Effects of ageing in a saturated environment on the functional properties of hemp geotextiles

In road infrastructures, geotextiles perform the essential functions of separation and filtration. For these applications, synthetic geotextiles like those made from polypropylene are widely used for their properties and high durability. However, for temporary road infrastructures, such durability may not be necessary. Replacing these materials with natural geotextiles, such as geotextiles made with hemp fibers appears promising. The aim of this study is to evaluate the relevance of using hemp geotextile for separation and filtration applications in road infrastructures. In this paper we present the evolution of hemp geotextiles properties through a laboratory ageing process. Laboratory ageing was carried out by placing the geotextiles in water-saturated crushed concrete soil for six months. The evaluation focused on functional properties, in particular mechanical and hydraulic performance, supplemented by physicochemical analyses. After six months of ageing, no significant changes in mechanical properties and hydraulic performance were observed. However, morphological and chemical study revealed a slight change in fiber surface. These results highlight promising performance of these geotextiles in this environment.