GEOSYNERGISM PROJECT

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The use of geosynthetics (construction materials usually made from polypropylene, polyethylene or polyesters) in civil engineering structures has become a common practice in the last decades. In their applications, the geosynthetics can be in contact with many degradation agents: liquids (e.g. water, seawater or leachates), high temperatures, oxygen, ultraviolet radiation and other weathering agents, abrasion or creep. The installation procedures can also induce some damage on the geosynthetics.

 

The actual design methods, the standards available for degradation tests of geosynthetics and most studies found in literature about the durability of geosynthetics consider the isolated action of the degradation agents, not accounting for possible interactions between them. However, the combined action of the degradation agents can be different (more severe) from the sum of their isolated actions. This is where GeoSynergism project starts, aiming to contribute to a better prediction of the long-term behaviour of the geosynthetics by identifying and quantifying the interactions that occur between the degradation agents of these materials.

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