Paved or Unpaved Roads & Parking Lots

Whether your road is paved or unpaved, the use of a geotextile or geogrid can reduce costs and increase the life of your project. These geosynthetics evenly distribute the load and prevent rutting, cracking and potholes.

Loss of aggregate into the subgrade is the leading cause of pavement failure. Engineers have often dealt with this by using larger rock and/or thickening the aggregate layer to offset the expected loss. Geosynthetics reduce the loss of aggregate by separating the aggregate from the subgrade. Geotextiles are solid sheets that naturally separate, while geogrids rely on mechanical interlock with the aggregate to provide the needed separation.

• Geotextile Superior to Geogrids
• Reduce Costs
• Increase Project Life
• Save Aggregate
• Reduce "Pumping"
• Permeable

Woven Geotextiles

In unpaved roads, a woven geotextile allows surface water to flow through the gravel to the subgrade; restricts soil particles from migrating into the aggregate; prevents mud from pumping into the aggregate; and stops gravel from being pushed into the subgrade.

At US Fabrics, we believe strongly in the use of a woven separation geotextile over a base stabilization geogrid in most road and parking applications. Please see the Helpful Reference "Use Woven Geotextiles Instead of Geogrids" for a discussion of why. US Fabrics offers a complete line of woven separation geotextiles.

Base Stabilization Geogrids

Base stabilization geogrids are sometimes specified for roads. “Type 1” and “Type 2” geogrids have been used successfully for decades and engineers are comfortable designing with them. However, there is only one specific park-on/drive-on application where a geogrid is actually better suited than a woven geotextile: When you are dealing with very weak soils such as peat. Base Stabilization geogrids offer something known as flexural rigidity. Basically, they have a stiffness that geotextiles lack. In very soft soils, they help increase the overall firmness of the subgrade.

However, base stabilization geogrids have large apertures or openings and do not separate soils well. So a woven separation or a medium weight nonwoven geotextile must also be used to provide the critical function of separation. When a geogrid is specified, US Fabrics has you covered with BaseGrid biaxial polypropylene geogrids for base course reinforcement and subgrade stabilization including Type 1 and Type 2 geogrids.