The Creep of Geosynthetics

The creep, or extension with time, that takes place in geosynthetics under load is an essential parameter to consider in the design of reinforced soil walls.

This report describes the phenomenon of creep, how it is measured and how the data could be presented for use by a civil engineer.

It presents creep data for test durations of up to six years for three woven fabrics, a coated polyester strip, and a polyethylene grid.

In addition, the report examines the use of the technique of time-temperature superposition to predict long term behaviour, as well as the phenomenon of stress relaxation.

The application of the test data to design is illustrated by example.