Relevant Properties of PET-Geosynthetics in Cold Regions

Abstract

Nowadays, the use of the geosynthetics in infrastructural projects is a well-known practice, which has shown its advantages worldwide. Market demands as well as technical challenges have led to the development of a wide range of geosynthetics made of different raw materials, in particular, polymer-based materials. This paper focuses on the properties of geosynthetics, made of polyester-terephthalate (PET), which are relevant to their performance in cold regions. In different researches and publications, it has been concluded that some of the main mechanical properties of polymeric geosynthetics, such as stress-strain behavior, including tendency to creep, change if the same material is exposed to different temperatures. The awareness of the properties alterations at different temperatures is indispensable for designing geosynthetic reinforced structures safely and efficiently. With regard to design procedures which are generally calibrated for areas with moderate climate, it allows to come up with more cost-effective solutions by taking into account the temperature regimes of the geosynthetic reinforced structures. The paper shows the dependency of the properties of PET-geosynthetics to different temperatures and indicates its potential utility.