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Use of Geosynthetics for Sustainable, Economical, and Durable Road Pavement Structures

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Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Sustainable Built Environment (ICSBE 2023)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering ((LNCE,volume 517))

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Abstract

Traditional road pavement construction methods rely heavily on quarried gravel. Thicker layers of granular material are often required when dealing with weak or soft ground conditions to mitigate the stresses exerted on the underlying soft subgrades. The depletion of natural resources, environmental issues associated with quarrying processes, and the global shift toward achieving net-zero emissions compel researchers and practitioners to investigate innovative materials and technologies that can enable the construction of sustainable, resilient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly road pavements while reducing reliance on quarried gravel. In pursuit of this objective, this study focuses on the utilization of geosynthetics to stabilize soft subgrades, thereby diminishing the need for substantial granular cover thickness. and enhancing the overall performance of the pavement structure. To achieve this aim, a series of model pavements were constructed within a 1 m x 1 m × 1.2 m steel box (referred to as the model box). Various parameters, including subgrade stiffness, capping layer thickness, and geosynthetic types, were systematically altered during the construction of these models. Subsequently, the static plate load tests were conducted in a controlled laboratory environment. The test results provided valuable insights into the overall modulus/stiffness of the improved subgrade. The enhanced subgrade modulus, in turn, was integrated into the Australian granular pavement design chart to illustrate the advantages of geosynthetic embedment in soft subgrade stabilization. The findings from this study suggest that the incorporation of geosynthetics can reduce the overall granular cover thickness by approximately 20%.

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Acknowledgements

This study is a part of the research project sponsored by the SPARC Hub at the Department of Civil Engineering, Monash University, funded by the Australian Research Council Industrial Transformation Research Hub Scheme. The financial and in-kind support from the Department of Transport and Main Roads (Queensland), Logan City Council, Global Synthetic (Australia), Polyfabrics (Australia), and the Queensland University of Technology is gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, Australia

    C. Gallage & A. Pathirana

  2. Aurecon Group PTY LTD, Brisbane, Australia

    K. Wimalasena

Authors
  1. C. Gallage
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  2. K. Wimalasena
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  3. A. Pathirana
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Correspondence to C. Gallage .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, University of Peradeniya, Kandy, Sri Lanka

    Ranjith Dissanayake

  2. Department of Infrastructure Engineering, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia

    Priyan Mendis

  3. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Ruhuna, Galle, Sri Lanka

    Sudhira De Silva

  4. Civil and Structural Engineering Consultants (Pvt) Ltd., Rajagiriya, Colombo, Sri Lanka

    Shiromal Fernando

  5. Department of Civil Engineering, University of Sri Jayawardenepura, Ratmalana, Sri Lanka

    Chaminda Konthesingha

  6. Department of Civil and Construction Engineering, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI, USA

    Upul Attanayake

  7. Department of Biosystems Technology, University of Sri Jayawardenepura, Homagama, Sri Lanka

    Pradeep Gajanayake

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Gallage, C., Wimalasena, K., Pathirana, A. (2024). Use of Geosynthetics for Sustainable, Economical, and Durable Road Pavement Structures. In: Dissanayake, R., et al. Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Sustainable Built Environment. ICSBE 2023. Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering, vol 517. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-3737-6_44

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-3737-6_44

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