Geosynthetics in Sustainable Transportation Infrastructure Construction

Geosynthetics engineering has made phenomenal advances during the last decade in areas of manufacturing as well as practical applications. As a result, geosynthetics have become essential and regular construction materials that facilitate construction, ensure better short-and long-term performance and reduce the long-term maintenance cost in routine civil engineering works. Geosynthetics are also being recognized as fundamentals to sustainable infrastructure development as they reduce the carbon footprint contributed by infrastructure development by minimizing the use of natural resources. The creative use of geosynthetics in geo-engineering practice is expected to continuously expand as innovative materials and products are becoming available. In this paper, the issues related to global warming and sustainable benefits of geosynthetics are first discussed. Recent geosynthetics applications in transportation infrastructure development are introduced with research findings. Finally, the pathway forward regarding geosynthetics technology within the framework of sustainable infrastructure development is discussed.