Field performance of woven geotextiles in unpaved roads under seasonal climate loadings

Abstract

While woven geotextiles are known to enhance soil structure by providing mechanical reinforcement and facilitating drainage, thereby reducing moisture content in pavement layers, full-scale field studies validating their performance on unpaved roads remain limited. This paper presents field installation, sensor instrumentation, and performance monitoring of two woven geotextiles applied to unpaved roads in Iowa, United States. The study involved installing moisture and temperature sensors at three depths within the base and subgrade layers across three test sections: two with different woven geotextiles and one control section without geosynthetics. The sections were subjected to real traffic loads, including heavy trucks and farm equipment as well as variable precipitation and temperature conditions throughout the monitoring period. Results showed that both woven geotextiles effectively reduced volumetric water content (VWC) in the subgrade compared to the control. While both performed similarly in moisture control, differences were observed in drainage capacity, influenced by the specific properties of each material. Despite reduced water flow and increased soil moisture under colder conditions, both geotextiles maintained consistent performance. The woven geotextile-stabilized sections also exhibited significantly less deformation, demonstrating improved soil strength and stiffness.