ABSTRACT

Aiming at developing environmentally friendly products, naturally-colored cotton and waste bagasse were used for making geocomposites. The airlaid and wetlaid nonwoven techniques were applied for geocomposite fabrication. Tensile strength of the geocomposites was evaluated using a strip test method (ASTM D5035-95). Research results exhibited that the experimental bagasse/cotton geocomposites featured lighter weight, attractive artificial grass appearance, engineered structure, and sufficient strength for handling and installation. These advantages would be highly desirable for erosion control applications such as embankment re-vegetation for highways, reservoirs/ponds, or landfill sites. Further research work was recommended to examine lifetime performance and economics of these new geocomposites, including weather sustainability, biodegradability, efficiency to promote vegetative cover,and production cost.