How to improve pavement resilience with geocells/geocomposites?

Understanding the causes of pavement cracking?

In order to determine the appropriate solution, it is first necessary to understand how reflective cracking occurs and propagates in pavements.

Pavement investigations have identified three modes of cracking caused by tension, in-plane shear, and out-of-plane shear. For example, reflective cracking may be the result of Mode I, Mode II, or a combination of Modes I and II. It is also important to remember that cracks do not necessarily grow at a constant rate throughout the entire cross-section of the pavement. The type of loading and movement on the pavement layer, including inadequate compaction of the material, can also affect the change in propagation velocity.

What innovative techniques/strategies are available?  

A variety of strategies are available for the design and construction of road pavements to control cracking, reduce water penetration and improve the structural behavior and performance of asphalt concrete overlays.

The use of asphalt-reinforced geocells/geocomposites is a solution that requires little additional cost and can provide reinforcement, stress relief layers, sandwich moisture barriers, or a combination thereof to realize greater benefits in terms of significant cost savings throughout the life cycle of the pavement asset.

What are the different types of asphalt geosynthetics?  

Asphalt geosynthetics products can be divided into four main categories.

Paving fabric: A non-woven geotextile with a minimum mass of 130 g/m2 and a minimum asphalt retention of 0.9 L/m2 that is installed impregnated with asphalt to provide a stress relief layer and/or a sandwich moisture barrier.

Geocomposites: A combination of geogrid and paving fabric that provides the benefits of both products together to provide reinforcement, stress relief and waterproofing.

Geocells：synthetic planar structures formed by a regular network of tensile strength elements with holes that interlock with the surrounding soil to perform the primary reinforcement function.

Geogrid Reinforced Composites: Geogrids with ultra-lightweight (<50g/m2) or lightweight (50-150g/m2) fabric backing. The main function of this product is reinforcement. A fabric backing made of temporary or permanent fiber bundles partially fills the opening purely for better installation and adhesion to the adhesive coating.

Installation precautions?

The main function of geosynthetics used in the construction and rehabilitation of roads and pavements is to reduce the amount of cracking in new pavements or asphalt overlays. In addition, if geocomposites are used, they can provide a stress relief layer and/or a top-down barrier for water to enter the subgrade and/or roadbed.

The installation of asphalt reinforced geosynthetic products is very important for their performance. It is very sensitive to various parameters and may vary depending on the site, product, weather, surface conditions, bonding material, etc. In all cases, the manufacturer's installation guidelines should be followed completely and carefully.

Luyuan Asphalt Reinforced Geocell / Geocomposite Main Features.

High strength and high temperature resistance.

Increases the fatigue resistance of the asphalt layer, reducing the incidence of reflective cracking under cyclic traffic loading and extending the life of the pavement.

Asphalt coating and permanent lightweight porous geotextile backing provide better adhesion and fewer wrinkles.

Easy to handle and rugged enough to prevent installation damage.