Geosintéticos para mitigación y prevención del riesgo

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Risk:

According to [1], risk is the combination of the probability that an event of a certain magnitude will occur, and the probability that said event will cause negative effects on a given system, which can be an infrastructure work or a human settlement. Under this definition, the risk to the system is then a function of two factors, the threat and the vulnerability, and can be expressed through Equation (1).

Risk= Threat x Vulnerability (1)

Where the threat is the dangerous phenomenon or condition that can cause damage to the system, and the vulnerability is the characteristics of the system that make it more or less weak in the face of the negative effects of the threat. Vulnerability, in turn, is a function of three factors [2], as expressed in Equation

Vulnerability = Exposure x Susceptibility / Resilience (2)

Where exposure is the disadvantage of the system or community due to its location or location; susceptibility is the degree of fragility in the face of the threat, and resilience is the system's ability to resist, absorb, adapt and recover from the negative effects caused by a threat.

1.2 Geosynthetics

Geosynthetics are flexible materials in the form of sheets [3], manufactured from different polymers (polyester, polypropylene, high-density polyethylene, among others) designed to complement and improve the performance of earth materials in the construction of civil works, optimizing the use of resources in projects. Geosynthetics serve several important purposes, including improving the performance of structures (greater durability and longer useful life) and reducing costs compared to traditional solutions (use of lower specification elements and higher construction performance). The first geosynthetics used in engineering were geotextiles for separation in pavement structures and filters in subdrainage systems.

[4]. Today there are various types of geosynthetics, whose application has been extended to the construction of containment structures in mechanically stabilized soil, and erosion control and hydraulic management in rivers and coasts.