GEOTEXTILE AS FOUNDTION COMPONENT IN

CONSTRUCTING ROAD PAVEMENT

A case history study by:

EDMAR P. ANGOB
HONSTO B. REYNA
 PROBLEM SETTING
Soil settlements of foundations that results in cracking of the
road pavement creates a great hassle in traffic and financially in
terms of rehabilitation or worse case, reconstruction. This problem
is normally present in any geotechnical related issues.
Highway is an important channel to connect regional economic
development, and is an indispensable part of modern transportation
system. In view of the extensive nature of highway cover space
and the existence of diversified construction environment, climate
and geological influence in highway construction, soft soil
foundation is one of the more typical geological forms. With wide
distribution in our country, seen as a big difficulty, highway
construction technology and directly affect the quality of highway
construction, cost, if not properly handled, will cause the soft soil
foundation highway engineering structure is not stable, prone to
accidents in use
SOLUTION/ REMEDY TO THE PROBLEM

Geosynthetics are products made of synthetic or natural

polymeric materials, which are used in contact with soil or rock
and/or other geotechnical materials. Geosynthetics mainly include
geotextile, geogrid, geocell, geonet, geomembrane, erosion control
mat, geosynthetic clay liner, and geo-composite. Geotextiles are the
most widely used geosynthetics.
 Geotextiles are permeable fabrics which, when used in
association with soil, have the ability to separate, filter,
reinforce, protect, or drain.
 Typically made from polypropylene or polyester, geotextile
fabrics come in three basic forms:
• woven (looks like mail bag sacking)
• needle punched (looks like felt)
• heat bonded (looks like ironed felt).
BACKGROUND THEORY AND ANALYSIS PROCEDURE

FUNCTIONS OF GEOTEXTILES
 Filtration
 Drainage
 Separation
 Reinforcement
SEPARATION
Separation is the introduction of a flexible porous geotextile placed between
dissimilar materials so that the integrity and the functioning of both materials
remains intact for the life of the structure or is improved . (Figure a). A
geotextile placed between the aggregate and the subgrade acts as a separator,
minimizing contamination of the aggregate base by the subgrade (Figure b).
FILTRATION

Filtration is defined as the

equilibrium of a geotextile-
soil system that allows for
adequate liquid flow with
limited soil loss across the
plane of the geotextile over a
service lifetime compatible
with the application under
consideration
DRAINAGE
Drainage refers to the ability of
geotextiles (typically thick, nonwoven
geotextiles) to provide an avenue for flow
of water through the plane of the
geotextile. The geosynthetic is generally
quantified by its transmissivity, which is
defined as
•Θ = kp * t  
where θ is the transmissivity, kp is the
in-plane hydraulic conductivity, and t is the
geotextile thickness at a specified normal
pressure
REINFORCEMEN T

Acts as a reinforcing element

in a soil mass or in combination
with the soil to produce a
composite that has improved
strength and deformation
properties.
ANALYSIS

For the reference of the analysis procedure, we used the experimental

study of CBR TEST by Prof. Mayura M. Yeole, Dr. J.R. Patil of Indira College of
Engineering & Management, and Dr. D.Y. Patil Institute & Technology, with the
title “Geotextile can be worth their cost in Pavement” to analyze the procedure
behind geotextile.
The test is done in a standard manner to compare the strengths of different
subgrade materials, and to use these figures as a means of designing the road
pavement required for a particular strength of subgrade. CBR tests were
conducted on soils with and without geotextile.
Specification of CBR Mould
• Mould - 152.4 x 180.8 mm (inside diameter x height)
• Collar - 50.8 mm height, fits both ends of mould
• Base plate - Perforated
• Construction - All steel, plated
•  
MATERIALS 
• Soil samples was used; and the soils consisted of granular materials. Other characteristics
were determined in the laboratory. The Optimum moisture content (OMC) is 13.5 %.The
maximum dry density (MDD) is 1.92 gm/cc. The geotextile used was 0.8 mm thick. For these
tests all the depths are considered randomly
• 
TEST PROGRAMME
• The soil was compacted in mould in five layers. Each of the layers was compacted by 55 blows of a
24.7 N rammer dropped from a distance of 305 mm. One CBR test has been performed without
geotextile. A nonwoven geotextile sheet produced from polypropylene raw material was placed in
mould in one or two layers as given in Table 2.

The CBR tests have been conducted on soil

sample as close to the optimum moisture
content (OMC). After the CBR test, the CBR
values were obtained and plotted. A curve of
penetration vs. load on piston was plotted for
un-reinforced and reinforced samples with
geotextile.
TEST ON SOIL SAMPLE
• Several CBR tests were performed on soil sample. The CBR test results and load-penetration curve on
soil sample with and without geotextile are presented in Table 3 and from Figure 1 to Figure 7.
SIGNIFICANT KNOWLEDGE/ CONTRIBUTION OF SOLUTION

Geotextiles is now universally adopted in many geotechnical engineering works. They have
been extensively used for construction of roads. Geotextile placed between the aggregate layer
and the subgrade performs several functions like separation, filtration, drainage, and
reinforcement.

From the CBR test presented above a series of CBR tests have been conducted to
investigate the effect of geotextile on the bearing ratio of soils. The conclusions from the study
are given below: Placing of geotextile material in soil improves the CBR and therefore the
strength of soils. It implies that geotextile reinforced soils in unpaved roads will perform better
than unreinforced ones and increase load carrying capacity of soils.
RECOMMENDATIONS FURTHER STUDIES/ MPROVEMENT

The geotextiles play a vital role in highway construction. They are

effectively used in nearly all facts of new construction.
One of the most frequently misunderstood aspects of arena design is the use
of geotextiles, and their alternatives. Through this study the researchers want to
recommend the following limitations to given attention in using geotextiles:
1. Blockage- They are susceptible to blockage by sediments; organic residues; plant roots;
fungi and algae; viscous petrochemical compounds and slimes. In the context of riding
arenas, consideration should also be given to the effect on a geotextile of the breakdown of
organic riding surfaces (such as shredded timber or bark) and to a lesser extent on the
breakdown of horse and pony droppings to form an impervious bio-detritus coating. If, on
inspection, the geotextile is seen to have been blocked by detritus, it must be replaced to re-
establish the drainage regime.
2. Laying, Rips, Repair- Geotextiles are susceptible to being ripped if the overlying layer is too
shallow or gets displaced during exercise.  Once ripped the Geotextile has a tendency to
admit the overlying layer through the rip, causing it to ride up through the layer and expose
itself to further damage.  We recommend that the geotextile be overlapped and at least glued
with silicone sealant where applicable to guard against this problem at the joins.
• Cost- All that said, Geotextiles are generally cost effective to buy and to lay. They form a
visible barrier between different media, admitting only moisture across the barrier, provided
they are properly selected for performance and protected during use. In certain areas of the
country, where the materials for a graded filter cannot be sourced nearby, they may provide
the best solution.