Reduce pavement thickness by up to 30%

Overview

What is pavement reinforcement?

Pavement reinforcement improves structural performance by using geogrids or geocells within pavement layers or at the interface with the subgrade to support the pavement structure under load. To understand why reinforcement is used, it is important to consider how pavements behave over time.

Road pavements are exposed to repeated wheel loads, temperature variation, and moisture throughout their service life. These actions generate tensile and shear stresses within the asphalt, base, and subgrade layers. As traffic accumulates and environmental exposure continues, granular layers experience lateral spreading and loss of confinement lose confinement and subgrades soften, particularly when moisture is present.

When structural capacity reduces, specific forms of distress begin to develop. Cracking typically initiates due to repeated tensile strain at the bottom of the asphalt layer caused by traffic loading. Moisture does not initiate cracking on its own, but it reduces material stiffness and strength, contributing to continued deterioration once damage has begun. Over time, this leads to surface deformation and a noticeable decline in ride quality.

StrataGrid Uniaxial Geogrid installation

Advantages of pavement reinforcement

Improved structural load management

Pavement reinforcement changes how traffic loads are carried through the pavement structure. Instead of stresses concentrating at isolated points, movement within granular layers and at the subgrade interface is controlled.

Reduced permanent deformation and cracking

Rutting and cracking occur when pavement layers shift under traffic or when the subgrade weakens due to moisture. Reinforcement minimises this movement within the pavement structure and helps layers stay in place under load.

Optimized pavement layer thickness

Pavement reinforcement provides an alternative to traditional pavement design by improving the efficiency of load transfer and interaction between layers. Instead of relying on increased layer thickness, which also increases project costs, pavement sections meet performance requirements with reduced granular thicknesses, supporting more efficient use of materials and construction resources.

Extended pavement service life

By maintaining structural capacity and controlling deformation over time, reinforced pavements experience slower progression of distress compared to unreinforced sections. That means fewer maintenance calls, and longer service life over the lifecycle.

Typical scenarios of pavement reinforcement

Pavement reinforcement ideally needs to be considered at the design stage itself, based on site-specific conditions, traffic loading, and detailed subgrade investigations. Modern pavements are increasingly challenged by heavier traffic, variable environmental conditions, and marginal foundation soils, leading to distresses such as rutting, cracking, and differential deformation.

Highways and expressways

Highways and expressways are subjected to sustained volumes of heavy traffic over long service periods. Pavement structures in these environments are designed to manage repeated loading while maintaining consistent structural behaviour across asphalt, base, and sub-base layers.

In highway applications, StrataGrid™ geogrid reinforcement is installed within the base or sub-base layers. The geogrid provides lateral restraint and promotes aggregate interlock, controlling movement within granular layers under traffic loading. This configuration is used where subgrade strength is low, groundwater levels are high, or drainage conditions are challenging, and where pavement designs require efficient use of structural layers.

Access and service roads

Access and service roads are exposed to variable traffic loading and are frequently constructed over subgrades with uneven or inconsistent strength. These conditions require pavement sections that maintain stability despite changes in loading and moisture exposure.

In these applications, StrataGrid™ is used within base and sub-base layers to stabilise granular materials and limit internal movement. Where subgrade soils are soft or moisture-sensitive, StrataWeb® geocell systems are installed at the subgrade interface. The three-dimensional confinement created by the geocell structure forms a stable foundation layer and supports pavement construction over challenging ground conditions.

Heavy load pavement sections

Pavements subjected to heavy and repetitive loading, such as port access roads, mining haul roads, industrial corridors, and logistics yards, place high structural demands on both pavement layers and the underlying subgrade. These pavements are often governed by subgrade performance rather than surface layer thickness.

In such environments, StrataWeb® geocell systems are installed over weak or compressible subgrades to create a confined, load-bearing layer. The cellular structure restricts vertical and lateral movement of infill material under heavy loading. Where granular layers require additional structural control, StrataGrid™ geogrids are incorporated within the pavement section to manage shear stresses and support stable layer interaction. These reinforcement approaches are applied in both new pavement construction and the strengthening of existing pavements.

Gallery of haul roads Projects Pavement reinforcement

Products used in Pavement reinforcement

StrataWeb® (Product)

Geocell technology, exemplified by the groundbreaking StrataWeb® system, harnesses the inherent strength of the three-dimensional honeycomb structure found in nature.

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StrataGrid™ Biaxial Geogrid (SGB) (Product)

StrataGrid™ Biaxial Geogrid is a groundbreaking innovation in pavement construction that revolutionizes the durability and longevity of flexible pavements, particularly in highway embankments.

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