High-friction geo-textiles for increasing the stability of landfill drainage layers and other high-friction angle installations, and related methods

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to geo-textiles having an increased resistance to the negative effects of shear forces in installations or layered structures which can be adapted and arranged to utilize geo-textiles. Geo-textiles of the invention comprise at least one high-friction compound, such as one or more high-friction polymers, and methods for making and utilizing them. The high-friction characteristics of components of the invention provide increased resistance to the negative effects of shear forces in layered installations which employ them. Geo-textiles of the invention may have one or more high-friction compounds provided on either or both surfaces. Geo-textiles according to the invention are particularly useful in sloped installations where at least a portion of the layered structure is at a slope angle of greater than 4 degrees, and can be interposed between one or more of geo-membranes, geo-grids, geo-cells, geocomposite laminates and conventional geo-textiles.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates generally to woven and non-woven geo-textiles which comprise high-friction components, such as polymers, on one or both of their surfaces, and methods for making and utilizing such high-friction geo-textiles. Geo-textiles of the invention provide increased resistance to the negative effects of shear forces in layered installations which employ them, such as those comprising geo-membranes, geo-nets, void-maintaining geo-composite core elements and other layered geo-composite structures. Moreover, the present invention provides means and methods for decreasing the destructive effects of shear forces on layered temporary covers used in landfills and the like. [0002] The high-friction characteristics of the many embodiments of the invention provide engineers and designers with the ability to design, plan and build installations having sloping portions of steeper angles than those achievable without the present invention. Thus, ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007] It is therefore an object of the invention to provide woven and non-woven geo-textiles comprising high-friction compounds on one or both surfaces which provide an increased resistance to shear forces between the geo-textiles and one or more adjacent surfaces, such as one or more of geo-membranes, geo-nets and geo-grid.

[0008] It is another object of the invention to provide high-friction geo-textiles which are useful in layered structures and have superior characteristics with respect to functional longevity, performance and inter-layer resistance to shear forces.

[0015] As an additional advantage, the high-friction compound can be applied to the geo-textile in one or more patterns, for example, straight rows, curved rows, straight stripes, curved stripes, intermittent squares, intermittent circles, intermittent eccentric shapes, regular polygons, irregular polygons, checkerboards, lattices, wave patterns and repeating free-form or miscellaneous designs. The high-friction compound can also be applied randomly as may be desired or advantageous. In another significant aspect, geo-textiles of the invention may have one or more high-friction compounds on all or portions of both surfaces, thereby adding to the diverse circumstances in which geo-textiles of the invention may be used.

[0020] Geo-textiles of the invention may be adapted and arranged such that the high-friction compound extends above the first or second surfaces of the geo-textile to which it is bonded. Thus the high-friction compound may have a thickness above the surface of the geo-textile to which it applied the thickness being measured perpendicularly from the average mean surface of the geo-textile. Because the one or more high-friction compounds extend above the surface of the geo-textile, it provides additional gripping ability, for example, when the geo-textile is adjacent another layer, such as a geo-net or geo-grid, which also possesses dimensional features which can interact with the raised thickness of the high-friction compound. In some preferred embodiments, the thickness of the one or more high-friction compounds on the first surface of the geo-textile is preferably 0.1 millimeter, or at least 0.1 millimeter. In other preferred embodiments the first thickness is at least 1.0 millimeters, or at least 2.0 millimeters, or least 3.0 milli-meters. In embodiments of the invention where geo-textiles have one or more high-friction compounds on both surfaces, the compound on the second surface has a second thickness, and the second thickness can be of similar dimensions as those of the first surface, or can be of different dimensions. Moreover, the high-friction compound provided on each of the two surfaces may be provided in different, or varying, thick-nesses, and in different patterns or dispositions.

[0029] High-friction geo-textiles of the invention can be used in numerous ways. They are particularly suitable for increasing the stability of landfills and in other high-friction angle installations. Thus, in accordance with other advantageous aspects of the invention, methods for increasing resistance to the undesirable effects of horizontal shear forces between one or more layers of geo-membranes, geo-textiles, geo-composites, geo-nets, geo-cells and void-maintaining layers in a landfill installation, are provided.

Problems solved by technology

Water is the principal cause of distress in many types of structures.

A typical problem with conventional geo-textiles, geo-composites, geo-nets, geo-grids and methods for their use are numerous.

Such shear forces tend to disrupt the relative positions of the various layers thus causing a partial or complete failure of the drainage system because, for example, intrusion of the outer layers into the void spaces.