This project involved ground improvement of port access roads to Vizhinjam Port, located near Kovalam in south Kerala, a southern state in India. The conventional method would have been to use GSB (Granular Sub-base) for road construction. However, the lack of availability made it impossible for the construction of the access roads. The resource that was available in the area was dredged sand which was excavated from the site. The client wanted to explore the on-site resources, i.e., the dredged sand, that would have resulted in reducing both cost and time.

The challenges included an immense shortage of construction material like GSB. The solution also required the subgrade to withstand the load of trailers with heavy containers. Time was an important factor as it was an access road carrying heavy containers.

Strata’s geotechnical engineers proposed utilizing StrataWeb® geocells and a woven geotextile. This solution increases the load-bearing capacity of access roads and enables heavy loads on top without creating settlements in the road. Given the scarcity of GSB, enabling the use of locally available sand was critical. StrataWeb® geocells with the local sand infill proved to be the best solution. StrataWeb® helped in spreading the loads on a confined area due to its three-dimensional structure.

Strata’s solution saved 20% of the cost compared to conventional methods. Faster execution of work was possible due to the ease of installing StrataWeb®. The solution also minimized long-term maintenance.