosynthetic. Geomembranes

manufactured from polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or rubber, offer high impermeability.

Geosynthetic Clay Liners (GCL’s) are an alternative with a degree of self-healing capability.

Geosynthetic barriers are used for fluid containment in mining, industrial and agricultural

applications. They are also used in conjunction with drainage composites in waste containment

and landfill capping.

h. Protection:

Geosynthetics can perform a protection function by acting as a cushion to a sublayer. Non-

woven geotextiles can be designed to protect geomembranes from puncture damage during
placement of covering fill. Geonet type materials can be used to provide protection to coated
pipelines during backfill operations.
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Geosynthetic application:

a. Roads, pavements & trafficked areas:

Geosynthetics are often applied in areas such as roadways, railways, airports and more.

For roads and runways, they’re primarily useful in stabilising and separating unbound pavement

layers. However, they can also be used to address issues with the underlying soil, or in

providing side drainage.

Geogrids have been used to aid construction and enhance the performance of roads over soft

ground since the 1970s. More recent advancements have led to their increased use to enhance

the service life of paved roads, reducing whole life costs. Visit this page on roads, pavements

and trafficked areas to discover more on how Tensar products improve road construction

projects.
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b. Rail trackbed improvement:

Geosynthetics can be applied to solve a variety of problems below rail track. Stabilisation
geogrids are routinely used to increase the bearing capacity and stiffness of the trackbed over
areas of weak soils. They can also be placed below the ballast layer to control lateral migration
and deterioration of the ballast particles. Differential stiffness issues associated with transitions
from rigid to flexible foundations can be addressed with geogrid stabilised transition zones.

c. Earth retaining structures and steep slopes:

Reinforcing geogrids and high strength geotextiles can be used to construct steepened slopes
that have a reduced footprint compared to natural slopes. Geogrids are also used to
construct reinforced soil walls and bridge abutments. These are quicker and cheaper to
construct compared to concrete or piled retaining walls.
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d. Embankment foundations:
The construction of earth embankments over weak soils presents challenges that can be

addressed by the use of geosynthetics. Over-stressing of the foundation soil as construction

proceeds can result in a deep rotational failure. The inclusion of geosynthetic reinforcement in

the base of the embankment can maintain stability against this failure mechanism. Three-

dimensional cellular mattress systems, such as Tensartech Stratum®, provide reinforcement at

the base, but in addition, the inherent stiffness of the cellular mattress distributes load and

influences the settlement profile.

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e. Drainage systems:

Geosynthetics are well established for use in drainage systems, for filtration, separation and
water movement. Geocomposite drainage materials can replace aggregate filled ‘French drains’
alongside roadways or as slope interceptor drains. They also provide drainage and pore
pressure relief behind buried structures. Filter geotextiles are used to prevent contamination of
perforated drainage pipes and drainage aggregate layers, while prefabricated vertical drains
relieve pore pressure below embankments, accelerating construction

f. Containment and landfill:

New landfill sites can be lined with layered geosynthetic systems comprising geosynthetic
protection, drainage composites and impermeable barriers. Capping of landfill sites will utilise
drainage composites and barriers for gas containment and venting. The mining industry uses
impermeable membranes to line tailings lagoons, while geogrids and geocomposites may be
used to stabilise lagoon capping after use.
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The benefits of geosynthetics in geotechnical engineering :

 Improved lifespan: maintaining high performance for an extended lifetime.

 Cost savings: reducing the quantities of imported fill, aggregates and waste, accelerating
construction, providing more efficient design options

 Simplicity of construction: straightforward and fast installation using well proven methods.

 Strength: in reinforcement applications they have a high strength to weight ratio.

 Durability: highly resistant to weathering, biodegradation and chemical contaminants. As an

example, allowing the use of lower-cost non-standard fill in reinforced soil structures.

 Customisable: can be tailored to the needs in terms of structure, size and composition.

 Design creativity: new solutions, new construction methods and new ideas.

 Environmentally beneficial: can enable alternative construction methods that reduce material
volumes, transportation and construction methods – and their associated carbon emissions, to
offer a net environmental benefit

 Resilience: geosynthetics have enabled new and innovative solutions that help safeguard
infrastructure against the effects of environmental change, such as higher rainfall, flooding, and
changes to freeze-thaw weathering and degradation of roads

 Sustainable: geosynthetics like geogrids can improve the service lives of structures, cut
maintenance requirements and reduce whole life costs.
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Tensar case study - Geogrids usage on the Gemas Mentakab

Railway:

Along a stretch of the Gemas to Tumpat railway, passing trains had caused fine grained soils to

contaminate the ballast layer, in turn causing track alignment issues and track settlement The

Public Works Department in Malaysia were in search of a cost effective and time considerate

solution.

Geosynthetics, in this case Tensar geogrids, were the perfect solution for replacing the previous

geocells used. A single geogrid layer was used below the ballast layer to provide life-time

confinement and stabilisation, further benefiting from rapid installation and material cost

saving compared to the typical geocell solution.

This case study is a model example of where the right type of geosynthetic (geogrid vs geocell)

needs to be considered when approaching a particular geotechnical engineering problem .

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Conclusion:

It is essential to made the use of Polymer Geo- synthetics 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.
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