Design methods for geogrid reinforced flexible pavements
Amir Shahkolahi
The use of geosynthetic materials has become an acceptable practice in road construction including flexible pavements as a sustainable environmentally friendly solution. Studying the behaviour of geogrid reinforced roads over the last 40 years has led to several empirical and mechanistic-empirical methods being developed for the design of geosynthetic reinforced unpaved and paved roads. There is no unique design method for this application in the world as the road conditions vary from one region to another. Adopting a design method from another region or indeed country requires local verification and calibration. In Australia, the peak organisation of Australasian road transport and traffic agencies (Austroads) offers a design method for unreinforced flexible pavements and gives some recommendations for using geosynthetics but unfortunately there is no design guideline for geogrid reinforced pavements. Local road authorities such as Queensland Transportation and Main Roads has published a specification for geogrids in subgrade reinforcement, but again without providing a design method for this application. This presentation reviews some of the available design methods for geogrid reinforced flexible pavements, considers the available design methods in Australia, and provides a design procedure in accordance with Australian design guidelines for flexible pavements based on international and local experience and test results.
About the speaker
Amir Shahkolahi Technical Manager for Australia and New Zealand, Global Synthetics
Amir has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Civil Engineering. As a designer, project manager and researcher, he has been involved in Civil and Geosynthetic industry over the last 20 years. He is the Technical Manager for Australia and New Zealand at Global Synthetics. Amir is the Vice-Chair of the Australian Geomechanics Society (AGS) Queensland chapter, member of the International Geosynthetic Society Technical Committees for reinforcement (TC-R) and Stabilisation (TC-S), Board member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)-Australian Section, member of the ASTM Committee D35 on Geosynthetics, Industry Board member of the Australian Pavement Research Hub, Board member of ARC Training Centre for Advanced Technologies in rail Track Infrastructure (ITTC- Rail), and member of the Standards Australia Technical Committee CE/032-Reinforced fill structures working group. He is also a Board member of the International Geosynthetic Society Technical Committees for Barriers (TC-B), board member of the QLD Landfill Working Group, Board member of the Waste Management and Resource Recovery of Australia in QLD, guest lecturer at Sunshine Coast University and University of Wollongong (UOW), part time PhD researcher at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), and the industry supervisor and advisor for several Geosynthetic research projects in Australia and overseas.
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