Geocells are three-dimensional honeycomb-shaped cellular confinement systems made from various materials like HDPE, polypropylene, carbon and glass fiber, etc. consisting of thin-walled connections that form interconnected voids for infill materials or vegetation.

Working and Benefits

Geocells work by confining and interlocking infill soils, aggregates, or vegetation within a geo-textile grid system. The interconnected voids created within the geocell mattress allow soil reinforcement while also permitting lateral drainage and erosion control functions. Some key benefits of geocell technology include:

Ground Improvement

By placing geocells over soft subgrade soils and filling them, the soils beneath are reinforced against bearing capacity failures as well as excessive consolidation settlement problems. The stiff interconnecting walls of the geocells laterally restrain the infill materials in place and also serve to distribute the imposed loading over a wider surface area. This significantly enhances the load-bearing capacity and shear strength of weak soils.

Erosion Control

Filled Geocells effectively protect earthen slopes and embankments against erosive forces of water and wind. They function as a three-dimensional armor that binds infill materials like gravels, sands, and topsoil to create a erosion-resistant vegetated surface. The open-cell structure also promotes vegetative growth from seeded or planted species by retaining moisture and nutrients around the plant roots.

Vegetatedreinforcement

Geocells can be seeded or planted along with infill materials to create vegetative reinforcements. As plants grow through the cells, their roots and stems interweave to form a natural soil-reinforcing matrix further enhancing the shear strength of slopes and embankments. Coupled with drainage functions, vegetated geocells provide long-term, aesthetically-pleasing, and eco-friendly solutions against slope and embankment erosions.