Road Reinforcement Geocell
Road reinforcement geocell is an effective method to decrease the thickness of pavement unbound granular base layers. It is also a cost-effective solution to enhance the performance of weak soils.
Different methods estimate the increase in confining pressure due to geocells. However, they differ on the effects that are considered and their combination.
Reduces Subgrade Stress
Road reinforcement geocells help to mitigate the risk of sinking and cracking that is often associated with traditional concrete pavements. The honeycomb-like design of the cells allows for water to drain through them, which helps prevent erosion and improves load distribution on paved surfaces. It also makes it easy to maintain the pavement in wet weather conditions.
The use of geocells in roadway construction reduces the amount of fill material needed to construct a highway, which cuts down on both cost and environmental impact. It also increases the bearing capacity of the soil, making it more resistant to traffic loading. It has been shown to improve the stress distribution characteristics on the paved surface, and therefore enhances the lifespan of the pavement.
When used in conjunction with RAP, a three-dimensional polymeric geosynthetic cell is an effective way to minimize the deformation of recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) base course over weak subgrades. The lateral confinement of the geocells strengthens the subgrade and increases its shear and bearing strength to enable traffic loading over soft soils. Full-scale accelerated pavement tests show that the geocell can improve the performance of RAP base courses by reducing excessive deformation. However, the disadvantage of using geocells in a construction project is that they are costly, complex to install, and not readily available in many locations.
Stabilizes Soil
With geocell reinforcement, you can reduce the depth of your road and minimize construction costs. This is because it stabilizes the subgrade and reduces lateral movement of the fill material. It also increases the shear strength of the soil, which helps reduce surface and structural failure. The cells’ interconnected nature also creates a network of support and drainage, minimizing the cost of aggregates and fill materials.
Moreover, cellular confinement systems can be used to stabilize slopes as well. They contain the soil particles and prevent them from moving down the slope and being carried away with the runoff water, thereby protecting your equipment and preventing damage to the ecosystem.
In plate loading experiments, the effects of geocells on soil settlement were studied. Compared with the reference section without geocells, the load-deformation curves show that geocells lead to lower settlement values. This decrease is attributed to the higher penetration behavior of the geocell mat into the weak subgrade.
Another reason for the lower settlement is that the 3D zone of confinement entails lateral strains to the infill, which adds stiffness to the soil. The resulting Road reinforcement geocell high tensile strength, high shear strength and wider stress distribution of the infill contribute to improved bearing capacity, greater modulus and extended design life. This is in addition to the advantages of the confined zone, which include reduced initial deformation and creeping of the reinforced soil (Pokharel et al., 2010; Thakur et al., 2013).
Reduces Surface Water
Erosion is a serious problem on steep slopes, especially in road construction. Road reinforcement geocells create a textured surface that helps to prevent erosion by absorbing water and wind. They also reduce the amount of material needed to stabilize a slope, saving time and money. Moreover, these cells are easy to install, so you can get your project done faster.
The cellular structure of the geocells distributes heavy loads evenly across the surface, reducing the risk of settlement and rutting. This is especially helpful for soft or unsteady soils. Additionally, the geocells can be filled with infill materials to stabilize and reinforce weak or poor-quality soils.
Geocells are also a great choice for slopes where the terrain is uneven. They can be easily installed over a variety of surfaces and provide a safe and stable surface for traffic. They are also more environmentally friendly than other road construction methods. In fact, a team of four people can install over 11,000 square meters of geocells in just two days.
This study used both experimental and numerical methods to examine the behavior of geocells under excessive load. To this end, plate loading geogrid material suppliers tests were performed on four different types of geocell-reinforced sections with varying aperture and height dimensions. The results indicate that the most effective geocell type in reducing settlement potential is obtained with a 440 mm cell aperture and 660 mm geocell height. However, the amount of settlement reduction decreases with an increase in vertical stress level and becomes less effective at a value above 1750 kPa.
Reduces Costs
Road construction projects often require the use of expensive aggregates, but the GEOWEB geocell structure allows engineers to save on material costs. This is because the confinement of the cells helps to stabilize soils and increase their load-bearing capacity. This reduces the need for additional materials to support a pavement surface and increases the overall lifespan of the roadway.
Using geocells to stabilize roads prevents costly repairs and replacements of unstable subgrade soils. It also helps to reduce the amount of gravel and other granular materials that are needed to stabilize a slope. In addition, the cellular design of geocells helps to spread loads over a wider area, which significantly reduces the risk of structural failure.
Numerical modeling studies show that the performance of soils that are reinforced with geosynthetic materials can be significantly improved. In particular, settlement reduction reaches around 77% of the reference value under standard loads of 200 kPa in some cases.
Geocells can also be used to stabilize steep slopes and prevent erosion. These structures can be installed quickly and easily, and do not require the use of heavy equipment. They can be especially useful in areas where erosion is a common problem, such as oil and gas sites. In these situations, erosion can lead to major environmental issues and shutdowns of traffic.
