Geosynthetics for Development of Transportation Infrastructures

Building infrastructures over weak soils having low bearing capacity requires design solutions that are sustainable and economical, enhancing safety and serviceability. Due to the dramatically increased speeds and axle loads in recent years, many conventional railways and highways show signs of distress, lateral instability and unacceptable settlements. Degradation and deformation of the pavements and tracks seriously hamper safety and efficiency, for instance enforcing speed restrictions and more regular maintenance and upgrading. In such cases, the introduction of geosynthetic reinforcements in the aggregate layer and subgrade soil seems to be a potential solution, which also allows the reduction in the thickness of sub-base layer or even its omission. In the case of existing railways, this technology needs relatively less time to implement, thereby causing less traffic interruption. Moreover, geosynthetics is being widely used in the construction of ports, harbours, and waterway structures. The basic attributes of the reinforced soil technique are the overall economy and ease of construction, coupled with simplicity, providing an added attraction to engineers.

With the objective of highlighting the current international trends in this avenue, Frontiers in Built Environment is hosting a Research Topic on “Geosynthetics for Development of Transportation Infrastructures”, considering research papers in the following areas:

• Ground improvement and reinforcement
• Railways, Highways, and Airports
• Ports and Harbours
• Coastal and waterways structures
• Erosion control
• Materials and testing
• Recycled materials
• Geosynthetics for Sustainable Development
• Design concepts
• Case histories
• Any other closely associated topic