Geotextiles in commercial development

INOVA Geosynthetics, Huntingdon Valley, PA, United States 

As the value of real estate continues to increase, developers have mmed to sites that have been previously deemed too difficult to develop owing to poor soil conditions and/or topography. These sites include soft soils that require ground improvement or removal and replacement with suitable soils. In urban areas, commercial housing has been developed on former industrial or brownfield sites. These sites require barriers below the proposed structures to separate potential contaminants and vapors from the soil or rock beneath them. 

In light of these regulations, the earliest use of geotextiles in commercial projects was for the sediment control and stabilization of construction entrances. Sht-fihn wovens used in silt fences with specific opening sizes were required by soil 

High-strength woven geotextiles are used for reinforcement of both roadways and steepened slopes. In these applications we see the use of polypropylene and high-tenacity polyester, and in some applications with chemical compatibility issues, the use of polyvinyl alcohol. 

In each case, these composites are used to ease installation and create synergistic effects among the materials used in their production. For more information about the design, the reader should refer to chapters Geotextiles used in filtration and Geotextiles used in drainage. 

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Storm water management continues to be a major issue in site development. There is a trend away from large basins located on a remote part of the site and toward multiple smaller infiltration beds throughout a property. This trend in the market also demonstrates a need to increase the area used for infiltration in commercial developments. This will increase the need and volume of geotextiles used in commercial developments. There will most likely be an increased area for infiltration used under driveways, parking lots, and patios. This will require innovative geotextiles that promote faster infiltration and reduce the chance of clogging when used as a filter. 

The use of green roofs on commercial developments continues to grow in both market size and individual physical size. A typical green roof has multiple layers of geosynthetics including several layers of geotextiles. 

Although geotextiles entered the commercial market much later than the civil con-stmction or environmental market, their commercial demand continues to grow based on the cost benefit realized by developers of these properties. Site development attaches a cost (usually by area) per home, so any additional materials are viewed as extra cost and an increase to development prices. However, geotextiles have been proven to provide excellent low-cost alternatives to traditional construction methods in all types of commercial development. These cost savings, coupled with the ease of installation for contractors, make the future of geotextiles in the commercial development industries a growth market for the foreseeable future. 

Furthermore, most commercial housing developments have large garden areas at their entrances and throughout the development. In these applications, geotextiles provide a separation function between the soil and mulch as well and prevent weeds from growing in mulch beds. 

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