Evaluation of the structural performance of the geocell-stabilized flexible pavement

Abstract

Geocell can provide sustainable solutions for the pavement infrastructure as it allows the utilization of reclaimed and inferior quality base aggregate materials as infill materials. The benefits of using geocell have been well established in the literature; however, lack of knowledge regarding the field performance hinders transportation agencies from designing flexible pavement with such products. This study aims to determine the contribution of geocell towards pavement system performance based on non-destructive field testing. The existing road section of a Farm to Market Road was replaced with different thicknesses of geocell-reinforced base layer filled with reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) material. The performance of the reinforced sections was verified with the profiler test and rutting measurements. Falling weight deflectometer (FWD) tests were conducted on different test sections to capture the pavement responses. Field data showed that geocell allowed the maximum usage of RAP material and enhanced its performance. The back-calculated in-situ modulus showed that the additional confinement provided by the geocell ranged between 8 and 20 psi. The increase in confinement indicated an increase in resilient modulus, which was further calculated for each geocell-reinforced section. Geocell also helped to restrict the differential movement of the subgrade by providing uniform support, which resulted in a smoother road structure with less rutting and longitudinal cracking.