Civil Engineering and Construction Explained

Civil Engineering and Construction Explained Your probably wondering why your pavements doing well compared to others. Why all that black fence, why are they painting the ground green.

Why this construction taking so long?

03/10/2026

Most people donโ€™t realize geotextile does this.

Watch the water.

Instead of going straight through the fabric, the non-woven geotextile actually pulls the water sideways through the fibers.

Thatโ€™s capillary wicking inside the fabric.

Engineering materials often do a lot more than people think.

03/06/2026

๐—ช๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜ ๐—ฑ๐—ผ๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐—ฎ ๐—ณ๐—ฎ๐—ถ๐—น๐—ฒ๐—ฑ ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—น๐—น ๐—ฎ๐—ฐ๐˜๐˜‚๐—ฎ๐—น๐—น๐˜† ๐—น๐—ผ๐—ผ๐—ธ ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ธ๐—ฒ?

This video shows it in real time.
Watch the truck tires.

๐—™๐—ถ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐˜ ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป: Aggregate placed over geogrid.
The truck advances and the aggregate barely moves.

๐—ฆ๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป: Same aggregate thickness.
๐—ก๐—ผ ๐—ด๐—ฒ๐—ผ๐—ด๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ฑ.

Now the wheels begin exposing the weak subgrade below.
Thatโ€™s exactly what a proof roll is designed to reveal.
But hereโ€™s the important part.

When subgrade fails a proof roll, the old solutions were:

โ€ข Over-excavate
โ€ข Import new fill
โ€ข Disc and dry the soil
โ€ข Bring in more equipment

All of which slow the project down.

Today thereโ€™s a faster approach.

Run a quick DCP test to measure the subgrade strength.
Use that data to calculate the required aggregate thickness.
Then install geogrid + the designed aggregate section.

The geogrid stabilizes the aggregate layer and distributes loads so the section can bridge weaker soils and move forward with construction.

No major excavation.
No waiting for soil to dry.
No extra equipment cycles.

Sometimes the fastest solution is simply designing the section correctly.

๐—›๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚ ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—ฒ๐—ป ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—น๐—น ๐—ณ๐—ฎ๐—ถ๐—น๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ธ๐—ฒ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—ท๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐˜๐˜€?

02/26/2026

They are lifting a 3' x 7' piece of asphalt, this is not possible with a standard asphalt mix. This asphalt has fibers added to it. It makes asphalt last up to 50% longer. NO more potholes?

Great explanation on why this mesh will make his driveway last longer.
09/14/2025

Great explanation on why this mesh will make his driveway last longer.

Our driveway installation features Tensar InterAx Geogrids to reinforce, stabilize and filter Pinhotiโ€™s entrance.

What do geogrids actually do on a muddy jobsite?๐Ÿงฉ Lock aggregate together so your base acts like a stronger, stiffer lay...
08/15/2025

What do geogrids actually do on a muddy jobsite?
๐Ÿงฉ Lock aggregate together so your base acts like a stronger, stiffer layer
๐Ÿšš Reduce rock and truckloads to reach target thickness
โฑ๏ธ Help crews recover faster after rain
๐Ÿ›ฃ๏ธ Resist ruts and deformation for smoother construction

Where they shine: ๐Ÿšง roads & streets โ€ข ๐Ÿ…ฟ๏ธ parking lots โ€ข ๐Ÿฆบ crane/working platforms โ€ข ๐Ÿญ industrial yards

Pro tips:
๐Ÿ“ Use proper overlaps and keep the grid taut
๐Ÿ”’ Start with a controlled โ€œshapingโ€ lift, then build to thickness
๐Ÿ“ Consistent compaction = consistent performance

Got a muddy site youโ€™re fighting? ๐Ÿ’ฌ Message us and weโ€™ll talk through options for your project.

Aramid fiber (Kevlar that used in bullet proof vest) is added to the Asphalt  mix making it stronger.  This project is a...
07/22/2025

Aramid fiber (Kevlar that used in bullet proof vest) is added to the Asphalt mix making it stronger. This project is a series of projects that is incorporating aramid fibers. Our pavements in Iowa take a beating due to the many freeze thaw cycles that incur. These fibers will help the asphalt and extend the life of that pavement.

Address

220 New York Avenue
Des Moines, IA
50313

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

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