Flat Creek Drive road rehab with MIRAFI H2Ri 

Overview

The Town of Jackson, Wyoming, needed to resurface Flat Creek Drive, a city street that was in poor condition due to potholes and large cracks. The roadway is frequently used by the town and the public. To address the problem with a long-term solution, the town needed to find a pavement system that can stand up to high water flows on soft soils.

Challenge

Jackson averages 465 inches (1,181 cm) of snow annually. The Teton County Fairgrounds is one location where plowed snow is stored in the Town. When the snow melts, water flows from the stored snow drains toward Flat Creek Dr., further degrading the roadway.

Knowing that water is the biggest threat to the performance of and durability of roadways, the town planned for rehabilitation for Flat Creek Dr. The project engineer had previous experience with MIRAFI® RSi and knew that it was an excellent product for roadway stabilization, but selected MIRAFI H₂Ri to benefit from its active moisture management properties. MIRAFI H₂Ri enhances the longevity of flexible pavements by providing mechanical and hydraulic stabilization. Engineered with wicking yarns, it aggressively manages moisture by actively drawing water out and pulling it away from the roadway in both saturated and unsaturated conditions.

Approximately 9,000 y² (7,525 m²) of MIRAFI H₂Ri was used to stabilize the roadway, terminating into a trench. As water was removed from the roadway, it drained into the trench, which eventually fed into a dry well.

Solution

Perched water below roadways will weaken the subgrade leading to damage including potholes and rutting. Using a geosynthetic with moisture management, like MIRAFI H₂Ri, is an effective way to mitigate these issues in both paved and unpaved roadways. Using capillary suction, the solution moves moisture away from the roadway, leading to a greater resilient modulus and stable conditions. The rehabilitated pavement section of Flat Creek Dr. has been through one spring melting cycle without any issues.