Base course stabilisation for a new farm track

Situation

As part of land consolidation measures, the removal and reconstruction of farm tracks became necessary. In recent years, geosynthetics have been regularly used both for the stabilisation of unbound base courses and for the reinforcement of asphalt layers, as was the case with the ‘Bentheim-Eileringsbeeke Land Consolidation’ project in spring 2006. An old farm track, where the carriageway was not sufficiently stabilised, was completely renovated.

Solution

First, the old road surface was broken up using a large milling machine, after which the sub-base for the superstructure was prepared. Before installing the mineral base course, the 4.00 m wide geogrid was laid taut and without creases. This is a biaxial, tensile-stiff geogrid made of polypropylene, which can absorb high tensile forces even with minimal deformation. The stress-strain behaviour and mesh size comply with the ‘2006 Standard Specifications for the Planning and Tendering of Construction Works in Procedures under the Land Consolidation Act’, which was published in a revised version by the associations of land consolidation associations in Lower Saxony in early 2007.

Advantages

The geogrid contributes to significant cost savings, as it eliminates the need for the costly disposal of milled material involving excavation and removal. Furthermore, this construction method obviates the need for the additional installation of 20–30 cm of frost protection material, allowing work to be carried out without height restrictions. All in all, this solution contributes to a high-quality structure.