Abstract :

The Influence Of Introducing A Three Dimensional Geo-synthetic Material, Called Geocells In The Base Layer Of Flexible Pavements Is Investigated In The Current Study. This Study Compares The Reinforced And Unreinforced Pavement Sections Constructed On A Subgrade Having A Moderate California Bearing Ratio (CBR) Value Of 5%. A Series Of Model Tests Were Carried Out To Understand The Influence Of Geocell Reinforcement On The Load Carrying Mechanism Of The Pavement Section Under Static And Repeated Loading Conditions. The Parameters Studied Were As Follows: Load-settlement Response Of The Pavement Sections, Actual Rut At The Subgrade Level, Pressure Transmitted To The Subgrade Soil Underlying The Geocell Reinforced Base Layer And Surface Deformation Profile Of The Test Sections. Different Flexible Pavement Design Methodologies Proposed By Indian Roads Congress (IRC) And American Association Of State Highways And Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Were Used For The Design Of Pavement Sections And Were Compared Through Experimental Program Conducted In The Laboratory. Large Scale Repeated Load Tests Were Performed To Replicate The Actual Field Conditions. The Test Results Indicate That The Geocell Reinforcement Reduces The Rutting In The Pavement. The Performance Improvement Was Presented In Terms Of Traffic Benefit Ratios (TBR), Layer Coefficient Ratios (LCR), Rut Depth Reductions (RDR) And Rut Benefit Ratios (RBR). Besides, Under The Same Load Repetitions, The Thickness Of The Reinforced Pavement Is Considerably Less Than That Of The Unreinforced Pavement Section. In Addition To The Cost Savings, This Would Conserve Natural Materials Like Aggregates Used In The Pavement Construction. Overall, The Inclusion Of Geocell In The Base Layer Helps In Improving The Life, Uniform Distribution Of Load, Reduction In Rut Depth And It Also Provides An Economical And Sustainable Solution To The Present Practices.

Published:

04-8-2026

Issue:

Vol. 26 No. 8 (2026)

Page Nos:

516 - 527

Section:

Articles

License:

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

How to Cite