Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/536721
A failed pavement isn't a welcome sight, particularly during our current uncertain transportation funding. So it's increasingly important that road builders use methods that can allow roads to be built faster, stron- ger and be made to last longer. Using geosynthetic materials is one way of prolonging pavement. These come in two primary forms: a geogrid, which locks in aggregates and materials in the sub-base and base levels, or a geotextile, which is used closer to the surface pavement level and channels away water as it seeps through the pavement. These uses have helped cut down the overall cost of projects in which they're used, have saved contractors labor and time and have extended the life of pavements by a couple of years by some estimates. But geosynthetics aren't a panacea, es- pecially if they are not used and in- stalled properly. Above all, match- ing the material to the application and design is the primary way of ensuring a good result. Project design Marco Isola cautions that geogrids don't work every time. Isola, the regional technical project man- ager and paving and soil stabiliza- tion specialist for geosynthetics manufacturer Maccaferri, says it's imperative that a geosynthetic is properly matched with the con- ditions in which it will be used, particularly in soil stabilization. "There's not one single product that always works for everything," Isola says. "Depending on the type of soil, one type of material will EquipmentWorld.com | July 2015 65 highway contractor | by Chris Hill | ChrisHill@randallreilly.com Geosynthetics require attention to project design and installation ROADWAY REINFORCEMENT: The Alaska Department of Transportation used TenCate's Mirafi H2Ri geosynthetic on a portion of the Dalton Highway near the Sukakpak Mountain. The material was used to wick away moisture to limit dam- age from frost heaves, a common problem on the roadway.