Geosynthetics and Common Sense Give You Design Options: Fid-Bau Portal

Geosynthetics and Common Sense Give You Design Options

Marienfeld, Mark L.

Pavement designs are often driven by local influences, such as available aggregate resources, climate (temperature swings and precipitation amount), grade limitations, project distance from mix plants, and local construction methods of habit. Geosynthetics give options to the designer of new and rehabilitated pavements--to use less-than-preferred materials and to control pavement deterioration vectors. Geosynthetic functions of separation, stabilization, moisture barrier, stress absorption, and reinforcement become valuable tools when used with common sense. Traditional construction materials may be assigned improved amounts of structural contribution, diminished aging effects, and extended durability due the common sense inclusion of geosynthetic materials in the pavement structure. Geosynthetics also improve the green aspect of projects by allowing the use of less structural materials and the use of marginal materials, some of which may have otherwise been discarded as waste.