Sustainability aspects of using geotextiles

The sustainability of materials and processes is commonly assessed by calculating the carbon emissions (CO2) generated. This is a simplification, but the ease of calculation encourages the comparison of solutions; it makes the output of assessments accessible, transparent and repeatable; and CO2 savings can readily be counted towards industry and national and international targets. This chapter describes a framework for calculating embodied carbon of construction solutions that incorporate geotextiles. It outlines techniques for determining the carbon footprint and common definitions, presents examples of embodied carbon for geotextile materials, defines life cycle boundaries and presents sample calculations for common construction case studies: protection, a working platform and landfill capping. All three examples demonstrate significant CO2 savings that can result from employing geotextiles. These savings are realised by reducing the amount of imported fill material used, which minimises transport-related carbon emissions. The approach that is introduced can be used to undertake site-specific calculations to inform decisions regarding the selection of approaches to construction that contribute to sustainable practice. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.