Extending road service life with Tensar Technology

Cansult Abu Dhabi proposed a trial based on the use of Tensar Technology which proved highly successful and more cost effective than previous techniques.

Attempts had been made with conventional road repair techniques to counter the deterioration of a 20 year old heavily trafficked main highway in Abu Dhabi.

As these repaired sections had shown further deterioration in as little as four months, the specifier Cansult Abu Dhabi proposed a trial based on the use of Tensar Technology.

These proved highly successful and more cost effective than previous techniques, so the Tensar trials were extended to several locations, and these have been in service for more than three years.

The road from Abu Dhabi to Sila'a was constructed in the mid-1980s and the road had deteriorated due to capillary rise of ground water up into the sub-base.

This weakened the sub-base causing asphalt fatigue, alligator cracking, loss of bearing capacity and some differential settlement.

Tensar geogrids were installed on a levelled formation after the failed asphalt and part of the sub-base had been removed.

The aggregate placed immediately above the geogrid reinforcement was selected to control moisture rise into the sub-base, which had been the principal cause of the distress in the former pavement construction Cansult Abu Dhabi commented: "In the three years following the rehabilitation of the road, periodical monitoring has shown no deterioration in the sections stabilised by Tensar".

"The bearing capacity has been maintained and there is no sign of differential settlement, so this technique is now regarded as standard for this type of highway problem.".

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