Geosynthetics use in the current construction of parking lots and unloading spaces in front of shopping malls is rapidly growing. Woven geotextiles and geomembranes, ensuring the structure durability, cost effectiveness and stability, have become particularly popular.
Contents
Woven geotextile
Woven geotextile characterized by high resistance to mechanical loads has numerous applications in construction of parking lots. Key functions of woven geotextile are below:
- Foundation reinforcement. Distribution of the load on the foundation is the main function of woven geotextile in parking lots and unloading spaces. This material prevents soil settlement, thus lowering the probability of potholes and cracks, in places of enhanced loading such as parking lots in front of shopping malls.
- Layer separation. Geotextile functions as a separator between various soil layers, such as macadam and sand, preventing their inter-mixing. This is important for keeping the integrity of a parking lot foundation, particularly in the long-term operation context.
- Strength and durability. Woven geotextile is characterized by high resistance to rupture and mechanical damage that makes it ideal for use in heavy-traffic areas.
Geomembranes
Geomembranes are geosynthetics used as a barrier preventing water penetration into a structure. Membranes play an important role in waterproofing and protection against moisture in construction of parking lots and unloading spaces in front of shopping malls.
- Foundation waterproofing. Membranes aid in preventing moisture penetrating a foundation, which is particularly significant for places with frequent precipitation or high levels of ground water. Excessive moisture can destroy a parking lot foundation, and may result in erosion and surface deformation.
- Protection from frost heaving. In cold areas, the soil water may freeze and expand thus causing a parking lot surface rise and deformation. Membranes prevent water penetration thus reducing the risk of such damage.
- Chemical resistance. Membranes possess high resistance to chemical substances that may find their way to a parking lot surface, e.g. fuel, oils or de-icing agents. This protects a parking lot foundation as well as its surface against deformation.
Geosynthetics use benefits
Woven geotextile and membrane use in construction of parking lots and unloading spaces in front of shopping malls provides a number of essential benefits:
- Cost effectiveness. Geosynthetics application reduces the volume of conventional building materials used, such as macadam and sand. Besides material cost cutting, it shortens the construction time. The economic value amounts to 15% to 54%.
- Durability. Geotextile and membranes extend the parking lot service life by reducing the number of repairs. This is particularly important for shopping mall parking lots exposed to considerable loads from heavy traffic. The average increase in durability by geosynthetics amounts to 62%.
- Service cost cutting. Thanks to a higher structure strength and better drainage, a parking lot’s need of frequent repair goes down thus cutting the service cost in the long run. The use of geosynthetics enables extension of inter-repair spans by 2.5 times and more.
- Eco safety. Geosynthetics are resistant to decomposition and do not add harmful emissions into environment. This makes them a safe choice for construction in urban settings.
Track record
In fact, many shopping malls are already introducing woven geotextiles and membranes while building parking lots. There has been identified a service cost cutting by 20% to 30% in large shopping mall projects in regions with humid climate thanks to better drainage and foundation reinforcement.
Materials broadly used in construction of parking lots and unloading spaces are represented by Geospan GT PP and Geospan GT PP WA Type 1 in Geospan range.
Conclusions
The usage of woven geotextile and membranes in construction of parking lots and spaces in front of shopping malls is a modern and cost effective solution allowing a considerable increase in a structure durability and stability. These materials protect foundations from moisture, increase the surface strength and ensure service cost cutting.
