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Geotextile walls and slope reinforcement are engineered with geogrids and composite geotextiles. Both products are formulated from high tenacity polyester yarns as they possess properties that can offer effective reinforcement of walls and slopes.
Low creep characteristics, high tensile strengths, being inert to chemical degradation are effective properties of high tenacity polyester yarns that make them ideal for long term (boasting over 100 years lifespan) reinforcement applications.
Meanwhile, composite geotextiles combine reinforcement with superior drainage and filtration functionality to enable finer-grained soils to be reinforced.
On the other hand, geogrids have a polymer-coated flexible structure that ensures high soil interaction and high interlock. This makes them suitable for granular soil used in the reinforcement of walls and slopes.
The rapid release of pore water along the woven geotextile significantly increases structural stability and reduces horizontal earth pressure.
Both products are easy to install, quick, and work effectively with various types of facing systems. Experts adopt green-facing systems to blend in with the surrounding environment.
Geogrid-wrapped facings make use of soil-filled bags as the slope-facing units with engineered soil backfill behind. Engineers utilize them for the construction of steep slopes in locations where operations can be mobilized without incurring high costs.
Oilbags are used to form the facing profile to make the construction of complex-shaped structures relatively easy. The geogrid reinforcement which is wrapped around the soilbags to a specifically designed height is later laid back into the soil with sufficient anchorage length.
Meanwhile, the engineered soil backfill is reinforced with miragrid and geogrids to encourage rapid vegetation growth of the system. After which, soil backfill is then positioned and compacted, and the process is repeated until the slope height has been completed.
This facing system is ideal for slopes with angles up to 80° and heights varying from 3 meters to 50 meters.
A geosynthetic wrapped stone drainage layer is installed at the rear of the reinforced soil structure with the groundwater discharged through drainage pipes into surface drains to control groundwater seepage.
When vegetated, the completed structure blends easily with the surrounding environment. This method has been tested and approved as a cost-effective alternative to conventional concrete structures.
Location: Thailand
Miragrid GX geogrid was used to reinforce the backfill soil of the slope to reinstate a collapsed highway due to a slope failure in Thailand. During the construction, the facing system was provided by bags with soil infill and seeds.
The construction began by laying Miragrid GX geogrids on a prepared horizontal surface up to the edge of the slope, leaving a small excess of geogrid overhanging. Afterwards, the soilbags were piled up to the designated height and required slope angle on the geogrid at the edge of the slope.
Meanwhile, the overhanging geogrid was pulled back to wrap around the soilbags. Soil backfill was placed behind the soilbags and compacted.
The engineers repeated this construction process until the full height of the slope was completed. The slope was then covered with grass after several weeks of completion.
Full-height wall-facing structures typically comprise of Polyfelt® PEC reinforced soil mass with full-height concrete-facing panels.
These concrete panels are typically precast and provide a strong, durable, and aesthetic facing. This makes geotextile installation ideal for high wall constructions for bridge approaches, airport runway, major wall structures, and highway ramps.
Location: Thailand
The airport runway extension in Thailand is a typical case study for reinforced geotextile installation. Extensions of the airport runway required substantial earthworks and a large land area due to the elevated embankment of the existing airport runway.
To mitigate this, a wall reinforced with Polyfelt®PEC was constructed. The geotextile was wrapped around the compacted fill (which is about 0.6m thick) to form the facing.
The geotextile-wrapped facing was supported by temporary formwork to aid soil compaction nearby. Engineers used pre tensioning to lay with the woven geotextile for effective reinforcement at each soil backfill layer.
The process was repeated until the full height of the geotextile wall. For a durable finish and to protect the geotextile, a full-height concrete facing panel was constructed about 0.4min in front of the geotextile-wrapped facing and anchored at several locations into the reinforced soil wall.
The case studies above show the use of geotextile walls and slope effectiveness in different scenarios. Both possess the properties that offer effective reinforcement of walls and slopes.
For more information, feel free to get in touch with our specialists for a full consultation.
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