Monday, December 22, 2008

Doyo Lujeng Dwiarso, Geosynthetics Function


Doyo Lujeng Dwiarso, Among other uses, geosynthetics can be used for Separation, Filtration, Reinforcement, Drainage, Protection and Moisture Barriers[4]. Different geosynthetics are suited for various applications and the diagram to the right illustrates their suitability.
Filtration can significantly enhance the performance of a geotechnical structure, and geosynthetics can be used to produce an effective filtration system[5]. The job of a filter is to allow water to pass through the plane of the filter, whilst retaining particles of the filtered soil. Filtration can improve the performance of a geotechnical structure by controlling the erosion of the structure and reducing the amount of fines that are washed out of the soil matrix. When fines get washed out of a soil it can reduce the cohesion of the matrix and thus the strength of the soil, referred to piping. Mitigating these two problems also improves the durability of a structure. Geosynthetic filters can improve the reliability and performance of traditional graded soil filters and require less work to construct. Geotextiles are well suited to this application.
Drainage required in nearly all geotechnical structures. Whether used to remove surface water from a sports field, or to reduce lateral pressure on a retaining wall, the need for effective drainage cannot be underestimated. Drains of various designs have been used in the past, most based on the use of a high permeability layer built into the ground using aggregates, single layers of Geosynthetics can produce the same results. Drains can be distinguished from filters as such; water travels across the plane of filters and travels with the plane of drains. Geotextiles and geocomposites are well suited to this application.
Protection/Barrier In some geotechnical applications it is necessary to separate or protect one section of the works from another. This could be for a multitude of reasons, including stopping leachate seepage, protecting a structure from moisture and protecting a geotechnical structure from erosion. Geotextiles and Geomembranes are suited to this application.
Separation The geosynthetic acts to separate two layers of soil that have different particle size distributions. For example, geotextiles are used to prevent road base materials from penetrating into soft underlying soils, thus maintaining design thickness and roadway integrity. Separators also help prevent fine-grained subgrade soils from being pumped into permeable granular road bases[6]. Geotextiles and geomembranes are most suited to this application.
Reinforcement Geosynthethics can be used to reinforce a soil mass in, increasing the effective angle of shear and increasing the stability of an earth structure. In the reinforcement function, the geosynthetic is subjected to a sustained tensile force. Soil and rock materials are noted for their ability to withstand compressive forces and their relative low capacity for sustained tensile forces. In much the same way that tensile forces are taken up by steel in a reinforced concrete beam, the geosynthetic supports tensile forces that cannot be carried by the soil in a soil/Geosynthetic system. Geogrid/geonets and geotextiles are best suited to this function.

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