Durability assessment of engineered hydrophobic soils

Abstract

Polymers have been developed and used widely in infrastructure. In geotechnical engineering the most representative polymeric material are the geosynthetics, while membranes, sealants and pipes are widely used in building construction. In this paper, the degradation of polymers during use in different application conditions are discussed and the corresponding durability assessment (DA) methods on polymers are summarized. Engineered hydrophobic soils coated by synthetic polymeric coatings (e.g. polydimethylsiloxane) have been developed recently and show potential for use in the construction of hydraulic barriers. As a new construction material, the durability of engineered hydrophobic soils is still relatively unknown, and the assessment methods have not yet been developed. This paper provides an introduction on the DA methods of polymers likely to apply to engineered hydrophobic soils.