By 2026, geocell technology (including HDPE Geocell, honeycomb geocell and textured/perforated) has proven its ability to do much more than just confine soil. Field data from road strengthening and slope erosion mitigation schemes across Europe and Southeast Asia demonstrates that where geocells are properly used, base and slope protection cannot only be considerably cheaper than granular or concrete only solutions, they can also achieve the same loadbearing performance. Some of the principal geocell designers have also shown experience of long-term settlements being considerably reduced in normal practice through the use of geocells where previous specifications and designers had failed in soft subgrades.
Geocell performance parameters
Cell Size and Height
- Cell diameter: commonly 100–300 mm.
- Cell heights: most widely from 50–250 mm.
Experience indicates that a cell height of about 150 mm, at most, is optimum in terms of value for money for its material cost and confinement of infill aggregate. Slightly higher cells may be advantageous in some slope protection schemes. Always be very wary of designers and specifiers “guessing” the height of cell required for minor slope protection works: possibly save a few punds per cell but yield no real improvement in interdiction of erosive surface run off.
Be more worried about the cross-directional dimension. Cell heights are also an area for education by designers. In practice cellular confinement of an aggregate inevitably works best with a “shallow” cell.
Selection of materials
HDPE geocells are generally accepted to suit the best pure mechanical soil responses (chemical and UV resistant), although ultrasonically welded geocells appear to give a stronger joint; that’s important in design for load bearing as in an industrial driveway or a retaining wall.
Use of textured or even perforated (which improves soil-geocell interlock) geocells has been successfully produced by various companies in applications, again where the base or “foundation” is somewhat compromised; however for very fine sandy soils the better soil retention properties are with a non perforated cell fabrication.
It is also desirable, by the same token, for material retention of the adsorbed soils within the active cell, to increase load support and base stabilisation effect.
Field testing reveals that a 200 mm thick geocell mattress over weak clay subgrades can support 25-tonne axle loads with a differential settlement of 45% lower than unreinforced bases.
It sounds dangerous but paradoxically in the case of thin foundations granular resulting in less than 150 mm of compacted haul there is a chance the geocell will underperform because new hands tend to think that using a geocell without paying close attention to adequately, binds aggregate to the subgrade surface is sufficient.
Cost savings
Savings in materials
As the geocell confines aggregate the resulting granular fill can be 30-50% thinner without compromising load distribution.
For slope protection geocells confined soil retention makes it possible to reduce the quantity of riprap or concrete facing and save as much as 20-30% in material costs.
Savings in installation work
Expanding a folded geocell panel results in so much labor saving installation time that the poured concrete channels installed by laborers are almost competing with the local concrete work!
For long channels over 500 meters in length use to time retrofit a custom pre-assembled geocell “sheets” per installation over a high soil moisture climate out performs “traditional” wiregabon matresses by 35%40% time wise.
Saving in maintenance
Long-term studies indicate that geocell reinforced slopes tend to be more stable and require less ripping or replacement of the lower rocks particularly in seasonal flooding zones.
The “new” high-strength geocells last upwards of 15 years in similar environments as they stand up better to hydraulic loading than conventional HDPE.
Geocells versus existing systems
In soils peaty if the ground is extremely soft attention should be rendered to the subgrade before laying the geocell, also in excessively coless in the locality.
If encountered with a heavy sediment load not rapidly draining from incipient sink holes, a non-perforated base or geocell can stabilize a soil mound.
A steep embankment greater than a “One to One” slope will require a hybrid solution using anchors or tie-backs to support a stiff base if the slope cannot be laid flat.
Page 18 Decision Matrix simple
| Use geocells if | Recommended geocell type | cell face height | perforation | key feature of geocell to be found |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Driveways parking foundations | HDPE ultrasonic welded | 150 mm cell face | non-perforated | soil type cannot track; soil |
| Retaining walls | highstrength textured to earth to keep dirt off the deck | 200250mm face cell | perforated model | longterm erosion control benefits (dirt fly |
| Slopes & channels | lightfootprint or thinfootprint honeycomb geocell textured to keep soil off of thin edged geocell | 100150mm face cell3/4”larger | perfrated | timeliness purpose |
For transport pavements over soft subgrade, an HDPE geocell mattress 15200 mm high and nonperforated. Repair holes of aggregate installation to seek out adequate access for drainage holes inches deeper sand layer.
Supplier feedback
According to leading geocell suppliers, more small projects are purchasing online than 2018 and e-commerce platforms provide current pricing by the square meter.
Of notes for designers HDPE geocell 5.5$per/m2 metricallyproven.
Now prevailing is that an ultrasonic welded geocell product line is newer to construction industry standards and achieves 25%30% greater integrity at joints due to advanced processes.
Geocell design modelling software to estimate prices sation prior to ordering is expected in 2018.