WHAT IS GEOSYNTHETIC?

Generally, geosynthetic refers to a product that is made from polymeric material and is applied as a key component in a structure or system to achieve engineering purposes. The prefix “geo” suggests whose application has to do with soil, rock, and/or earth. There are some basic functions of geosynthetics namely separation, reinforcement, filtration, drainage, containment, barrier, surface erosion control, and protection; any geosynthetic product is expected to provide one or more of the functions. Applications of geosynthetics are mostly found in civil, transportation, geotechnical, environmental, hydraulics, marine, and private development engineering including roads, railroads, embankment, retaining walls, canals, erosion control, waste landfill, land reclamation, breakwaters, jetties, groins, revetments, aquaculture, agriculture, and mining. However, with the development of related products, the applicable range of geosynthetics can extend to areas other than the above mentioned.

According to Dr. Robert M. Koerner, there are eight types of geosynthetics: geogrids, geotextiles, geonets, geomembranes, geosynthetic clay liners, geopipe, geofoam, and geocomposites.

Geogrids

Geogrids are plastics formed into a very open, grid-like configuration – i.e., with large apertures between individual ribs in the machine and cross machine directions. Geogrids are formed in various ways: (1) stretched in one or two directions for improved physical properties, (2) made on weaving or knitting machinery by standard and well-established methods, or (3) made by bonding rods or straps together. There are many application areas, however, and they function almost exclusively as reinforcement materials.

(Koerner, Robert M. Designing with Geosynthetics 5th Edition. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2005. Print.)
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Geotextiles

Geotextiles are indeed textiles in the traditional sense, but they consist of synthetic fibers rather than natural ones such as cotton, wool, or silk. Thus biodegradation and subsequent short lifetime is not a problem. These synthetic fibers are made into flexible, porous fabrics by standard weaving machinery or are matted together in a random nonwoven manner. Some are also knitted. The major point is that geotextiles are porous to liquid flow across their manufactured plane and also within their thickness, but to a widely varying degree. There are at least 100 specific application areas for geotextiles that have been developed; however, the fabric always performs at least one of four discrete functions: separation, reinforcement, filtration, and/or drainage.

(Koerner, Robert. Designing with Geosynthetics 5th Edition. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2005. Print.)
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Geonets

Geonets are formed by a continuous extrusion of parallel sets of polymeric ribs at acute angles to one another. When the ribs are opened, relatively large apertures are formed into a netlike configuration. Their design function is completely within the drainage area where they are used to convey liquids of all types.

(Koerner, Robert. Designing with Geosynthetics 5th Edition. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2005. Print.)
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Geomembranes

Geomembranes are relatively thin, impervious sheets of polymeric material used primarily for linings and covers of liquid or solid storage facilities. This includes all types of landfills, reservoirs, canals, and other containment facilities. Thus the primary function is always containment as a liquid or vapor barrier or both. The range of applications, however, is great, and in addition to the environmental area, applications are rapidly growing in geotechnical, transportation, hydraulic, and private development engineering.

(Koerner, Robert M. Designing with Geosynthetics 5th Edition. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2005. Print.)
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Geosynthetic Clay Liners

Geosynthetic clay liners (GCL) are a juxtaposition of polymer and natural soil materials. They are rolls of factory-fabricated thin layers of bentonite clay sandwiched between two geotextiles or bonded to a geomembrane. Structural integrity of the composite is obtained by needle-punching, stitching, or physical bonding. GCLs are used as a composite component beneath a geomembrane or by themselves in environmental and containment applications as well as in transportation, geotechnical, hydraulic, and various private development applications.

(Koerner, Robert M. Designing with Geosynthetics 5th Edition. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2005. Print.)
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Geopipe

Geopipe is included here because of an obvious awareness that geopipe is being used in all aspects of geotechnical, transportation, environmental, hydraulic, and private development engineering.

(Koerner, Robert M. Designing with Geosynthetics 5th Edition. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2005. Print.)
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Geofoam

Geofoam is a product created by polymeric expansion process resulting in a “foam” that consists of many closed but gas-filled cells. The skeletal nature of the cell walls is the unexpanded polymeric material. The resulting product is generally in the form of large, but extremely light, blocks that are stacked side-by-side, providing lightweight fill in numerous applications. Although the primary function is dictated by the application, separation is always a consideration and geofoam will be included in this category rather than creating a separate one.

(Koerner, Robert M. Designing with Geosynthetics 5th Edition. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2005. Print.)
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Geocomposites

Geocomposites consist of a combination of geotextiles, geogrids, geonets, and/or geomembranes in a factory-fabricated unit. Also, any one of these four materials can be combined with another synthetic material (e.g., deformed plastic sheets or steel cables) or with soil. For example, a geonet with geotextiles on both surfaces and a GCL consisting of a geotextile/bentonite/geotextile sandwich are both geocomposites. This exciting area brings out the best creative efforts of the engineer, manufacturer, and contractor. The application areas are numerous and growing steadily. They encompass the entire range of functions previously listed for geosynthetics: separation, reinforcement, filtration, drainage, and containment.

(Koerner, Robert M. Designing with Geosynthetics 5th Edition. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2005. Print.)
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Tour Booking

We sincerely invite you to visit the ACE Geosynthetics EcoPark. A one-hour tour is offered.
With the tour, you would be able to learn more about the followings:
- The making, characteristics and applications of geosynthetic materials
- The concept and construction process of applications using geosynthetic materials

The opening hours are:

09:00-11:30 / 14:00-16:30 (Monday to Friday )

Please complete and send out the following form 3 days prior to the tour date .
We will contact you as soon as possible.

Click here to see the location of ACE Geosynthetics EcoPark


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