In‐soil biodegradation of palm mat geotextiles
2011
Kugan, R. | Sarsby, R. W.
The tensile strength properties of Buriti palm mat geotextiles (manufactured in Brazil using low‐tech, ‘cottage‐industry’ manufacturing techniques) have been investigated with a view to using them as engineering fabrics for soil reinforcement. The rate at which the physical properties of the vegetable fibre geotextiles decline once they have been buried in soil is a key issue. Geotextiles have been buried for various time periods in a sandy soil, under both fully and partially saturated conditions, before being tested to quantify any change in tensile strength with time. It has been found that partially saturated soil is a more aggressive environment than fully saturated soil. The Buruti palm mats retained approximately 40per cent of their initial strength after burial for 1 year in fully saturated soil, but there was total loss of strength after only 9 months when mats were buried in partially saturated soil. The strength retained under fully saturated conditions is inversely proportional to the square‐root of time whilst for partially saturated conditions the strength is directly proportional to the inverse of time. The palm mat geotextiles would not have sufficient durability for use in major ground strengthening applications but they do have potential for prolonging the life of unbound roads.
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