Plastic products used in geotechnical engineering, so-called geosynthetics, are often made of polyolefins (polyethylene or polypropylene) and stabilized against oxidative degradation by antioxidants (AO). Three types of AO “packages” are used: (P1) phenols and phosphites/sulfides, (P2) hindered amines (HAS) with a marginal stabilization P1 of the basic resin, (P3) a combination of packages P1 and P2 with comparable amounts of phenol and HAS. We report about long-lasting oven aging and water immersion tests at 80 °C of 29 different polyolefin based products (geomembranes, geonets and geotextiles). Pronounced differences in the degradation behavior were found depending solely on the type of AO package. In case of P1, the oxidative degradation is prevented by the AO. Autocatalytic oxidation only begins after depletion of AO and may lead to catastrophic failure depending on the environmental conditions. In case of P2, degradation starts right from the beginning. However, it is decelerated and proceeds gradually. In case of P3, the degradation behavior seems to be a superposition of the characteristics obtained for P1 and P2. Plotting the fractional loss of the AO in P1 and P2 as function of the square root of aging time, we identified two regimes of AO depletion. We suggest to attribute this observation to the different mechanisms of AO depletion.
To properly understand and assess the long-term behaviour of geosynthetic materials it is necessary to investigate the various types of possible degradation mechanims. This includes both chemical and mechanical behaviour, and sometimes even their interactions with one another. Clearly, chemical degradation of geosynthetics depends on the polymer type. For example, polyolefins are vulnerable to oxidation; polyesters are susceptible to hydrolysis; and plasticizers can leach from polyvinyl chloride. This paper describes the concept of these three types of degradation, but focuses on the oxidation of polyolefins since the majority of the geosynthetics is made from this type of polymer. The methods used to predict the lifetime of antioxidants and service life of the geosynthetic material will be illustrated. Furthermore, the influence of temperature, pressure, and ultraviolet light on the service life are also demonstrated. Finally, the current specifications targeting the longevity of different geosynthetics are presented.
Regarding mechanical degradation, the paper mainly focuses upon the creep deformation of geogrids and stress crack resistance (SCR) of polyethylene geomembranes and geopipe. The method to assess stress crack resistance is described, and the microscopic mechanisms that lead to such failure are explained. For creep evaluation, different acceleration tests are presented and their applicability with respect to the different types of polymers is illustrated. In addition, the long-term shear behaviour of geocomposites and geosynthetic clay liners is presented.