TYPES OF GEOSYNTHETICS

• Geotextiles
• Geogrids
• Geonets
• Pre-fabricated vertical drains (PVD)
• Geomembranes
• Geosynthetic Clay Liner (GCL)
• Geocells (3-d confinement)
• Geocomposites & Geo-others
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 GEONETS
• Geonets are also planar products
• Consists of ribs in two directions
• Apertures are of diamond shape
• Ribs in the two directions are at different planes
• Thickness of geonets is larger than that of
geogrids
• Geonets are also referred to as geospacers

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TYPICAL GEONETS

Ribs at two
horizontal planes

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 GEONET APPLICATIONS

• Erosion control - ribs act as small

check dams to slow down the surface
runoff - decreases erosion potential
of water
• Drainage layers - water flows along
the geonet because of large thickness

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Boulder net laid on Konkan railway line in Western
ghats - functions as guide for loose boulders and
vegetation support

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Laying of boulder net

Vegetation growth after two

seasons
Courtesy: M/s Garware Wall Ropes Ltd., Pune
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 Anchor trench at the top of
the slope,1m deep,0.5m
wide, filled with soil

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 GEOMEMBRANES

• Thick impervious plastic sheets

• Thickness .5 mm to 3 mm approximately
• To contain liquids and gases

Rough surface texture Smooth - double sided membrane

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 APPLICATIONS OF
GEOMEMBRANES

• Landfill lining
• Canal lining
• Tunnel lining

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Geomembrane in a landfill

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Canal lining using geomembranes

Concrete lining of surface

geomembrane Anchor trench

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Tunnel lining for moisture
protection

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 Pre-fabricated vertical drains
to accelerate the pre-consolidation
of soft clay soils

c t
T f(U%)
T v
v
2
v

d T = time factorv
t = time
2 cv = coefficient of

t
T dv
consolidation
d = drainage path length
U% = degree of consolidation
c v
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Reducing the flow path length to
accelerate rate of consolidation

surcharge fill

Highly
permeable
drainage
medium

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PVDs for pre-consolidation

Corrugated plastic
core for drainage
L

Geotextile filter

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Pore water flows laterally
to the wick drains and is
Connection
carried through the core
arrangements for wick
drain installation

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Installation of PVDs at a construction site - notice the
connection of PVD with the anchor plate
Types and Functions of Geosynthetics 20/52
PVD being pushed into the ground
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General view after installation of PVD’s at a site
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 Geosynthetic Clay Liners

• Consist of a core of bentonite clay

sandwiched between layers of thick non-
woven geotextile
• Applied below and above geomembrane
layers in landfills
• Self-repair mechanism
• Bentonite expands when fluid leaks through
punctured geomembrane - closes the gap

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 Geosynthetic Clay Liner
Geotextile layers

dry bentonite
powder

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GEOCELL - 3d confinement product

Iso-metric view of a
geocell layer
Plan view showing the
mechanism of confinement

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Photograph of an expanded geocell
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 Advantages
• Easy to transport
• Any fill material can be used
• All round confinement to soil
• Semi-rigid layer (very stiff support)
• Spreads loads over a large area
• Excellent support even under cyclic loads.

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 APPLICATIONS
• Erosion control
• Steep slopes and retaining walls
• Sub-base support
• Road bases
• Railway tracks
• Container yards

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 Use of geocells for construction of unpaved road Factory

Stapling to join Stretching of the geocell layer

Preparation of ground different geocells

Stone aggregate filled in geocell pockets Compaction by a 10 tonne roller

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 Geocells used for
construction of a steep
slope

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Vegetation taking root through geocell pockets

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 IITM students standing on a
geocell supported soil

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Typical Container yard - heavy loads, usually constructed on
soft marine clays near the shore

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Typical mud wave formation in container yards due to heavy
loads and extremely soft subgrade soil
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Geotextile separator being laid on the ground surface at a
container yard

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Geocell layer laid on the geotextile separator and filled with
stone aggregate

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Container yard 3 years after geocell
treatment

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Some more pictures of the same yard

Perfectly level surface - minor damage in paver blocks

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Polymeric erosion control mats

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 Geocomposites
• Combination of two different types of
geosynthetics to take advantage of each

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 Geo-others
• Geodrains
• Lightweight fills
• Geopipes
• Geotextile bags & soil encapsulation
• Gabions
• Geotubes
• Geosynthetic Encased Stone Columns
• Many others - left to the imagination of
engineers
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Drainage boards for use in Retaining Walls

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Light-weight fill cum drainage medium

Thick medium made of polystyrene beads

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Types and Functions of Geosynthetics
Gabions filled with stones

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 Gabions filled with sand bags

SAND FILLED GEOBAGS PLACEMENT OF GEOBAGS

TYING OF ROPE GABIONS FINAL VIEW

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Types and Functions of Geosynthetics
Light-weight drainage medium

Made of used rubber

tyres and other
industrial wastes

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 Encased Stone Column
Bearing capacity enhanced by

Passive
pressure
+ Geosynthetic
Additional encasement
confinement

Stone column

Sectional plan

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Construction of Encased Stone Column

Alexiew et al. (2005)

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 Courtesy:
Dipl.-Ing. Holger Pohlmann
Naue Fasertechnik GmbH & Co. KG

Present study

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Load settlement curve for stone columns
encased in non-woven geotextile
Pressure (kPa)
0 100 200 300 400
0
ESC - 50 mm
ESC - 75 mm
10 ESC - 100 mm
OSC - 50 mm
OSC - 75 mm
20 OSC - 100 mm
Clay

30

40

50
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 Latest Trends

• Vacuum consolidation
• Encased stone columns
• Electro Kinetic geosynthetics

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