Field Investigations and Service Life Assessment of Geosynthetic Filters in Tidally Influenced Revetments in Cases of Ochre Clogging

Abstract

In recent decades, there have been individual cases of damage to the revetments of the German North Sea estuaries due to clogging by precipitated ochre products. This process is defined as ochre clogging and has been extensively explained in the literature. The primary aim of the investigations was to better understand the clogging process under in situ conditions and the causative environmental conditions surrounding the filters. Extensive in situ investigations were therefore carried out. It was found that a permeability reduction in geotextile filters can be strongly accelerated by ochre clogging, which appears to be a biogeochemical process. This describes a combined action of the chemical precipitation of iron and manganese, precipitation by microorganisms, and physical clogging. A further aim of this study was to establish limit values for the decisive ochre clogging parameters, which could be used to quantify the susceptibility to ochre clogging. It was shown that the determination of the iron and manganese content of the groundwater, as well as the redox capacity of the groundwater, is sufficient to assess the tendency for ochre clogging. To minimise the negative impact on filter performance, recommendations for an adapted filter design have been developed as a guide for planners.