Evaluation of Polypropylene Woven Geotextile Performance in Reinforced Pavement Sections: A Case Study from Panagarh-Palsit Area

The geotextile-reinforced pavement sections are being used extensively to provide enhanced strength to the pavement under high tire pressure from heavy vehicles. In this paper, the pavement sections reinforced with polypropylene woven geotextile are analysed to evaluate the performance of the same from combined experimental and numerical analysis. For this purpose, a series of plate load tests (PLT) were carried out on the woven geotextile-reinforced subgrade soil in a layered configuration. The PLT was conducted in the site area of the Panagarh-Palsit section of NH-19. Commercially available polypropylene woven geotextile layers are provided between the subbase and subgrade layers to evaluate the contribution of geotextile to the enhanced strength of the pavement sections. The polypropylene geotextile layer will reinforce the pavement, leading to increased load-bearing capacity and reduced deformation. The performance parameters like stress, strain, and surface deformation through the lateral dimension of the pavement for both with and without a geotextile membrane are analysed using ABAQUS CAE finite element modelling (FEM) software. Test results show that the performance of the pavement, especially the subgrade layer, is substantially improved by the use of geotextile reinforcement. The results suggested that the base layer's lateral strains are decreased as a result of the geosynthetic reinforcement. A maximum reduction of approximately 30, 40, and 24% is observed in surface deformation, stress, and strain responses, respectively. As a result, the design thickness of the reinforced section can be decreased, optimizing material usage and construction costs. The effect of cyclic loading on the same pavement section is also examined by applying a sinusoidal stress pulse with an amplitude of 560 kPa and a time duration of 100 s. The results obtained from this analysis show a 40% reduction in settlement and a 50, 35, and 25% drop in average acceleration, stress, and strain, respectively, at the centre of the subgrade layer after using geotextile. From the results, it can be concluded that the geotextile placed between the subbase and subgrade layers of the pavement section is very effective in increasing the strength and sustainability of the pavement as well as the durability of the subgrade layer.