The Significance of Geotextile in Unpaved Roads with Special Reference to Stress Analysis

Abstract

The technique of ground improvement using geotextile is extensively used in the construction of unpaved roads, fabrication yards, parking spaces, etc. When the underlying soil is soft, having poor consistency and high compressibility, a geotextile layer can be placed over the subgrade followed by a compacted granular fill layer. Tingle and Jersey (2007) categorically pointed out the problems associated with maintaining low-volume unpaved roads with minimum funding and identified geotextile reinforcement as a possible means to deal with this condition. Use of geotextile as soil reinforcement has been reported to increase the overall stiffness and bearing capacity of the geotextile-soil composite. Geotextiles are also found helpful in reducing settlement and rutting depth. For a given design condition, these improvements lead to a reduced amount of aggregate material and time required for construction and extending of the service life.