Table Of ContentEditors:
Geotextile encapsulated sand elements are three-dimensional systems manufactured E
d A. Bezuijen
from textile materials, non-woven materials or combinations of textile and non- it
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woven materials that are fi lled with sand on-site. These systems are relatively new rs E.W. Vastenburg
and the number of applications is growing in river and coastal engineering. Quite : B
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often Geosystems are mentioned as a possible solution, but planners, designers and z
u
contractors feel rather hesitant about the application of geotextile encapsulated sand ije
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elements due to a lack of experience and adequate design rules. &
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The use of geosystems has the advantage that local material can be applied and that s
t
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no (expensive) quarry stone needs to be extracted and transported from the mountains n
b
to the site. Compared to traditional construction methods (with quarry stone) the u
r
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application of geotextile sand fi lled elements may add considerable operational
advantages to the execution of marine works and may offer attractive fi nancial
opportunities. In the application of geotextile encapsulated sand elements however,
proper attention should be paid to the laying down of different responsibilities of the
parties in the contract.
In Geosystems. Design Rules and Applications four types of geotextile sand
G
elements are distinguished, each with specifi c properties: geo-bags, geo-mattresses,
e
geotextile tubes and geotextile containers. The focus is on the use of geosystems fi lled
o
with sand as a construction in river and coastal engineering. Geosystems fi lled with
s
sludge are not covered. The chapters “Introduction” and “General design aspects” y
s
are followed by four chapters of the same structure dealing with the various systems.
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Each of these four chapters starts with a general description and applications and e
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ends with a calculation example. Design aspects are dealt with in the remaining
paragraphs. s
Geosystems. Design Rules and Applications is based on research commissioned D
e Geosystems
by the Dutch Rijkswaterstaat and Delft Cluster. The realisation of the Dutch version s
ig
was coordinated by a CUR-committee. The English version is a translation of the n
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Dutch version (CUR-publication 217). However, new developments have been added u
and the text was checked once again and improved. Geosystems. Design Rules and le
s
Applications is an essential reference for professionals and academics interested a Design Rules and Applications
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in River and Coastal Engineering, but aims also at those interested in Geotechnical d
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Engineering. p
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Geosystems. Design Rules
and Applications
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Geosystems. Design Rules
and Applications
A. Bezuijen & E.W. Vastenburg
Deltares, Delft, The Netherlands
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CRC Press
Taylor & Francis Group
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© 2013 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
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Contents
Preface ix
Notations xi
List of figures xv
1 Introduction 1
1.1 Why there is a need for design rules for geotextile-encapsulated
sand elements 1
1.2 Document structure 1
2 General design aspects 3
2.1 Basic principles of geotextile-encapsulated sand elements 3
2.2 Design approach 4
2.3 Safety considerations 7
2.3.1 Introduction 7
2.3.2 Deterministic method 7
2.3.3 Potential failure mechanisms 8
2.4 Material aspects of geotextiles 9
2.4.1 Raw materials 9
2.4.2 Sand tightness 10
2.4.3 Permeability 11
2.4.4 Tensile strength and strain 11
2.4.5 Seams 12
2.4.6 Damage during installation of gravel layers 14
2.4.7 Durability 14
2.4.8 CE marking 16
3 Geotextile bags 19
3.1 Application and general experimental data 19
3.2 Installation procedure 20
3.3 Geometric design 21
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vi Contents
3.4 Failure modes and safety considerations 22
3.5 Design aspects 23
3.5.1 Material choice 23
3.5.2 Required tensile strength 23
3.5.3 Stability in waves 24
3.5.4 Stability when subject to longitudinal current flows 27
3.5.5 Stability when subject to overtopping currents 29
3.5.6 Stability of geotextile bags placed in mounds 30
3.6 Construction aspects 31
3.7 Calculation example 32
4 Geotextile mattresses 37
4.1 Application areas and general experimental data 37
4.2 Installation procedure 39
4.3 Geometric design 39
4.4 Potential failure mechanisms and safety considerations 41
4.5 Design aspects 41
4.5.1 Material choice 41
4.5.2 Required tensile strength 42
4.5.3 Stability in waves 45
4.5.4 Stability in longitudinal currents 45
4.5.5 Geotechnical stability 46
4.6 Construction aspects 46
4.7 Calculation example 47
5 Geotextile tubes 51
5.1 Applications and general experimental data 51
5.2 Installation procedure 52
5.2.1 General 52
5.2.2 Pump speed and pump capacity 53
5.2.3 Fill material 55
5.3 Geometric design 57
5.4 Failure mechanisms and safety considerations 60
5.5 Design aspects 60
5.5.1 Material choice and fabrication 60
5.5.2 Required tensile strength 61
5.5.3 Stability 64
5.6 Construction aspects 66
5.7 Calculation example 67
6 Geotextile containers 71
6.1 Application areas and general experimental data 71
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Contents vii
6.2 Installation procedure 71
6.2.1 General 71
6.2.2 Fill methodology 72
6.2.3 Fill material 72
6.2.4 Degree of filling 73
6.3 Geometric design 74
6.4 Failure mechanisms and safety considerations 77
6.5 Design aspects 78
6.5.1 Material choice 78
6.5.2 Loading on geotextile while opening the split barge 78
6.5.3 Loading on geotextile upon impact on the bottom 79
6.5.4 Required tensile strength 85
6.5.5 Stability in waves 86
6.5.6 Stability in currents over the structure 87
6.5.7 Stacking stability 88
6.5.8 Influence of wave-induced liquefaction 91
6.5.9 Placement accuracy 92
6.6 Construction aspects 94
6.7 Calculation example 95
Appendix A: Permeability of geotextiles 101
Appendix B: CE marking 107
Appendix C: Design charts for the geotechnical stability of geotextile
mattresses and geotextile bags on slope revetments 113
Appendix D: Dimensions and shape of geotextile tubes 115
Appendix E: Shape and forces in geotextile tubes (Timoshenko method) 119
Appendix F: Tensile load in geotextile container during the opening
of the split barge 125
Appendix G: Fall velocity of the geotextile container 131
Appendix H: Placement accuracy for geotextile containers 135
References 139
Subject index 143
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Preface
Geotextile-encapsulated sand elements are three-dimensional systems manufactured
from textile materials that are filled with sand. They form a sub-group of a wider
system of geosynthetic solutions for erosion control that are known as Geosystems.
These elements are used in hydraulic engineering structures such as dams, dykes and
breakwaters as an alternative for quarry stone e.g. as core material. They may also be
used for bottom or bank protection or to fill up a scour hole.
The use of these elements has the advantage that local material can be utilized
and that no stone needs to be extracted and transported from a quarry to the site.
Compared to traditional construction methods (with quarry stone) the application of
geotextile sand filled elements may add considerable operational advantages to the
execution of hydraulic works and may offer attractive financial opportunities and
environmental aspects.
New and promising developments in hydraulic engineering, such as geotextile-
encapsulated sand elements, are sometimes hampered by the lack of design rules.
That’s probably the reason why planners, designers and contractors are therefore
rather hesitant to apply these materials.
Most of the design rules are empirical in nature and this means that existing
experience is therefore required to design new structures. For this reason it is a chal-
lenge to design a structure when only limited experience is available with that type of
material.
This was the idea of the CUR-committee F42 (CUR Building & Infrastructure)
where existing experiences and research results were gathered and compiled in the
CUR-publication 217 “Ontwerpen met geotextiele zandelementen”.
The original CUR-217 publication is in Dutch and this manual makes the con-
tents of this publication available for an international audience. Most of this manual
is a translation of CUR-217. However, additions have been made to give this manual
more international relevance. In addition, some improvements and corrections have
been made. When the CUR publication 217 was published the CUR-committee F42
had the following members:
• Dr. J.G. de Gijt (Chairman, Rotterdam Public Works*/Delft University of
Technology)
• G.J. Akkerman (Royal Haskoning)
• Dr. A. Bezuijen (Editor, Deltares*/Ghent University)
• E. Berendsen (Ministry of Public Works*)
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