GEOWEB Geocells Strengthen Container Yard

Project Name: Marine Container Yard

Project Location: Central America

GEOWEB 3D System Stabilizes Soft Subgrade & Reduces Cross-Section for Heavy Loads at Port Facility

Project Overview

A marine facility faced significant pavement stability challenges at their heavy-loading container yard during the rainy season in Honduras. The rainy season typically runs from October to February, which triggers costly interruptions to facility operations due to the soft, unstable ground. The constant weight of the intermodal facility’s parked trailers, stacked containers, and heavy traffic patterns caused the yard’s surface and subbase materials to quickly degrade. Ruts, potholes, and even pavement failure are common container yard problems resulting in costly, continual maintenance.

Solution: The GEOWEB 3D Soil Stabilization System

The GEOWEB system was chosen to reduce maintenance, eliminate rutting and provide year-round base stability for heavy containers over soft subgrades. A test section of the GEOWEB (GW30V6) material was installed in a high-traffic area of 3,000 m2 (32,300 square feet). The client realized immediate cost savings, as the GEOWEB Confinement System reduced the overall depth of required structural fill by more than 50% and eliminated the need for complicated structural elements. Local aggregate was used for the base material and infill, which allowed for the elimination of a woven geotextile—equaling additional project savings.

Thanks to the GEOWEB system, the problems of differential settlement, vertical deflection, and stormwater runoff were controlled. Contact pressure was better distributed, which allowed for higher stacked containers and the stable pavement reduced damage potential to equipment and trailers.