Carthage Mills

𝗔𝗢𝗦 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝗴𝗲𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗲𝘁: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻?

AOS stands for 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗶𝘇𝗲 and is an important property when evaluating geotextiles for filtration applications.

Here's where it can get confusing:

📌 AOS can be reported using U.S. Sieve or millimeters (mm).
📌 When reported as a U.S. Sieve number, the value is a maximum allowable opening.
📌 When reported in millimeters, the value represents the smallest allowable opening.

And yes—the numbers can seem backwards!

Carthage Mills breaks down AOS and how to read it on a geotextile datasheet.

Read the full explanation: https://carthagemills.com/geosynthetics/aos-apparent-opening-size/

𝘼 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙙 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙨 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝.

Heavy truck traffic, soft subgrades and rainfall can quickly lead to rutting and road deterioration.

A properly selected 𝙜𝙚𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙭𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙚 can provide separation and stabilization between the subgrade and aggregate—helping create a stronger, more durable haul road.

Carthage Mills offers 𝙜𝙚𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙭𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙚 solutions for applications including:

➡️ Site access roads
➡️ Mine haul roads
➡️ Logging roads
➡️ Construction access roads and more

Want to learn more about how 𝙜𝙚𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙭𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙨 can be incorporated into haul road construction?

Read the full article: https://carthagemills.com/geosynthetics/geotextiles-for-the-construction-of-haul-roads/

Not sure whether you need , , , or a liner?

We’ve put together a clear Selection Guide that shows:

• Material features & thickness ranges
• Installation differences
• Best applications for each type

Download it here -->https://carthagemills.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Geomembrane-Selection-Guide_03-11-2020.pdf

From decorative and course lakes to covers, liners, and specialty — this guide makes selection easier.

Need more help choosing the right product? We’re always here to answer your questions - just like we have been since we pioneered the geosynthetics industry back in 1958.

Carthage Mills will be closed Sept 7 in honor of Labor Day. We wish you and your family a safe and happy Labor Day weekend 🇺🇸

Extreme weather is intensifying — stronger storms, heavier flooding, and more frequent extremes are testing our roads, shorelines, embankments, and water systems like never before.

offer proven ways to strengthen infrastructure while controlling costs and supporting sustainability. These materials ( , , , , and turf reinforcement systems) stabilize soil, control , manage water, and help structures last longer under harsh conditions. They often reduce the need for large volumes of traditional aggregates, speeding construction and lowering environmental impact.

Carthage Mills has been at the forefront since 1958 as America’s first company. From pioneering woven filter fabrics for shoreline protection to today’s broad portfolio of high-performance solutions, the company continues to deliver products that meet rigorous standards such as AASHTO M 288 and support Build America, Buy America (BABA) compliance on federally funded projects.

Whether reinforcing slopes, protecting shorelines, stabilizing road bases, or managing stormwater, the right geosynthetic solution helps infrastructure stand strong.

Interested in learning how these materials can support your next project? Reach out to the Carthage Mills team.
-->https://carthagemills.com/contact/

Looking for reliable base and ?

Carthage Mills’ GBX Series biaxial deliver the high flexural rigidity and tensile strength needed for long-term interlock and confinement in soil stabilization and base reinforcement applications.

Two of the most widely specified options:

• GBX-11 (Type 1)
• GBX-12 (Type 2)

These integrally formed polypropylene geogrids help:
• Increase load-bearing capacity over soft soils
• Reduce thickness and undercutting
• Minimize and lateral movement
• Lower overall project costs

Ideal for , lots, haul roads, staging areas, and .

Learn more --> https://carthagemills.com/geosynthetic-products/geogrid/rigid-biaxial-geogrids/

Recent research confirms what the industry has known for decades: deliver real, measurable performance gains in pavements.

A 2024 PhD dissertation from the University of Texas at Austin — Evaluation of Pavement Performance Improvement with Geotextiles using Accelerated Pavement Testing by Gino Gabriel Sicha Flores (supervised by Jorge G. Zornberg) — used accelerated pavement testing on soft subgrades (including conditions with an induced water table) to quantify exactly how geotextiles improve roadway performance.

KEY FINDINGS
-An adequate geotextile effectively reduces intrusion of base aggregate into the subgrade (the dominant intermixing mechanism), protecting the pavement structure.
-Geotextile stiffness limits degradation under traffic loading.
Tension developed in the geotextile restrains vertical subgrade displacements, improving overall subgrade conditions.
-Wicking/drainage geotextiles reduce subgrade moisture and increase subgrade modulus.
-Traffic Benefit Ratios (TBR) at 0.5 inches of rutting reached approximately 2 for intermixing mitigation, 12 for stabilization, and 3.8 for lateral drainage — with combined multi-function benefits climbing as high as ~27–98 in some cases.

The study concludes that improve roadway performance and are a cost-effective solution, while also delivering clear mechanistic insight into the individual and combined benefits of separation, stabilization, and drainage.

At Carthage Mills — the longest trusted geosynthetics company in the nation — we’ve been manufacturing and supplying high-performance woven and nonwoven geotextiles for these exact applications for generations.

Research like this reinforces why properly selected remain one of the smartest investments in pavement longevity and reduced life-cycle costs.

Full dissertation PDF:https://sites.utexas.edu/zornberg/wp-content/uploads/sites/5286/2025/03/Sicha_2024.pdf