Polyester geogrid
Material Composition and Production Process
Polyester geogrid (PET geogrid) is a geosynthetic made primarily from high-strength polyester filaments, woven or knitted into a grid structure, then surface-coated or heat-set. Polyester fibers possess a high degree of molecular orientation and crystallinity, giving the geogrid excellent tensile strength and durability.
Raw Material: High-quality, high-strength polyester filaments, typically with a single-filament breaking strength of ≥6 cN/dtex.
Technology Features: The mesh is woven using warp or weft knitting techniques, then coated with a protective layer such as PVC, asphalt, or SBR to enhance acid, alkali, UV resistance, and durability.
Structural Features: A regular grid pattern is formed in both the longitudinal and transverse directions, with mesh sizes typically ranging from 25×25 mm to 40×40 mm, which facilitates interlocking with the soil and increases friction.
Performance Characteristics
Polyester geogrids, due to their fiber structure and processing characteristics, offer the following advantages:
High tensile strength: Longitudinal and transverse tensile strengths can reach 50–800 kN/m, meeting the reinforcement requirements of various projects.
Moderate elongation: Typically ranging from 8% to 12%, ensuring flexibility while avoiding excessive deformation.
High durability: Polyester is resistant to acid and alkali corrosion and microbial attack, making it suitable for long-term engineering use.
Easy installation: Its flexibility and roll form facilitate transportation and installation, adapting to irregular terrain.
Strong composite properties: It is often combined with geotextiles, membranes, or other materials to form reinforced composite geotechnical materials, enhancing overall performance.
Fiberglass geogrid
Material Composition and Production Process
Fiberglass geogrid is a geotechnical reinforcement material made primarily from high-strength glass fiber yarns, woven into a mesh structure through warp or weft knitting, and then coated with asphalt, PVC, or a modified polymer.
Raw Materials: Glass fiber has high strength, high modulus, and low elongation, making it an ideal reinforcement material.
Production Process: Fiberglass yarns are woven into a mesh structure, then coated with asphalt or polymer, resulting in a finished product with excellent bonding and durability.
Structural Characteristics: Typically, it forms an orthogonal, bidirectional grid with consistent strength in both the longitudinal and transverse directions. The mesh size (e.g., 25×25mm, 40×40mm) facilitates adhesion to the asphalt or base layer.
Performance Characteristics
Due to its material properties, fiberglass geogrids exhibit significant performance differences from polyester geogrids:
High tensile strength and low elongation: Tensile strength can reach 50–300 kN/m, while elongation is typically less than 3%, resulting in virtually no deformation.
Excellent high-temperature resistance: Glass fiber has a high melting point (>700°C) and will not soften or break down during asphalt paving, ensuring structural stability.
Good aging resistance: Glass fiber is not easily oxidized, but the stability of the coating material can affect its overall lifespan.
Lack of flexibility: Compared to polyester geogrids, fiberglass geogrids are relatively brittle, exhibiting slightly poorer bending resistance and transport adaptability.
Strong adhesion to asphalt: When coated with asphalt or polymer, they adhere tightly to the pavement surface, forming a seamless connection.
Performance comparison between polyester Geogrid and fiberglass Geogrid
Tensile Strength and Elongation
Polyester geogrid: Features high tensile strength and good elongation (typically 8%-12%), allowing for a certain degree of deformation adaptability under load, making it more suitable for projects requiring long-term load-bearing and deformation coordination.
Fiberglass geogrid: Features high tensile strength but low elongation (typically ≤3%), resulting in high rigidity. Its primary function is to quickly distribute loads and suppress structural cracks.
Durability and Chemical Stability
Polyester geogrid: Offers strong resistance to acids, alkalis, and salts, and offers good corrosion resistance, making it suitable for long-term burial in the soil.
Fiberglass geogrid: While glass fiber itself offers strong heat resistance and chemical stability, poorly prepared protective layers can be susceptible to corrosion in alkaline environments (such as cement slurry), shortening its service life.
Construction Adaptability
Polyester geogrid: Offers excellent flexibility, is easy to transport and install, and can adapt to irregular foundations and complex terrain.
Fiberglass grating: Relatively brittle and prone to breaking, it offers high overall rigidity, making it easier to maintain a flat surface during asphalt pavement construction.
High-Temperature Resistance
Polyester grating: Its strength retention in high-temperature environments is moderate, and its performance may degrade due to the high temperatures experienced during asphalt paving.
Fiberglass grating: Excellent high-temperature resistance, maintaining stable mechanical properties during asphalt paving, makes it widely used in road maintenance and anti-reflective cracking projects.
Polyester Geogrid (PET Geogrid) Applications
PET Geogrid features high strength, moderate elongation, strong corrosion resistance, and excellent construction adaptability. It is commonly used in the following areas:
Soft Foundation Treatment: When laid on soft foundation projects such as highways, railways, airport runways, and port yards, it effectively improves the bearing capacity of the foundation and reduces settlement.
Slope and Embankment Reinforcement: Applied to soil slopes, embankments, and retaining walls, it improves overall soil stability and prevents landslides.
Roadbed Reinforcement: Used for roadbed reinforcement in new or expanded highways and railways, improving bearing capacity and extending service life.
Water Conservancy and Environmental Protection Engineering: Used in canals, embankment protection, or landfills, it strengthens soil structure and slows deformation and damage.
Applications of Fiberglass Geogrid
Fiberglass geogrid offers high stiffness, low elongation, and excellent high-temperature resistance. It is primarily used in road construction and maintenance:
Road crack prevention and maintenance: It is often used to reinforce interlayers in asphalt pavements, inhibiting the formation and propagation of reflective cracks and extending road service life.
Existing road reconstruction: When overlaying a new surface layer on an old asphalt pavement, installing fiberglass geogrid can reduce crack propagation and improve overall performance.
Airport runways and urban roads: It is suitable for transportation infrastructure with high crack resistance requirements and frequent loads.
Cement concrete pavement reconstruction: When overlaying an asphalt layer on a cement pavement, using fiberglass geogrid can significantly reduce crack reflection.
Polyester geogrids and fiberglass geogrids each have distinct applications in civil engineering: one emphasizes long-term stability and load-bearing capacity, while the other highlights road crack resistance and high-temperature durability. In practical projects, choosing the right product not only improves structural performance but also significantly reduces ongoing maintenance costs.
If you are working on projects related to highways, railways, airport runways, slope reinforcement, water conservancy protection, or soft foundation treatment, please contact us for professional solutions. We can recommend the most suitable geogrid product based on your project needs and provide technical specifications, construction guidance, and pricing options to ensure your project is safer, more durable, and more efficient.
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