Evaluation of the damage and implementation of separation function of geotextiles in road structure

Abstract

In recent decades the road construction and reconstruction works, involving the use of geosynthetics, have increased in Lithuania. One of the geosynthetics' special functions, applied in road construction, is separation of layers of aggregate by nonwoven geotextile in the structure of road pavement. The paper deals with the systems of selecting geosynthetics in Lithuania and other countries and factors influencing the damage of geotextile in road pavement structure. The experimental research consists of two parts. One of them describes an experiment on installation damage of five various types geotextiles between different layers of road structure, the other - installation of two different types geotextiles on the bottom of the sub-base and impact of different amount of vehicle loads. In the first part the analysis focuses on the damage of geotextiles, emerging during installation, in the second - during the life of road structure. At the same time, the damage impact on performing the function of separation is evaluated also.