TY - JOUR A1 - Müller, Werner T1 - On the determination of the chemical reduction factor for PET geogrids JF - Geotextiles and Geomembranes N2 - Data from four samples of commercially available PET geogrids (made either of yarns or bars), which were measured by BAM or other institute, are analyzed to discuss the procedure and problems of determining the chemical reduction factor RFCH associated with a certain service life. Estimates from Arrhenius extrapolation usually have very large statistical errors. The level of confidence must therefore be specified. A reliable estimate requires data from immersion tests below the glass transition temperature of PET. To extrapolate the time of reductions for each reduction factor at such low temperatures, one has to know the functional form of the mechanical degradation curve. It is shown how the degradation curve of the tensile strength may be obtained by determining the relation between increase in concentration of carboxyl end group (CEG) and decrease in tensile strength. Therefore, experimental studies to determine the chemical reduction factor should be accompanied by the measurements of the CEG concentration and the intrinsic viscosity. Furthermore, such measurements allow a non-ambiguous determination of the molecular mass. Hydrolytic molecular degradation will proceed continuously even at 20 °C with half-life of the inverse of the CEG concentration of 40–100 y. Nevertheless, small chemical reduction factors at a lifetime of 100 y are obtained with high level of confidence for materials with low initial CEG concentration and high molecular mass. This is shown by pooling data from samples with comparable CEG concentration, molecular mass and above all comparable intrinsic relation between increase in CEG concentration and decrease in strength. Therefore, the recommendation of ISO TR 20432, Table 2, for chemical reduction factors seems to be applicable to PET geogrids with index properties well below the one specified by the technical report. Whether these index properties are actually a sufficient condition to have small chemical reduction factors even at a very long service life is still an open question. The determination of chemical reduction factor should be based on aging experiments, at least for products with index properties close to the limiting values for the following reasons. (1) Even so standards are available, results of different laboratories on absolute values of CEG concentration and number averaged molecular mass differ to a certain extent. (2) Other factors, like crystallization, affect the mechanical degradation significantly. (3) There is no universally applicable form of the mechanical degradation curve. KW - Hydrolytic degradation KW - Polyester KW - Geogrid KW - Chemical reduction factor KW - Aging PY - 2014 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geotexmem.2013.12.009 SN - 0266-1144 VL - 42 IS - 2 SP - 98 EP - 110 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam AN - OPUS4-30231 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Müller, Werner A1 - Saathoff, F. T1 - Geosynthetics in geoenvironmental engineering JF - Science and technology of advanced materials N2 - Geosynthetics are planar polymeric products, which are used in connection with soil, rock or other soil-like materials to fulfill various functions in geoenvironmental engineering. Geosynthetics are of ever-growing importance in the construction industry. Sealing of waste storage facilities to safely prevent the emission of wastewater, landfill gas and contaminated dust as well as the diffusion of pollutants into the environment and coastal protection against storms and floods and reconstruction after natural disaster are important fields of application. We will give an overview of the various geosynthetic products. Two examples of the material problems related to geosynthetics are discussed in detail: the effect of creep on the long-term performance of geocomposite drains and the numerical simulation of the interaction of soil with geogrids. Both issues are of importance for the use of these products in landfill capping systems. The various functions, which geosynthetics may fulfill in the protection of coastal lines, are illustrated by case studies. The geosynthetic market is evaluated and economical and environmental benefits, as well as environmental side effects related to the use of geosynthetics, are discussed. KW - Geosynthetics KW - Geoenvironmental engineering KW - Landfill capping system KW - Coastal protection KW - Geocomposite drain KW - Geogrid KW - Geotextile PY - 2015 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-332014 DO - https://doi.org/10.1088/1468-6996/16/3/034605 SN - 1468-6996 VL - 16 IS - 3 SP - 034605-1 EP - 034605-20 PB - Elsevier Science CY - Amsterdam [u.a.] AN - OPUS4-33201 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -