Mark Marienfeld, P.E., President, TreadMark
Transportation assets such as roads, bridges, tunnels; and ancillary facilities like walls, slopes and drainage structures are all enhanced using geosynthetics. Following a brief review of most of these assets the focus will be on the oldest, largest, and most underappreciated asset, unbound aggregate in roads. Most premature road failures are the result of partially or totally failed unbound aggregate support systems; due to contamination, poor drainage, or excessive loading conditions. A pavement foundation failure results in the need for localized or total reconstruction of the road. Full depth reconstruction is both expensive and time consuming; it also results in traffic delays and congestion, increased emissions, unstainable waste, as well as work zone related traffic accidents and deaths. Introducing the concept of a Permanent Road Foundation (PRF); where most road rehabilitation could indefinitely be limited to fast, inexpensive surficial treatments. Separation/stabilization geosynthetics are a cost-effective solution to achieving the PRF concept by preserving the perpetual performance of unbound aggregate layers. This presentation will discuss/quantify the problem of unbound aggregate deterioration and present the simple solution to improved transportation asset management.