ABSTRACT
In only a very few years, geosynthetics (geotextiles, geogrids, and geomembranes) have joined the list of traditional civil engineering construction materials. Often the use of a geosynthetic can significantly increase the safety factor, improve performance, and reduce costs in comparison with conventional construction alternatives. In the case of embankments on extremely soft foundations, geosynthetics can permit construction to take place at sites where conventional construction alternatives would be either impossible or prohibitively expensive.
