Gravel aggregate placement over the installed MIRAFI® RS580i geotextile.
Construction vehicle immobilized by liquefiable soils and a high groundwater table.
Surface void created during construction vehicle recovery operations.
Restored area following engineered backfill placement and soil compaction.
Project site conditions before the installation of MIRAFI® RS580i.
Aggregate placement over MIRAFI® FW-402 on an adjacent embankment.
Installation of MIRAFI® RS580i over saturated site soils.
Installed MIRAFI® RS580i following heavy rainfall at the project site.
Wide view of MIRAFI® RS580i installation across the project area.
Omega Mine extends AMD treatment capacity with dewatering
At Omega Mine in West Virginia, GEOTUBE® GT500 units help the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection treat and dewater acid mine drainage from abandoned mines while supporting long-term capacity and compliance.
Dredging and reuse of contaminated sediments
Embraport used dewatered contaminated sediments as structural fill within its terminal platform, saving 400,000 m3 of imported material and reducing earthfill platform costs by 20% to 30%.
Lake bank stabilization at Vivid Shores
At Vivid Shores in Bonita Springs, Florida, PROPEX® Armormax®, MIRAFI® FW403 and MIRAFI 140N stabilize lake banks exposed to wind-driven wave erosion. Completed sections are performing as designed.
The construction of the Norco Bluffs roadway reconstruction project required a pavement foundation that could perform in challenging subsurface conditions. The project area was underlain by liquefiable soils and influenced by a seasonally high groundwater table, creating concerns around long-term roadway stability.
The original design called for a geogrid-reinforced aggregate base, but following review, the design team evaluated an alternative approach that could meet the required structural performance while improving separation, reducing aggregate requirements, and simplifying construction. MIRAFI® RS580i geotextile was selected to provide reinforcement and separation in a single geosynthetic layer.
The project site required a roadway section that could maintain performance despite weak, saturated subsurface conditions. With liquefiable soil beneath the pavement structure, the design needed to address the potential for subgrade movement, loss of support, and contamination of the aggregate base over time.
The project team also needed to balance performance with constructability. More intensive ground improvement methods, such as chemical stabilization or dewatering, would have added cost, time, and complexity to the project. A more efficient design was needed to improve subgrade interaction while keeping construction practical.
The final design incorporated MIRAFI RS580i beneath 8 inches (20.32 cm) of aggregate base. This approach allowed the project team to achieve the required structural capacity while reducing the required aggregate thickness compared to the original geogrid-reinforced design.
MIRAFI RS580i provided tensile reinforcement to help distribute loads across the subgrade and support the aggregate layer under traffic loading. The woven structure of the geotextile facilitated maintained separation between the aggregate base and underlying soils, limiting the migration of fine particles that could compromise base course performance.
By combining reinforcement, separation, and filtration in one geosynthetic layer, MIRAFI RS580i supported a streamlined design that was easier to install and better suited to the site’s subsurface conditions.
The MIRAFI RS580i solution provided a value-engineered pavement foundation that met the project’s structural requirements while improving construction efficiency. The reduced aggregate section helped lower material requirements, while the multifunctional geosynthetic helped preserve the integrity of the base course.
The project achieved several key benefits:
Reduced aggregate base thickness while maintaining required performance
Improved stability over liquefiable, moisture-sensitive soils
Helped protect the aggregate base from subgrade fines contamination
Simplified construction by avoiding chemical stabilization or dewatering
Delivered a cost-effective alternative to the original geogrid-reinforced design
For the Norco Bluffs roadway reconstruction project, MIRAFI RS580i helped deliver a stable, efficient, and resilient pavement foundation in challenging subsurface conditions.