--- title: "Role of Geosynthetics in Civil Engineering & Construction" date: 2021-08-30 author: "Pawan Khatri" url: https://oceangeosynthetics.com/role-of-geosynthetics-in-civil-engineering-construction/ --- August 30, 2021 | [Geosynthetics](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/category/geosynthetics/), [Insights](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/category/insights/) # Role of Geosynthetics in Civil Engineering & Construction Geosynthetics are polymeric (and sometimes natural-fibre) materials used with soil, rock or other construction materials to separate, filter, drain, reinforce, contain or protect. In geotechnical engineering they often replace a thick layer of selected aggregate, a clay liner or a deep excavation with a factory-made sheet that is quicker to install. They also let engineers use local soil that would otherwise be rejected: a geogrid can make marginal fill work in a reinforced wall, and a geotextile can keep a cheaper aggregate clean over soft ground. Their use now covers most branches of civil work: geotechnical, environmental, coastal and hydraulic engineering. This post looks at three of the biggest: roads, landfills and drainage. ## Table of Contents ## Geosynthetics in Roadways ![](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/WhatsApp-Image-2020-07-21-at-12.04.11-1-300x225.jpeg) A geosynthetic is a planar polymer product used with soil, rock or other geotechnical materials as part of a built project, structure or system. In transport infrastructure they are used under roads, airfields and railways and along waterways, sometimes in combination with natural materials. Their main functions are filtration, drainage, separation, reinforcement, acting as a fluid barrier, and protection. Separation means keeping two materials apart, such as a soft subgrade and the aggregate above it, so neither contaminates the other. [Geomembranes](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/products/ocean-geomembrane/) are impermeable polymeric sheets that are used as liquid and solid waste containment barriers. Geogrids are rigid or flexible polymer grid-like sheets with wide gaps that are typically used to strengthen unstable soil and waste piles. [Geonets](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/products/ocean-geonet/) are rigid polymer net-like sheets having in-plane openings that are principally used as a [landfill](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/solution/environment-dewatering-landfills/) drainage medium. [Geosynthetic clay liners](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/products/geosynthetics-clay-liner/) (GCLs) are layers of bentonite clay held between [geotextiles](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/products/geotextile-manufacturers/) or bonded to a geomembrane, used as a [liquid and solid waste containment](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/suitable_sectors/waste-management/) barrier. [Geo pipes](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/products/pvc-geo-pipes/) are perforated or solid-walled polymeric pipes that are used to drain a variety of liquids. Geocomposites combine two or more of these types, such as a geonet bonded between geotextiles for drainage. Geofoams are lightweight expanded polystyrene blocks used as fill where the ground cannot carry the weight of soil. The geosynthetic products most commonly used in roadway systems include geotextiles (woven and non-woven) and geogrids (biaxial and multiaxial), although erosion-control products, geocells, geonets (or geocomposite drainage products), and geomembranes have also been incorporated in several applications. Each can do one or more functions in a pavement, such as separation and reinforcement at the subgrade, or drainage at the road edge. ## Geosynthetics in Landfills A typical landfill cover system includes a composite geomembrane/GCL barrier layer. A geocomposite sheet drain (geotextile/geonet composite) sits on top of the geomembrane as the drainage layer. Below the infiltration barrier, geogrid, geotextile or geocell reinforcement can be added to reduce the strains that differential settlement of the waste, or a later vertical expansion of the landfill, would otherwise put on the barrier layers. Above the barrier, geogrid or geotextile reinforcement can hold the vegetative cover soil in place on the side slopes. Fibre reinforcement mixed into the soil is another option for steep sections of the cover. Geosynthetic liners are thinner, faster to place and less permeable than thick compacted clay liners. Their weak point is shear strength: the interfaces between smooth geosynthetic layers, and the bentonite inside a GCL, can be slippery, and a poorly designed or built liner system can slide. The two common failure modes in geosynthetic-lined landfills are translational failure through the waste and along the bottom liner (deep-seated), and sliding of the final cover system (shallow). Interface shear strengths between geosynthetic-geosynthetic and geosynthetic-soil pairs vary widely, so designers test the actual materials (ASTM D5321) rather than assume a value. ## Geosynthetics in the Drainage system In civil and environmental operations, geosynthetics can be used as drains and filters in addition to or instead of typical granular materials. In cases when granular materials available do not fulfill design standards, are rare, or have their usage prohibited by environmental legislation, geosynthetics are easier to deploy in the field and generally cost-effective. In various civil engineering projects, conventional graded granular materials are employed for filtration and drainage. The most common aggregate drain is the French drain, a trench filled with free-draining aggregate. Meeting the grading criteria for a traditional graded filter can be expensive when suitable sand and gravel have to be hauled in. A geosynthetic drain does the same two jobs with factory-made layers. **Drainage** (transmissivity): water flows along the plane of a geonet, geocomposite or thick non-woven. **Filtration**: water passes across a geotextile filter while soil particles stay in place, so the drain does not clog. Wrapping a French drain’s aggregate in non-woven geotextile combines both. If you are deciding which geosynthetic a site needs, our guide to [choosing geosynthetics for ground improvement](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/geosynthetics-products-for-ground-performance-improvement/) starts from the ground problem and works through separation, stabilisation, confinement, drainage and barrier layers. ## Final Thoughts Each geosynthetic is chosen for the function the site needs: a geotextile to separate or filter, a geogrid or geocell to reinforce, a geomembrane or GCL to contain, a geonet or geocomposite to drain. Start from the problem (soft subgrade, leachate, groundwater) and specify the product and grade against it. Ocean’s [case studies](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/case-studies/) show these products in use on Indian road, landfill and drainage projects. Get Ocean Geosynthetics in your Google feed[![](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/google-g-logo.svg)Add us as a preferred source on Google](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=https://oceangeosynthetics.com/) [![picture showing Geotextile Fabric](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/geotextiles-300x162.png)](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-geotextile-fabric/) [Geotextile](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/category/geotextile/), [Insights](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/category/insights/) [The Ultimate Guide To Geotextile Fabric](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-geotextile-fabric/) Geotextile | Definition Geotextiles are permeable textile materials used with soil. Most are made from polyester or polypropylene. They separate soil layers, filter water, drain,… [See More](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-geotextile-fabric/) [![Picture showing one of the Types of Geogrids](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Geogrid-New.jpg)](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/what-are-the-types-of-geogrids/) [Geogrids](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/category/geogrids/), [Insights](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/category/insights/) [Geogrids – Its types, Functions and Applications](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/what-are-the-types-of-geogrids/) Geogrids are reinforcement grids made from polymers such as high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), polyester (PET) or polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). They are formed by joining… [See More](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/what-are-the-types-of-geogrids/) [![Case Study: Innovative Waterproofing Project in Bhubaneswar, Odisha](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Capture-300x197.jpg)](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/waterproofing-project-in-bhubaneswar-odisha/) [Case Studies](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/category/case-studies/) [Case Study: Non-Woven Geotextile for a Waterproofing Project in Bhubaneswar, Odisha](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/waterproofing-project-in-bhubaneswar-odisha/) Ocean Non Wovens supplied and installed 6,000 square metres of 2 mm thick Non-Woven Geotextile for a large waterproofing project in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. 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