Multifunctional Geosynthetic-Based Stabilization to Increase Coastal Infrastructure Resilience

Details

• Creators:
  Bhaskar, Puneet ; Goehl, Darlene C. ; Puppala, Anand J. ; Suarez, Jaime
• Corporate Creators:
  Texas A&M Transportation Institute ; Texas A&M University. Zachry Department of Civil Engineering
• Corporate Contributors:
  The Southern Plains Transportation Center (SPTC) Region 6 University Transportation Center (UTC) ; United States. Department of Transportation. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  Coasts Drainage Floods Geosynthetics Geotextiles Moisture Content Pavement Design Shear Tests
• Publication/ Report Number:
  CY1-TTI-02
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States ; Texas
• Edition:
  Final Report (09/2023 – 12/2024)
• Corporate Publisher:
  The Southern Plains Transportation Center (SPTC) Region 6 University Transportation Center (UTC)
• Abstract:
  Coastal communities of Texas and Louisiana primarily rely on road infrastructure for their transportation and access to goods and services. Due to surge in extreme rainfall and storm events, coastal infrastructure is at pressing risk. The aggressive infiltration of water in highway embankment slopes due to flooding declines its functional and structural performance gradually. Most of the commonly used geosynthetics do not help with drainage under both saturated and unsaturated conditions. A novel geotextile with special hydrophilic and hygroscopic wicking fibers is gaining popularity due to its multiple functions, including separation, reinforcement, gravity drainage, and capillary drainage through wicking action. This research study focuses on understanding the effect of flooding and drainage on interface strength of wicking geotextile, a crucial parameter in the design of reinforced slopes. A large-scale direct shear box was used to conduct interface tests with wicking geotextile. Tests were performed immediately after flooding and after seven days to capture the effects of wicking-induced drainage on interface strength properties. The drainage capability of wicking geotextile was also evaluated at different normal stress levels. Additionally, a finite element model was developed, and numerical analyses were conducted to examine effect of interface strength properties of wicking geotextile on safety factors of slope subjected to flooding. The findings prioritize the use of wicking geotextiles with for better drainage and interface strength to ensure enhanced slope stability under saturated and unsaturated conditions. It also suggests application of wicking geotextiles as part of an integrated flood management strategy for coastal transportation infrastructure to mitigate the effects of storm surges and heavy precipitation.
• Format:
  PDF
• Funding:
  69A3552348306
• Collection(s):
  University Transportation Centers
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:b390b7453722c5b54d1295a9fda60bd41e2212027b5e0c017926f114fbdbdb9cae241f5702b9cfc1685edce985ec35fac40326ee698d7dac761ddb014a9a1b6d
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/88281/dot_88281_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 8.21 MB ]