A geocell is a pre-formed, three-dimensional mat that is made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) or polypropylene. It comes in various sizes and forms and serves as an effective soil containment and slope protection system. Geocells allow heavy construction equipment and vehicles such as trucks and bulldozers to easily and safely access construction sites. When filled and compacted with stone or gravel, geocells form strong cellular mattresses that reinforce soft soil and stabilize slopes.
Types of Geocells
There are various types of geocells available depending on the application and requirements:
1) Permanent Geocells: Made using thicker walls than temporary geocells, permanent geocells are designed to withstand heavy permanent loads and long-term stresses. They are commonly used for slope stabilization, channel and shoreline protection.
2) Temporary Geocells: Having thinner walls than permanent Geocells, temporary geocells are suitable for lightweight applications involving light vehicular traffic. They are used for access road construction and topsoil protection.
3) Biodegradable Geocells: Manufactured using biodegradable materials like coir or jute, these geocells are eco-friendly as they degrade over time without polluting the environment. They are used where post-construction removal of geocells is not possible.
Benefits of Using Geocells
There are several advantages that geocells provide over conventional soil reinforcement methods:
Superior strength: The honeycomb structure of interconnected cells provides higher tensile strength than soil alone. This translates to better load distribution and resistance to deformation.
Engineered for vegetation: Geocells are designed to stabilize soil while allowing vegetation roots to grow inside the cells for permanence.
Material savings: Compared to riprap, geocells require less stone aggregates to reinforce slopes. This leads to reduced material costs.
Speedier installation: Geocells can be rapidly unrolled and filled on site, saving significant time and labor during construction compared to traditional methods.
Flexibility: They can be easily customized to the exact geometry of slopes or shorelines for better fit and performance.
Environment-friendly: Being made of recyclable plastics, geocells have minimal environmental impact compared to cement-based systems.
Longevity: Properly installed geocells can last over 50-75 years with little maintenance needs.
Applications of Geocells
Given their versatile usage, geocells are widely utilized in:
Slope stabilization: As interlocking modules, geocells greatly strengthen hillsides, embankments and stockpile slopes prone to erosion.
Shoreline protection: Along coastal areas, wave-action resistant geocells prevent shoreline erosion from wind and water currents.
Retaining walls: They are used as living retaining structures wrapped with vegetation for better slope retention.
Channel lining: Geocells lined on drainage channels, ditches and streams check scouring of beds and banks during floods.
Revetments: As revetment mattresses, geocells reinforce levees, jetties and breakwaters against hydraulic forces.
Road construction: On new roads and embankments, geocells allow movement of vehicles and stabilize base course aggregates.
Erosion control: On agricultural lands, geocells establish turfgrass rapidly while curbing effects of water and wind erosion.
Installation and Future Scope
Proper installation of geocells is critical for achieving their design performance. Manufacturers provide detailed guidelines which certified contractors follow. Fully-grown vegetation on the geocell surface binds soil to further strengthen slopes structurally and aesthetically. Advancing innovations are developing smaller honeycomb geocell designs woven into mats for rapid turf establishment with less material. Overall, geocells will continue evolving to find wider usage as an advanced soil bioengineering solution worldwide.
*Note:
1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
2. We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it
About Author – Ravina Pandya
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