Geo-cells New Road Construction Technique
Geocell can improve the modulus of road base layers,even while reducing the structural thickness and utilizing on-site or recycled materials for structural infill.Sustainable roads can be built with less virgin resources and a smaller environmental footprint, while extending the pavement service life and decreasing maintenance.
Why has Geocell become an indispensable part of road construction?
Geocells are being used more and more widely because they provide various economic and environmental advantages without affecting the quality of the project, but instead improve the quality of the project. Geocells can help achieve more sustainable highway infrastructure. Field trails and case studies have proved how geocells can improve pavement performance on the one hand and achieve sustainable goals on the other.
Soil stabilisation solutions for road applications
The GEOWEB 3D soil confinement system enables clients to develop flexible designs for base stabilisation, road shoulders, unpaved road surfaces, and erosion protection for embankments and stormwater drainage channels.
In comparison to geogrids, the system’s 3D structure offers enhanced road base strength for asphalt and concrete pavements while reducing cost and construction time.
Slope and channel designs include sustainable vegetation, permeable aggregate, hard-armored concrete for erosion control and stormwater/wastewater conveyance and containment.
High-performance road-base stabilisation design
The GEOWEB 3D system minimises rutting, potholes, and pavement degradation by stabilising the base layer under asphalt or concrete.
Performing as a semi-rigid beam, the solution distributes loads over soft sub-base soils to decrease deflection and settlement with 50% less cross-section.
The positive effect on the pavement base layer is that it reduces maintenance requirements, costs and paving depths, and extends pavement life.
Slope stabilisation for erosion-resistant roadway embankments
The GEOWEB 3D system provides erosion-resistance to stormwater runoff, sheet flow and seepage on roadway slopes and bridge abutments.
Depending on the steepness, the system can be designed as a single-layer slope stabilisation method or multi-layered retaining walls.
Single-layered protection systems are suitable for topsoil / vegetation, permeable aggregate or concrete – providing protection that is not possible with erosion blankets or turf reinforcement mats. Infill confined in the GEOWEB 3D structure allows a smaller, less expensive rock size. With concrete infill, the system is flexible – and more economical than articulated concrete blocks (ACBs).
Gravity or reinforced retaining walls designed with GEOWEB mechanically stabilised earth (MSE) systems provide both green aesthetics and an effective structural solution for steep roadway embankment protection.
Unpaved road and pavement surface reinforcement
The GEOWEB 3D system literally transforms fill–enabling unpaved road construction over soft soils with low-quality, low-cost fill—even sand. The system allows access over soft soils where other reinforcement may require deeper, higher-priced base materials. The confined surface material remains stable even under repeated, heavy loading.
In most cases, the system can reduce base requirements of 50% or more and allow the use of on-site fill.
With open-graded aggregate fill, unpaved GEOWEB pavements are permeable pavements – allowing stormwater infiltration and at a lower cost than pervious concrete and porous asphalt. GEOWEB porous pavements can also perform as an onsite retention ‘basin’, storing stormwater for natural infiltration.
Structural road-shoulder stabilisation
The gravel-infilled GEOWEB system removes low and soft road-shoulder issues such as erosion areas and rutting to ensure drivable functionality.
The system creates stable shoulders that reduce maintenance by up to threefold, and protect sealed pavements from deterioration and edge breaks.
Custom-designed GEOWEB shoulders with permeable aggregate or engineered topsoil / aggregate infill for strong grassed shoulders also decrease stormwater runoff.
Geocell reinforced concrete for high-quality surfaces
GEOWEB geocell reinforced concrete (GRC) pavements combine articulating permeable pavers with hard-armoured concrete slabs. They feature a reduced cross-section, which offers cost savings between 15% and 25%.
The integral GEOWEB 3D confinement structure eliminates the need for formwork and reinforcement, assures uniform concrete depth, controls pavement cracking, and helps manage surface water runoff.
Pavement thickness reduction
Engineers incorporate the GEOWEB system to improve the structural strength of the pavement base layer and reduce the cross-section.
The GEOWEB structure creates a reinforced base layer and enhanced base strength that reduces the pavement depth, depending on the design.
Roadway stormwater control for ditches
Stormwater swales and drainage ditches designed with the GEOWEB system can replace expensive large rock (rip rap) with lower cost, smaller aggregate or lower-maintenance vegetation.
The system’s roadside ditch protection is effective in continuous low-flow and intermittent high-flow channels.
In addition, GEOWEB vegetated channels can withstand velocities of up to 30ft/s (9m/s) with overlying turf reinforcement mats (TRMs).
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