Assessment of the Mechanical and Hydraulic Performance of Kenaf Fiber Geotextiles for the Reinforcement of Road Foundation Layers

The use of geotextiles is now well established in the field of civil engineering, particularly in geotechnics, where they serve a range of functions including drainage, filtration, separation, reinforcement, protection, and erosion control. For over three decades, these materials have played a key role in the design and long-term performance of infrastructure. The development of geotextiles made from natural plant fibers, especially those derived from kenaf, represents a promising advancement that offers both economic and environmental benefits. This study aims to evaluate the mechanical and hydraulic properties of woven geotextiles made from kenaf fibers sourced from Nérékourosso, as well as their effectiveness in reinforcing road foundation layers.

Two types of geotextiles were produced by weaving, with mesh openings of 0 mm and 5 mm, respectively. Mechanical characterization tests were carried out, along with static puncture resistance and normal-to-plane permeability tests. CBR load-bearing tests were performed to evaluate reinforcement efficiency depending on the geotextile’s position in the foundation layer. Mechanical tests showed higher tensile strength in the cross direction for the geotextile with no mesh opening (17.19 kN/m) compared to the 5 mm mesh type (2.90 kN/m).

The closed-mesh geotextile withstood a maximum puncture load of 1170 N, versus 540 N for the open-mesh variant. The 0 mm mesh geotextile exhibited a surface flow rate of 2200 L/min/m². CBR tests indicated better performance for the 5 mm mesh geotextile, especially when placed at mid-height within the reinforced layer.

These results suggest that while the closed-mesh geotextile offers superior intrinsic mechanical properties due to its dense structure, the open-mesh variant performs better in soil reinforcement applications, likely because its structure allows better interaction with surrounding materials and more effective stress distribution.

Kenaf-based woven geotextiles show promising potential for road foundation reinforcement, with mesh configuration significantly influencing performance.