AASHTO Specs

By L. David Suits and Gregory N. Richardson During the past ear! "#$ has repeatedl %entioned the si%plicit and other &enefits deri'ed fro% the ne( A%erican Association of State High(a and Transportation Officials )AASHTO* M288-96 "eotextile Specifications+ ,nfortunatel it has &een easier for %ost to read a&out the &enefits of M288-96 than to o&tain a cop of the actual specifications+ At the end of -9.! AASHTO finall pu&lished M288-96 (ithin its t(o-'olu%e Standard Specifications for Transportation Materials and Methods of Sampling and Testing! /8th edition+ This article re'ie(s the de'elop%ent of the AASHTO geotextile specifications and presents a si%ple su%%ar ta&le that identifies existing co%%ercial products that fit in each default ser'ice categor + Background 0n /982! the 1o%%ittee on Materials of AASHTO! the A%erican $oad and Transportation 2uilders Association )A$T2A*! and the Association of "eneral 1ontractors )A1* for%ed 3oint Tas4 #orce 25 )T# 25*+ The tas4 force (as %ade up of representati'es of the geotextile industr ! pri'ate contractors! and state and federal transportation agencies+ T# 25-s pri%ar responsi&ilit (as to re'ie( ta&les of suggested geotextile propert 'alues for the #ederal High(a Association )#H6A* "eotextile Manual &eing prepared at the ti%e+

M288-96: The updated AASHTO geotextile specifications

The %aterial properties included in the original (or4 of T# 25 (ere &ased on experience in the use of these %aterials at the ti%e+ The resulting (or4 (as pu&lished in the AASHTO Specification 2oo4 as Specification M-288 on "eotextiles+ 2ecause of the use of geotextiles in the ,nited States (as ne( and there (ere 'er fe(! if an ! accepted design %ethodologies for geotextiles! the tas4 force too4 a conser'ati'e approach to its (or4+ The specifications did not co'er or encourage designing for the use of these %aterials and did not pro%ote the perfor%ance and econo%ic &enefits of follo(ing detailed design procedures+ #ollo(ing their initial re'ie(! the tas4 force continued to de'elop guide specifications for geotextiles used in pa'ing! su&surface drainage! erosion control! sedi%ent control )silt fences* and separation applications+ 0n /986! the tas4 force appro'ed proposed specifications! including %aterial propert 'alues and notes on construction and

installation procedures! for each of the fi'e applications+ 2et(een /986 and /997! the fi'e indi'idual specifications (ere %erged into a single %aterial specification! (hich no longer included the construction and installation notes that had appeared in the indi'idual docu%ents+ 0n /989! this single docu%ent (as su&%itted for an AASHTO Su&co%%ittee on Materials &allot as a re'ision to the existing AASHTO M288 Specification for Geotextiles Used for Subsurface Drainage urposes! As indicated & the title! the existing specification applied to drainage fa&rics alone+ The re'ision represented an enlarge%ent of the applications co'ered & M288+ The re'isions (ere appro'ed! and the re'ised specification first appeared in the Standard Specifications for Transportation Materials and Methods of Sampling and Testing" /5th edition )AASHTO /997* as AASHTO Specification M288-97 on "eotextiles+ A for%al report of T# 25-s (or4 (as pu&lished separatel in /997+ 2 /992! geotextile usage had gro(n at a rapid rate! and the (or4 of Tas4 #orce 25 (as nearl /7 ears old+ As such! AASHTO Su&co%%ittee on Materials! Technical Section 8e appro'ed a for%al re'ie( of M288-97+ A preli%inar re'ie( (as done (ith a s%all tas4 force in earl /992! and a for%al 3oint AASHTO-0ndustrial #a&rics Association 0nternational )0#A0* Tas4 #orce (as esta&lished later that ear+ The tas4 force (as co%posed of acade%ic! industrial! and state and federal transportation depart%ental representation+ 6hen pu&lished in the AASHTO Specification 2oo4! M288-97 had not included the construction and installation notes de'eloped & T# 25+ One of the ne( tas4 force-s first responsi&ilities (as to approach AASHTO and (or4 out the logistics of including so%e for% of these notes in M288-92+ Once this (as acco%plished! the tas4 force di'ided into t(o su&-groups! one to (or4 on %aterial properties! and the other (or4 on the construction and installation notes+ 2oth (ere included (hen M288-92 (as pu&lished in /999+

$e'isions to specifications: M288-96

As experience (as gained and design %ethodologies de'eloped! the need to re'isit Specification M288-92 (as reali:ed+ A ;oint AASHTO0#A0 Tas4 #orce (as for%ed in /998 to re'ie( and re'ise the specification! and the resulting (or4 (as adopted & AASHTO in /996 and pu&lished in /99.+ The latest specifications are &ased on accepted design procedures &ut also pro'ide default %aterial propert 'alues for instances (hen actual design procedures are not used+ Ta&le / lists the M288-96 default geotextile class and design class for the su&surface drainage! per%anent erosion control! separation and

sta&ili:ation applications+ The design class is a lesser class that %a &e used (hen field experience! la&orator tests on exhu%ed sa%ples! and<or certain site configurations are ta4en into account+ Material requirements M288-96 is not focused on design or construction specifications &ut is! instead! &ased on geotextile sur'i'a&ilit fro% installation stresses+ 6hen the specification is applied! selection of the geotextile is &ased on 4no(ledge of the anticipated installation stresses to (hich the %aterial (ill &e exposed+ M288-96 co'ers six geotextile applications: su&surface drainage! separation! sta&ili:ation! per%anent erosion control! te%porar silt fences and pa'ing fa&rics+ 0n M288-92! geotextile sur'i'a&ilit (as di'ided into classes A and 2+ 1lass A (as used (here installation stresses--deter%ined & aggregate shape! trench depth! and the si:e and height of an ar%or stone drop-(ere %ore se'ere than in 1lass 2 installations+ There (ere no definiti'e %easure%ents set for differentiating &et(een se'ere and less-se'ere installation stresses+ 0n M288-96! the general strength re=uire%ents for the su&surface drainage! separation! sta&ili:ation and per%anent erosion-control applications are &ro4en into three classes of geotextiles+ 1lass / represents the %ost ro&ust and 1lass 9 the least+ 6ithin each sur'i'a&ilit class! the strength re=uire%ents are esta&lished &ase on elongation at &rea4 in the gra&-strength test+ The highest strength re=uire%ent is for %aterials that &rea4 at less than 57 percent elongation )t picall (o'en* and the least for those that &rea4 at greater than 57 percent elongation )t picall un(o'en*+ The re=uire%ents for the silt-fence applications are &ased on supported or unsupported fences+ >a'ing fa&rics are li%ited to fa&rics (ith elongation at &rea4 of greater than 57 percent+ Ta&le 2 co%pares M288-92 sur'i'a&ilit 1lasses A and 2 to the default sur'i'a&ilit classes listed in M288-96+ Ta&le 9 co%pares the general strength properties of M288-92 and M288-96 for the su&surface drainage! separation! sta&ili:ation! and per%anent erosion-control applications+ The 'alues are sho(n in S0 units? M288-96 %ade the con'ersion to S0 units (hile respecting the approxi%ate nature of these nu%&ers+ Ta&le 8 )p+8/* presents a su%%ar of all six applications! including default re=uire%ents for the apparent opening si:e! per%itti'it ! and ultra'iolet degradation+ This ta&le also lists current co%%ercial geotextiles that satisf M288-96 default specifications for each

application+ This infor%ation (as o&tained & polling the respecti'e %anufacturers+ Additional %anufacturers (ere contacted &ut did not respond to the in=uir + @o %anufacturer currentl pro'ides its geotextile properties in a %anner that allo(s a =uic4 M288-96 selection & the designer+ A =uic4 re'ie( of the geotextile AidentifiersA used & the %anufacturers sho(s that the con'enience afforded & M288-96 has et to &e adopted & the producers+ All %anufacturers do produce products that %eet and exceed the M288-96 criteria? the use of these specifications does not li%it the pool of potential suppliers+

1onstruction installation guidelines

After &eing o%itted fro% M288-97 and M288-92! construction and installation guides are no( included as appendices to the current AASHTO specification &oo4+ The notes include directions on site preparation! %aterial o'erlap! ar%or stone place%ent! post spacing for silt fences! e%&edding! da%age repair! preparation! %aterial o'erlap! ar%or stone place%ent! post spacing for silt fences! e%&edding! da%age repair! o'erlapping! direction of place%ent in (ater and on slopes! and installation suggestions for pa'ing fa&rics+ >roper installation is critical for the long-ter% perfor%ance of an geos nthetic+ 0t is i%portant that the notes and %aterial specifications are pu&lished together+

Summary

The de'elop%ent of construction %aterial specifications is an e'er e'ol'ing process! &ecause 4no(ledge of perfor%ance and the t pes of a'aila&le %aterials are al(a s changing+ As a result! the %anner in (hich such %aterials are specified %ust e'ol'e (ith ti%e+ AASHTO M288-96 specifications reflect our current 4no(ledge of geotextiles! &ased on %ore than t(o decades of use and a'aila&le %aterials+ 0t (ill %ost certainl continue to e'ol'e as our 4no(ledge and %aterials i%pro'e+ The cooperati'e process &et(een users and %anufacturers in de'eloping M288 guidelines should continue to ser'e as an exa%aple in this e'olution+ The i%portance of standardi:ation is not uni=ue to geos nthetics+ An article in the Sept+ /5! /99. Bngineering @e(s $ecord on the use of plastic co%posites in high(a &ridge structures la%ents that! despite cost and ser'ice ad'antages! Athe use of the %aterial is still ris4 &usiness and (ill &e shunned & %an o(ners and engineers+A 0t =uotes an industr %e%&er+ A6hat (e need is %ore infor%ation on the &asic %echanical and ph sical properties of the %aterials for standards and design specification de'elop%ent!A and concludes! A,ntil then! it-s &u er &e(are! especiall for construction+A All &uilding products ha'e

gone through the t pe of standards e'olution that geos nthetics are currentl experiencing+ 6e feel that M288-96 can contri&ute to the process and lead to fe(er uni=ue predications & the users! thus re=uiring fe(er geotextile 'arieties fro% the %anufacturers+ L. David Suites! >+B+ is (ith the @e( Cor4 State Depart%ent of Transportation+ He is a %e%&er of the AASHTO 1o%%ittee that de'eloped M288-96+ A regular and prolific contri&utor to "#$! Gregory N. Richardson, >h+D+! >+B+! is principal for "+@+ $ichardson D Associates! $aleigh! @+1+ References AASHTO+ /997+ Specification M288-97 on "eotextiles+ Standard Specifications for Transportation Materials and Methods of Sampling and Testing /5th ed+ 6ashington! D+1+: AASHTO+ AASHTO+ /999+ Specification M288-92 on "eotextiles+ Standard Specifications for Transportation Materials and Methods of Sampling and Testing /6th ed+ 6ashington! D+1+: AASHTO+ AASHTO+ /99.+ Specification M288-96 on "eotextiles+ Standard Specifications for Transportation Materials and Methods of Sampling and Testing /8th ed+ 6ashington! D+1+: AASHTO+ >hair! M+ and 6+3+ Angelo+ /99.+ 1o%posites Astound D 1onfound! #ngineering $e%s &ecord+ )299! //! Septe%&er /5*! @e( Cor4: Mcgra(-Hill pp+ 98-98+
AASHTO Specs - Table 1

Ta le ! lists the M"##$%& de'ault geote(tile class and design class 'or the su sur'ace drainage, )ermanent erosion control, se)aration and sta ili*ation a))lications.
T+BL, !. D,-+.LT G,/T,0T1L, 2L+SS,S -/R M"##$%& +))lication 2lass De'ault 2lass Design 1lass 9 1lass 2

Su&surface Drainage 1lass 2 >er%anent Brosion 1ontrol 1lass 2 for (o'en %onofila%ents 1lass / for all others Separation 1lass 2

1lass 9

Sta&ili:ation

1lass /

1lass 2 or 9

AASHTO Specs - Table 2

Ta le " com)ares M"##$%" surviva ility 2lasses + and B to the de'ault surviva ility classes listed in M"##$%&.
T+BL, ". ++S3T/ S4,21-12+T1/NS M$"## +44L12+T1/N52L+SS,S +))lication Su&surface drainage M"## 6ersion M28892 M28896 M28892 M28896 M28892 M28896 M28892 M28896 M28892 M28896 High Mediu% Surviva ility 2lass A 2

Su&surface drainage

2 Selfsupported ,nsupported

9 6ire fence supported Supported

Sedi%ent control

Te%porar silt fence

Brosion control >er%anent erosion control >a'ing fa&ric

>a'ing fa&ric

Separation

Separation )12$E9*

Sta&ili:ation )2F12$F9*

M28892

/ )default*

2!9