Why Polypropylene (PP) Geogrid Is the Preferred Material for Soft Soil Foundation Reinforcement?
Q: What is soft soil foundation?
Soft soil foundations usually consist of silt, silty soil, peat, or saturated loose fine sand. Its core characteristics include:
(1) High water content: It has large pores and contains a lot of water like a sponge.
(2) Low bearing capacity: It cannot directly support the weight of heavy buildings or roads.
(3) Easy to deform: It will have large settlement or lateral displacement under pressure.
(4) Need for reinforcement: Engineers must use geogrids to share the stress.
Q: Why choose Polypropylene (PP) geogrid?
The specific characteristics of Polypropylene geogrids are as follows:
(a.) Flexibility: Soft soil foundations deform easily. PP geogrids have good flexibility. They can change shape with the settlement of the ground and do not break easily. In contrast, fiberglass geogrids have a very high modulus (67 Gpa) and are brittle. They easily break due to stress concentration during uneven settlement.
(b.) Lateral restraint: PP geogrids are usually made by extrusion. They have high junction strength and thick ribs. After laying gravel in soft soil, the stones can be firmly "interlocked" in the mesh of the PP geogrid. This forms a stable composite base layer. Fiberglass geogrids are flat. They mainly combine with asphalt through a modified bitumen coating. Their physical interlocking ability for coarse aggregate is weak.
(c.) Chemical stability: Soft soil foundations often have complex acid-base environments or salt. Polypropylene (PP) is a high molecular polymer. It has very strong resistance to acid and alkali corrosion. Fiberglass has a coating. However, if the coating is damaged during construction, the mineral fibers are easily corroded by water and chemicals in the soil.
(d.) Construction adaptability: On muddy soft soil, PP geogrids can bear high vertical uneven loads. They can also bear the pressure of heavy machinery to a certain extent.
In contrast, other types of geogrids like fiberglass and steel-plastic lack effective elongation tolerance in soft soil structures. They cannot withstand long-term soil acid and alkali corrosion. Also, their forming process is not as good as the integrated molding of polymers (where rib and junction strength are the same). Therefore, PP geogrid is the best choice for soft soil reinforcement.
(Figure. Zhonglong Plastic Geogrid TDS)
Q: Which regions are likely to have soft soil settlement problems?
Southeast Asia
Indonesia: Jakarta and Sumatra. It has many coastal plains and mangrove swamps.
Vietnam: Mekong Delta and Red River Delta. These are deep silt layers.
Thailand: Bangkok Basin
Philippines: There are many coastal road and port construction projects.
Middle East
Land reclamation and salt crust (Sabkha) areas. Although the inland is desert, infrastructure activities are concentrated on the coast. UAE & Qatar: Dubai and Doha have many land reclamation projects (artificial islands). The foundations in these areas are very unstable. Saudi Arabia: The Red Sea coast and the eastern Persian Gulf coast. There is a lot of Sabkha (salty soil). The bearing capacity of this soil drops sharply when wet. It must be reinforced with PP geogrids.
Central Asia
Kazakhstan & Turkmenistan: The soil along the Caspian Sea coast is soft.
Uzbekistan: This soil collapses when it meets rain.
Oceania
Australia: Coastal cities like Brisbane and Perth
New Zealand: The developed animal husbandry leads to muddy pasture roads.
Russia: Permafrost layers and large areas of swamps in the West Siberian Plain.
Central Asia
Kazakhstan & Turkmenistan: The soil along the Caspian Sea coast is soft. Uzbekistan: This soil collapses when it meets rain.
Oceania: Australia: Coastal cities like Brisbane and Perth New Zealand: The developed animal husbandry leads to muddy pasture roads.
Russia
Permafrost layers and large areas of swamps in the West Siberian Plain.
Recommended link:
Wet Weather Soft Soil Solutions
Soft Soil Reinforcement Geogrid
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