The foundation is an essential part of any infrastructure, since it creates the medium through which loads are applied and transmitted to the soil.
Reinforcement of soils with limited load-bearing capacity
In certain situations, it can happen that a foundation has to be laid on ground having poor properties in terms of load-bearing capacity (cohesive or alluvial soils), and accordingly, measures must be taken to ensure that the structure will be able to support the specified loads, avoiding any possibility of subsidence.
This is a problem that can be overcome using woven textiles such as GEODREN W-PP or GEODREN W-PES, or geogrids like EDILGRID, which are capable of spreading an applied load across the soil satisfactorily These geosynthetics take the place of layered aggregates — which can sometimes increase the depth of surfaces considerably — thereby optimizing operations on site and minimizing environmental impact.
Separation of layers having different grain sizes
In many construction works such as road building, the structure of the foundation is created by putting down layers of aggregates characterized by different grain sizes. To maintain the integrity of the layered structure, and ensure that the finer materials do not mingle with coarser grades, it is good practice to use non-woven geotextiles such as Geodren PPST, which provide an optimum separation of different layers.
Where separation is not the only concern, and the structure needs reinforcing to increase its load capacity, this can be achieved using woven geotextiles, typically Geodren W-PP or Geodren W-PES, a single product able to combine the two functions required.