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Durability of Geosynthetics for Highway
Applications
Jeffrey Havelin, P.E.
Overview
Various
aspects of geosynthetic durability are addressed in this (one-hour) course in
order to develop procedures that could be used to predict long-term strength
losses of geosynthetics used in highway applications. This information is
essential to designers for allowing tensile capacity for geosynthetics used
primarily in mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) retaining walls, reinforced
soil slopes, and foundation stabilization.
The study
was conducted in stages, each stage building on the knowledge previously gained.
The main objectives addressed were to: (1) develop testing protocols necessary
to quantify any strength reduction due to aging or stress (stress cracking only)
mechanisms for polymeric reinforcement materials (geosynthetics), and (2)
develop testing protocols for confined stress-strain testing, which could more
accurately characterize key engineering properties. The results of the
experimental tasks are discussed on the following pages.
This course is based
entirely on publication FHWA-RD-01-050
Durability of Geosynthetics for Highway Applications, which
includes a summary of four previously published reports on this topic.
The student must take a multiple-choice quiz consisting of ten (10) questions
at the end of the course to obtain PDH credits.
Specific Knowledge or Skill Attained
This course will review the various design
aspects of geosynthetic
durability used in highway applications.
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Oxidative incubations
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High-performance
Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
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Hydrolysis incubations
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Scanning electron
microscopy (SEM)
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Measurement of
molecular weight (or intrinsic viscosity) and Carboxyl End Group (CEG)
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Stress cracking
is a potential mode of failure
Course
Click on the following PDF attachment and review the
publication FHWA-RD-01-050
Durability of
Geosynthetics for Highway Applications
prior to taking a quiz for credit.
Durability of Geosynthetics for Highway Applications (190 KB)
Having Trouble Downloading the PDF File?
Right click on the link. Select "Save Target As..."
Then save on your desktop. To view the file, double click the icon on your
desktop and return to this page to take the quiz.
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Click on the link below to download a free copy of Acrobat Reader.
To obtain PDH credits for this course, you will need to take a quiz for
credit. Click on the link below.
(To take the quiz,
your web browser must be set to accept cookies. See how to
check your cookie settings.)
 
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