Geosynthetics Excel in Louisiana Trafficking Study

By TenCate Geosynthetics – The Louisiana Transportation Research Center (LTRC) recently completed phase 1 of a full-scale trafficking study that included Mirafi® RS580i. The phase 1 research results were recently presented at an ASCE conference in a paper titled “Use of Geosynthetics for Reinforcing/Stabilizing Unpaved Roads under Full-Scale Truck Axle Loads” (Tang, Abu-Farsakh, Hanandeh, Chen).
The study included two different control sections, two Mirafi® RS580i sections and two sections with a triangular extruded geogrid. Sections 5 and 6 were the Mirafi® RS580i sections with section 6 having a reduced aggregate base course section of 25 cm. The native subgrade soil in this study was heavy clay (CH).
We are pleased to announce that both of the Mirafi® RS580i sections outperformed the other sections tested. In fact, the Mirafi® RS580i section with the reduced aggregate thickness of 25 cm outperformed the section with two layers of triangular extruded geogrid and thicker aggregate thickness of 46 cm.
This study follows past independent research results (Western Transportation Institute’s report “Relative Operational Performance of Geosynthetics Used as Subgrade Stabilization – FHWA/MT-14-002/7712-251) which demonstrates the superior performance of Mirafi® RS580i. It also proves the significant ability of Mirafi® RS580i to interact with the base course aggregate and keep it from moving laterally, while integrating reinforcement, separation and permittivity. The results in the graph shown above clearly indicate Mirafi® RS580i does not require significant rutting to provide vertical support. This is contrary to the misconception that all geotextiles require significant rutting to provide vertical support. The misconception is based on the marketing of research that is over 20 years old. As the geosynthetics industry has expanded, new and revolutionary products have been developed. As a result, the research methods and facilities to validate product performance have dramatically increased in both expertise and testing capabilities. Don’t get caught using old, outdated research. Join us here in the 21st Century!
The full report can be found here.
Learn more at www.tencategeosynthetics.com.