G EOGRID T ECHNICAL

INFORMATION GUIDE LINE

Basics of Geogrid Technology

This document aims to give information based tools to improve the understanding of Geogrid and its use in many different applications.

Eng. Mohammad Zakariya Al-Tarawneh 12-Feb-11

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GEOGRID TECHNICAL INFORMATION GUIDE

LINE
Basics of Geogrid Technology 1.0 Introduction
Engineers are continually faced with maintaining and developing pavement infrastructure with limited financial resources. Traditional pavement design and construction practices require high-quality materials for fulfillment of construction standards. In many areas of the world, quality materials are unavailable or in short supply. Due to these constraints, engineers are often forced to seek alternative designs using substandard materials, commercial construction aids, and innovative design practices. One category of commercial construction aids is geosynthetics. Geosynthetics include a large variety of products composed of polymers and are designed to enhance geotechnical and transportation projects. Geosynthetics perform at least one of five functions: separation, reinforcement, filtration, drainage, and containment. One category of geosynthetics in particular, geogrids, has gained increasing acceptance in road construction.

1.1 What is Geogrid?!

A geogrid is defined as a geosynthetic material consisting of connected parallel sets of tensile ribs with apertures of sufficient size to allow strike-through of surrounding soil, stone, or other geotechnical material (Koerner 1998). Existing commercial geogrid products include extruded geogrids, woven geogrids, welded geogrids, and geogrid composites. Extruded geogrids are formed using a polymer sheet that is punched and drawn in either one or two directions for improvement of engineering properties. Woven geogrids are manufactured by weaving polymer fibers, typically polypropylene or polyester, that can be coated for increased abrasion resistance (Berg et al. 2000). Welded geogrids are manufactured by welding the junctions of woven segments of extruded polymers. Geogrid composites are formed Geogrid: Geosynthetic material when geogrids are combined with other consisting of connected parallel sets of products to form a composite system tensile ribs with apertures of sufficient capable of addressing a particular size to allow strike-through of application. Extruded geogrids have shown surrounding soil, stone, or other good performance when compared to geotechnical material (Koerner 1998) other types for pavement reinforcement applications (Cancelli et al. 1996, Miura et al. 1990, and Webster 1993). Extruded geogrids can be divided into two broad categories based upon their formation and principle application, uniaxial and biaxial. Extruded geogrids that are pre-tensioned in one direction are called uniaxial geogrids and are typically used in geotechnical engineering projects concerning reinforced earth and
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retaining walls. Extruded geogrids that are pre-tensioned in two directions are referred to as biaxial geogrids and are typically used in pavement applications where the direction of principle stress is uncertain. Most geogrids are made from polymers, but some products have been manufactured from natural fibers, glass, and metal strips.

2.0 Geogrids in roads.

Geogrids used within a pavement system performs two of the primary functions ofgeosynthetics: separation and reinforcement. Due to the large aperture size associated with most commercial geogrid products, geogrids are typically not used for achieving separation of dissimilar materials. The ability of a geogrid to separate two materials is a function of the gradations of the two materials and is generally outside the specifications for typical pavement materials. The primary function of geogrids used in pavements is reinforcement, in which the Geogrid mechanically improves the engineering properties of the pavement system.

T HE THREE PRIMARY USES OF A G EOGRID IN A PAVEMENT SYSTEM ARE TO :

(a) Serve as

a construction aid over soft sub grades, (b) Improve or extend the pavements projected service life. (c) Reduce the structural cross section for a given service life.
Geogrids have been successfully used to provide a construction platform over soft subgrades (Cancelli et al. 1996, Douglas 1997, Haas et al. 1988, Halliday and Potter 1984, and Santoni et al. 2001)." In this application, the geogrid improves the ability to obtain compaction in overlying aggregates, while reducing the amount of material required be removed and replaced". Numerous research programs have also reported results documenting extended service lives for pavement sections with geogrids compared to similar sections without geogrids (Al-Qadi et al. 1997, Barksdale et al. 1989, Cancelli et al. 1996, Collin et al. 1996, Haas et al. 1988, Miura et al. 1990, Perkins et al. 1997a/b, and Webster 1993). Finally, research has shown that the required base course thickness for a given design may be reduced when a geogrid is included in the design .

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G EOGRIDS
(A) (B) (C)

HAVE TRADITIONALLY BEEN USED IN THREE DIFFERENT PAVEMENT

APPLICATIONS :

Mechanical sub grade stabilization. Aggregate base reinforcement. Asphalt concrete (AC) overlay reinforcement.

For mechanical subgrade stabilization and base reinforcement applications the Geogrid should be placed at the bottom of the base for aggregate layers less than 14 in for aggregate layers less than 14 in. For pavements with a design base Thickness greater than or equal to 14 in., the geogrid should be placed in the middle of the base course layer (Webster 1993). However, Collin et al. (1996) and Haas et al. (1988) recommend that the geogrid be placed in the middle of the base course layer for layers in excess of 10 in, otherwise placement should occur at the layer interface. Regardless of the placement location of the geogrid, the separation geotextile is always placed at the sub grade -base interface.

3.0 Geogrid

Reinforcement Mechanisms.

A subgrade soil beneath a paved or unpaved surface can fail under load in two ways: localized shear failure and deeper-seated bearing capacity failure. Localized shear failure, or base punching, typically occurs in the form of severe deformation or rutting in soft saturated subgrades when loading exceeds the subgrade shear strength. The subgrade beneath an unreinforced fill will fail in localized shear failure at about half of the stress level than the ultimate bearing capacity of the subgrade. Premature failure of a paved or unpaved surface due to weak subgrades leads to costly full depth repairs that can be avoided with good engineering judgment at the time the section is designed. Geogrids offer protection over weak foundation soils because of the ability of the material to act as a snowshoe over soft, rut-prone conditions. Geogrid reinforcement of granular fills over soft ground can prevent localized shear failure of the subgrade and therefore significantly increase the effective bearing capacity of the subgrade. In addition, geogrids reinforce the granular fill through confinement of the particles, stiffening the base layer for improved load distribution. The net effect of these mechanisms is a reduction in the fill thickness required to provide stable foundation support for a paving operation or for the immediate trafficking of unpaved structures such as haul roads or working platforms Three fundamental reinforcement mechanisms have been identified involving the use of geogrids to reinforce pavement materials: (A) Lateral restraint. (B) Improved bearing capacity. (C) Tensioned membrane effect (Perkins and Ishmeik 1997a).

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(A) Lateral restraint: It refers to the confinement of the aggregate material during loading, and describes the ability of the aperture geometry of a grid to confine aggregate particles within the plane of the material which restricts lateral flow of the material from beneath the load. This feature yields a stiffening effect to the reinforced granular material, both above and below the geogrid Since most aggregates used in pavement systems are stress-dependent materials, improved lateral confinement results in an increase in the modulus of the base course material. The effect of increasing the modulus of the base course is an improved vertical stress distribution applied to the sub grade and a corresponding reduction in the vertical strain on the top of the sub grade. (B) Improved bearing capacity Typically associated with geogrid use over soft subgrades, improved bearing capacity describes a change inthe potential failure mechanism of the subgrade from a localized shear generally characterized as a deep rutting failure to a general bearing capacity failure. The result is an improved effective bearing capacity of the subgrade resulting from pressure dissipation at the geogrid-subgrade interface. It is achieved by shifting the failure envelope of the pavement system from the relatively weak sub grade to the relatively strong base course material.
Tensioned Membrane Effect. The tensioned membrane effect is based upon the concept of an improved vertical stress distribution resulting from tensile stress in a deformed membrane. In the early stages of research regarding geogrid reinforcement of pavement systems, the tensioned membrane effect was thought to be the primary reinforcement mechanism. However, subsequent investigations have shown that reinforcement benefits are obtained without significant deformation of the pavement section. Thus, lateral restraint has been identified as the primary reinforcement mechanism, followed by the improved bearing capacity concept and the tensioned membrane effect. The actual contribution of each of these mechanisms to the overall reinforcement provided to the pavement system has yet to be quantified.

(C)

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4.0 Reinforced Flexible Pavement Design Geogrids can be used to accomplish both mechanical subgrade stabilization and aggregate base reinforcement in flexible pavements. Like the aggregate-surfaced pavement design, the application is typically predetermined by the subgrade soil strength. Different combinations of geosynthetics are recommended for use in flexible pavements based upon the subgrade soil conditions. Geosynthetics used to construct roads and airfields over very soft subgrade conditions typically serve to mechanically stabilize the subgrade. As the design subgrade strength increases, the primary application of the geosynthetics transitions from mechanical subgrade stabilization to base reinforcement. The reinforced road design procedures presented herein can be used for airfields provided the appropriate design procedures for airfields are used to generate the unreinforced design. 4.1 Geosynthetic Applicability Assessments for Flexible Pavement Design. 4.1.1 Subgrade CBR < 0.5. For design subgrade CBR strengths of 0.5 or less, the primary application is mechanical subgrade stabilization. At these soil strengths, it is recommended that a construction platform be designed to facilitate the construction of the flexible pavement. The construction platform should be designed using the procedures described in Section 2.0. The construction platform will serve as the subbase for the flexible pavement system. 4.1.2 Subgrade 0.5 < CBR < 4.0. For design subgrade CBR strengths of 4.0 or less, both the mechanical subgrade stabilization and base reinforcement applications are mobilized. A nonwoven geotextile is recommended for separation for fine-grained subgrades at strengths of 4.0 CBR or less, and the use of a geogrid for reinforcement should be considered. Thus, for this subgrade strength level both a geotextile and geogrid may be warranted, and the aggregate thickness can be reduced using Websters empirical reinforced pavement thickness equivalency chart (Figure 8) presented in the following design procedure section. 4.1.3 Subgrade 4.0 < CBR < 8.0. For subgrade CBR strengths greater than 4.0, a geotextile separator is not recommended unless the designer has experienced separation problems with the construction materials during previous construction projects. For design subgrade CBR strengths between 4.0 and 8.0, the primary geogrid application is base reinforcement. Research has indicated substantial extensions in pavement service life and significant potential for base thickness reductions. Thus, the designer should use Websters reinforced pavement thickness equivalency chart (Figure 8) to determine the required reinforced pavement thickness. A life cycle cost analysis should then be made to determine the cost effectiveness of including geogrid reinforcement. 4.1.4 Subgrade CBR > 8.0. A geotextile separator is not recommended unless prior separation problems have been noted for the specific construction materials. The primary application of geogrid reinforcement at high subgrade soil strengths is base

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reinforcement. These subgrade soil strengths are outside the database used to develop Websters reinforced pavement thickness equivalency chart, and it should not be used for high subgrade soil strengths. An alternative procedure is to base the reinforced design on test section results. This can be accomplished by defining a Base Course Reduction (BCR) factor as the reinforced base thickness divided by the unreinforced base thickness for a given traffic level. The required depth of reinforced aggregate base is then computed using Equation 1: t(reinforced base) = t(unreinforced base) x BCR (Equation 1) This BCR factor should be determined using the materials and construction conditions that will be used during the actual pavement construction. 5.0 Reinforced Flexible Road Design Procedure 5.1 Determine the Pavement Layer Properties. The first step in designing a reinforced flexible pavement is to determine the design subgrade conditions as noted under Section 2.0. Once the design subgrade conditions have been determined, an assessment of the applicability of geosynthetics should be conducted using the guidance presented in Section 3.1 and Table 6. If the use of a geotextile and/or geogrid is warranted based upon the applicability assessment, the following procedure can be used to design the reinforced flexible pavement, otherwise the procedures described in Technical Manual TM 5-822-5 should be used to design an unreinforced flexible pavement. The subgrade soil CBR can be determined using Figure 4 based upon either cone index or shear strength (C). The shear strength (C) can be directly measured using vane shear devices. Each aggregate layer, base and subbase (if used), in the flexible pavement system must meet strength and gradation requirements defined in TM 5-822-5. The material requirements for the bituminous surface course layer are defined in TM 5-822-8. 5.2 Determine Design Traffic. The next step is to determine the design traffic. The design traffic should be determined according to TM 5-822-5, which results in a design index (DI). The design index combines the effect of average vehicle axle loadings and expected traffic volume as expressed by road classification. The design index ranges from 1 to 10 in order of increasing traffic loading and volumes. The design index is selected using Table 3-1 of TM 5-822-5, presented here as Table 7 for clarity. 5.3 Determine the Required Layer Thicknesses. The next step is to design an unreinforced flexible pavement for the given subgrade conditions. The design subgrade CBR strength is determined according to the methods presented previously. Figure 8-1 of TM 5-822-5 (Figure 9 in this document) is entered with the appropriate CBR of the supporting layer, either the subgrade strength or the subbase strength. The required pavement thickness above the supporting layer is determined by drawing a vertical line from the strength on the x-axis to the intersection of the design index. A horizontal line is then projected from the intersection to the required pavement thickness on the y-axis. The required pavement thickness should be rounded up to the nearest 0.5 inches for surfaced flexible pavements. Figure 9 was adapted from Figure 8-1 of TM 5-822-5 for clarity. Minimum thickness values for the surface AC and base courses are provided in Table 6-1 of Technical Manual 5-822-5, and are presented in Table 8 of this document. Generally,

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an asphalt thickness of 3 in. or less is appropriate for design index values of 7 or less. The minimum required base thickness is 4 in. The final pavement structure is determined by using the minimum AC thickness for the available aggregate as noted in Table 8. The difference between the total required pavement thickness above the sub grade/sub base

The reinforced aggregate thickness is determined by using the Websters reinforced Pavement thickness equivalency chart shown in Figure 8. Entering the chart with the unreinforced flexible pavement thickness, a line is drawn to the intersection of the equivalency curve. A second line is drawn from the intersection with the equivalency curve to the required geogrid-reinforced flexible pavement thickness. The reinforced aggregate thickness is determined by subtracting the minimum AC thickness in Table 8 from the equivalent reinforced flexible pavement thickness. Finally, the reinforced aggregate layer thickness replaces the unreinforced aggregate thickness in the pavement design. All other thicknesses remain the same. Note that Figure 8 is only valid for AC layer thickness values of 3 in. or less. The geogrid is placed at the subgrade-base interface for base thicknesses less than 14 in. and in the middle of the base layer for aggregate thicknesses greater than 14 in. Reinforced flexible pavement design examples are provided in Appendix A. Please note that standard frost design procedures should be used for regions in which significant frost penetration occurs. Additional resources should be consulted for designing pavements to minimize damage when exposed to adverse climatic conditions, such as frost heave. 6.0 Geogrid Installation Prior to installation of the geogrid, the site should be cleared, grubbed, and excavated to the design grade if not done previously for geotextile placement. As noted in Section 6.1, small sections of geogrid can be used to cover roots, stumps, or stalks prior to geotextile installation to reduce the potential for fabric puncture. Also noted in Section 6.1, stiff geogrids have been successfully used as retrievable walking platforms to facilitate placement of the geosynthetic separation and reinforcement layers. In this application, the stiff geogrid is unrolled along the outer edges of the traffic lane to provide construction

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personnel with a temporary walkway to unroll and place the reinforcement materials. The geogrid should be rolled out by hand, ahead of backfilling, directly on the subgrade or geotextile (if required) for design aggregate thicknesses less than 14 inches. For design aggregate thicknesses in excess of 14 in., the geogrid should be placed in the middle of the aggregate layer. For shallow-depth soft subgrades (CBR > 0.5), the geogrid is laid in the direction in which the aggregate will be spread. For deep or very soft subgrades (CBR < 0.5), the geogrid is laid transverse to the direction of the traffic lane. Table 9 should be used to determine the appropriate overlap requirements, and the overlaps should be placed such that the spreading of the aggregate base will not disturb the overlap distance. The geogrid can be held in place using staples, pins, or sand bags for windy conditions.

7.0 Aggregate Placement Vehicles must not be driven on the unprotected geosynthetics prior to aggregate placement. For very soft subgrades (CBR < 1.0), an effective construction procedure is to install the aggregate thicker and narrower than the design. Thus, the aggregate should be placed in the center of the traffic lane at a depth greater than the final design grade. The weight of this material will begin to displace excess water from the subgrade and begin subgrade consolidation. This results in an increase in the overall subgrade strength beneath the traffic lane. After the required amount of aggregate for the roadway and shoulders has been placed in the center of the traffic lane, the excess aggregate can be spread laterally to the shoulders of the roadway until the design grade is achieved. The aggregate material can then be compacted to the design thickness. Care should be taken to spread the aggregate in the direction of the geosynthetic overlaps. For subgrade CBR strengths between 1.0 and 3.0, the full design aggregate thickness should be placed in one lift. Thinner lifts of aggregate run the risk of damaging the geosynthetics or failure of the roadway due to overloading by construction equipment. The aggregate should always be spread from the center of the roadway to the outer edges. For subgrade CBR strengths greater than 3.0, standard road construction procedures can be applied. The geotextile and geogrid properties specified in Tables 2 and 3, respectively, are designed to survive installation in typical pavement construction applications. Construction sites demonstrating extremely harsh construction conditions may require reconsideration of the generic geotextile specifications. Examples of harsh environments include geosynthetic placement over large quantities of roots or tree stumps, the use of over-sized aggregate (D50 > 3 in.), dump heights in excess of 12 ft, and operations on thin aggregate lifts.