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Drainage of road bases

It is a well known fact that water in pavement systems is one of the principal causes of premature pavement failure. To prevent pavement failure, you need to quickly remove migrating fluids through a drainage system engineered for the life of the structure. One solution for drainage incorporates a free-draining base aggregate into the pavement system, but this typically requires an asphaltic or cement stabilization binder to facilitate construction. In addition, a granular layer or geotextile filter is required to prevent migration of subgrade fines into the open-graded base.
Frost heave and subsequent thaw is another problem caused by poor drainage. The main problems associated with frost heave are the costs of repair and maintenance, possible restrictions on vehicle weight, and even complete closure of roadways. The traditional geotechnical solution has always been to remove the frost susceptible soils down to frost depth and replace them with non-frost susceptible material. This requires extensive excavation and additional costs when suitable structural fill is not readily available.
TENAX TENDRAIN's engineered solution to improve drainage and/or reduce frost heave potential incorporates a compressive resistant, void-maintaining drainage system into the pavements structure. TENAX TENDRAIN provides: a high degree of compressive stiffness to support traffic; rapid fluid transmission characteristics, equivalent to free-draining base; significant air void to provide a positive capillary break.

 
Installation of TENAX TENDRAIN for Roadway Drainage
Installation of TENAX TENDRAIN for Roadway Drainage
  Backfilling of fill soil over installed TENAX TENDRAIN
Backfilling of fill soil over installed TENAX TENDRAIN
 
TENAX TENDRAIN also possesses high tensile strength and modulus, allowing it to provide base reinforcement and subgrade restraint in addition to drainage and separation.
TENAX TENDRAIN is easy to install across the road section. For either paved or unpaved roads, for railway track beds, and in particular, for soft soils, TENAX TENDRAIN can be installed between the foundation soil and the upper layer of inert material.
The geocomposite separates the two soils and avoids contamination between inert material and clay particles, preventing any accumulation of water and thus allowing for a well-drained and dry base having higher mechanical properties, design life and with no water inclusion and thus the road section is not frost susceptible.
  TENAX TENDRAIN for infiltrated and subgrade water removal and capillary break protection for paved roads.
TENAX TENDRAIN for infiltrated and subgrade water removal and capillary break protection for paved roads.
PRODUCTS
TENAX TENDRAIN
 
TECHNICAL DOCUMENTS
TDD004: Roadway Base and Subgrade Geocomposite Drainage Layers, 1999 (283kb)
 
CASE HISTORIES
TENAX TENDRAIN high flow triplanar geocomposites for roadway subsurface drainage, US Route 1, Maine DOT
TENAX TENDRAIN high flow triplanar geocomposites for roadway subsurface drainage, Route 58, Virginia DOT
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TENAX SpA • Divisione Geosintetici
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