Geocell Concrete Road Installation
In geotechnical road construction, many clients often ask a key question: after filling Geocells with concrete, do they need an extra concrete layer on the top? The subgrade condition, vehicle load and road use will decide the right installation method. Wrong construction will cause road settlement, cracks and short service life.
Recently, one client from Colombia asked about our 75mm geocell installation for a new internal road. They had questions about the gravel base and the concrete filling. We gave professional suggestions based on their actual site situation. Below is our full communication for your reference.
Hi Claire, how are you?
We are about to start installing the geocells in one of our projects here in Colombia. Today we visited the site with some engineers, and a question came up regarding the correct installation when using concrete as infill.
They mentioned that after installing the geocells and filling them with concrete, it might be necessary to add an additional concrete layer on top.
Could you please confirm if this is correct? Is it necessary or recommended to apply another concrete layer over the filled geocells, or should the system work properly just with the cells filled and leveled?
If you have any technical guidelines or recommendations for this type of application, it would be very helpful.
Thank you!
Regarding this question, I checked with our engineer.
You should choose the correct installation method based on the following points:
1, What’s your subgrade strength? Is your road an existing road with good subgrade strength? Or is the road newly built without any strength?
2, Will you add a layer of gravel under the Geocell to improve the subgrade strength? And what’s the thickness of the gravel?
3, What’s your vehicle type? Mainly for motor vehicles or bicycles? And what about the weight of the cars? And what is the traffic volume?
If your road is an existing road with good strength, or you have added a layer of gravel to improve the subgrade strength. At the same time, if not many vehicles pass by, you can just fill the 75mm Geocell with concrete and level it is ok.
If your road is newly built without good strength, or you have not added any gravel layer. Or your road will pass by many vehicles, you should apply another concrete layer over the filled geocells, maybe 10cm at least.
All in all, this can’t be simply answered with a single word. All of these require calculation. We can only offer suggestions based on our own experience.
Please understand this real situation!
Hi Claire, thank you for your detailed explanation, it was very helpful.
Let me give you more details about our project so you can guide us better.
This is a newly built internal road, made recently with an excavator, so the subgrade does not have strong support yet. At the moment, we have not placed a gravel layer, but we are considering it.
The road will be used mainly by cars and light vehicles, but there will be regular traffic inside the project.
Based on this situation, what would you recommend as the best solution?
Would it be better to:
1) Add a gravel layer under the geocell (and if so, what thickness do you suggest?), and then fill the geocell with concrete without an extra layer on top
or
2) Install the geocell directly and apply an additional concrete layer (around 10 cm) on top after filling it?
We want to ensure a durable solution but also optimize costs.
Thank you again for your support.
Combined with your project situation: new internal road, weak subgrade, no gravel layer for now, mainly for light vehicles with regular traffic. We give you the best solution for durability and cost saving.
We highly recommend Option 1:
First, lay a gravel layer under the geocell with a suggested thickness of 15-20cm, then compact and level the base. It will strengthen the weak subgrade and spread vehicle pressure for better overall stability.
Next, install the 75mm geocell and fix it tightly. Fill the cells fully with concrete and level the surface. No extra concrete layer on top is needed.
Additional notes:
Option 2 costs more and needs more construction steps. Without a gravel base, the soft new subgrade is easy to sink and crack in long-term use.
Adding a gravel layer is low-cost and easy to construct. The combination of gravel base, geocell, and concrete filling can fully meet long-term light traffic and greatly extend road service life. It is the most cost-effective choice.
In short, there is no single standard way for Geocell road construction. The plan must fit local subgrade, vehicle type and daily traffic. Proper gravel base and full concrete filling can balance cost and road strength. It ensures good stability and long use for light vehicles.
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