Sep. 01, 2025
Hardware
Geogrids consist of a regular open network of integrally connected, tensile elements (ribs), which may be linked by extrusion, bonding or interlacing. The apertures between the ribs are larger than the constituents. The ribs are made of polymeric materials such as high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene, or other durable polymers. The manufacturing process may involve stretching of the polymer material to orient the molecular structure, increasing the strength and stiffness of the ribs.
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The stiff ribs and strong junctions of a geogrid enable a high degree of interaction between the geogrid and the surrounding soil. Soil particles are able to partially penetrate into the apertures and become restrained by the ribs or confined within the apertures. Geogrids are ideal for soil stabilisation or reinforcement, with applications such as construction over weak soils, road foundations and earth retaining structures – as such, they are one of the most commonly used geosynthetics.
Tensar produces four types of geogrids: uniaxial geogrids, biaxial geogrids, multi-axial geogrids (TriAx®), and the more complex Tensar InterAx® geogrids. Visit Tensar’s geogrids page to learn more about them.
Geotextiles are the largest group of geosynthetics, as well as one of the earliest types to be created. They are permeable fabrics that consist of synthetic fibres such as polyester or polypropylene, and can be created as either woven, knitted or non-woven textiles. The non-woven types are manufactured from directionally or randomly oriented fibres/filaments, mechanically or thermally/chemically bonded together. They can vary in strength and weight, from lightweight filter products to high-strength reinforcement materials.
This category of geosynthetic, when used in association with soil, can provide a wide variety of functions including separation, filtration, drainage, protection and reinforcement. Despite most commonly used as a separator before construction of roads, or as filter/separators in drainage applications, they can be used across a range of applications in engineering projects.
Tensar Basetex® is a great example of a high-performance reinforcement geotextile.
Geofoam, also known as EPS (Expanded Polystyrene), is an incredibly lightweight, durable material that can be used in numerous applications as an alternative to soil backfill. Geofoam blocks are created via polymeric expansion of the polystyrene, which produces many gas-filled, closed cells throughout the block. This design is what makes them so low in density.
The low density of geofoam makes it very useful on engineering projects as a fill material over soft or compressible foundation soils. Used as a lightweight core for an embankment, it will reduce settlements and may make it possible to avoid staged construction.
Geosynthetic clay liners (GCL) are built using two sheets of non-woven geotextile with a layer of sodium bentonite clay sandwiched between. The sheets are bonded together (using stitching or needle punching) to create structural integrity; they’re then heat-treated to secure the layers in place.
GCL’s provide a faster, more convenient alternative to traditional clay lining of containment ponds. These materials have an added advantage in that the sodium bentonite layer has swelling properties. As such, clay liners offer a degree of self-sealing that reduces leakage. GCL liners benefit many geotechnical applications, including waste treatment and landfill.
Geocomposites are composed of two or more of the geosynthetic types discussed above. Combining the features of each geosynthetic creates a product with more benefits than any individual product type, particularly useful in drainage and containment applications and some road foundation situations. For example, Tensar combines stabilisation geogrids with separation/filtration geotextiles for use in road and rail foundations where fine soil migration may be an issue. Take a look at the Tensar TriAx TX-G product page for an example of a geocomposite.
Where geosynthetics are used to stabilise granular soils, this typically occurs via an interlocking mechanism. With geogrids, for example, the apertures between ribs allow aggregate to strike through and interlock, confining the aggregate material. Provided that the geogrid has strong junctions and ribs that offer high stiffness at low strain, movement of the soil particles can be minimised, improving the mechanical behaviour of the soil. This mechanical ground stabilisation creates a composite layer that is stronger and more resistant to deformation.
Geogrid stabilisation is common in roadway foundations and in working platforms that will endure heavy loads, as it increases bearing capacity and reduces deformation under load. You can learn more about the stabilising power of interlock in this Tensar article.
The drainage function of geosynthetics allows groundwater or other fluids to be collected and pass through less permeable soils. Drainage geosynthetics can be used to dissipate pore pressure below embankments, intercept groundwater in slopes or behind structures, and provide edge drainage to road pavements.
Drainage geosynthetics are usually geocomposites, typically combining a geonet drainage core with one or more layers of geotextile. They are able to pass water (and other liquids or gases) through their structure to a collector or open space.
Good drainage is essential for roadways, as water under the surface can lead to softening of subgrade soils and eventual loss of strength in the road structure. Therefore, geosynthetics can commonly be found in roads and railways, behind retaining walls, as well as below embankments where less permeable soils exist.
Visit our guide on pore water pressure for more on the importance of drainage.
Erosion control is the practice of mitigating damage to land caused by the action of wind or water. Once the top layer of land is eroded, re-growth takes a long time, and this is where erosion control geosynthetics come in to give nature a helping hand.
Erosion control geosynthetics, typically, in the form of multi-layered mats, reduce soil erosion caused by impact of water droplets and surface runoff. They are rolled onto a surface and pegged in place. Some products combine synthetics with natural materials to provide enhanced moisture retention to encourage vegetation growth.
In areas where land is exposed to water flow or rainfall, erosion control geosynthetics are ideal for protecting the top layer of soil, encouraging vegetation to grow and preventing soil loss in the future. This is particularly common around areas of water and embankment slopes.
Soil particles, particularly finer particles, can be transported by water passing through soils. Filtration geosynthetics, usually geotextiles, are designed to retain soil particles on the upstream side of the filter, while allowing water to pass freely through. Even fine soil particles can be retained due to the ‘bridging’ effect of larger particles on the upstream side of the filter. Filtration is therefore most effective with one-directional water flow.
The filtration properties of geotextiles can be designed by varying the type and density of fibres, and the thickness and structure of the fabric. They are often combined with a drainage core in the form of a geocomposite. Suitably engineered products may be used to prevent soil migration into drainage aggregate layers or gravel-filled drains, or for critical applications below riprap protection in river or coastal works.
To function as a separator, the geosynthetic must prevent soil with different particle size distributions from intermixing and causing the structural integrity to fail.
Separation is a required function in many applications; however, it is vitally important to the layers of roads and pavements. Geotextile separators are routinely used below road and rail construction, in isolation or combined with a geogrid in the form of a geocomposite.
A geogrid can prevent expensive subbase material from punching into the soft subgrade. When a well-graded subbase is stabilised with a geogrid, the geogrid/soil composite layer can prevent finer-grained soil from migrating up into the subbase. When soil moisture levels are high, a geocomposite with geogrid and separator/filter properties may be used.
Geosynthetics are often applied in areas such as roadways, railways, airports and more.
For roads and runways, they’re primarily useful in stabilising and separating unbound pavement layers. However, they can also be used to address issues with the underlying soil or to provide side drainage.
Geogrids have been used to aid construction and enhance the performance of roads over soft ground since the s. More recent advancements have led to their increased use in enhancing the service life of paved roads, thereby reducing whole-life costs. Visit this page on roads, pavements and trafficked areas to discover more on how Tensar products improve road construction projects.
Geosynthetics can be applied to solve a variety of problems below the rail track. Stabilisation geogrids are routinely used to increase the bearing capacity and stiffness of the trackbed over areas of weak soil. They can also be placed below the ballast layer to control lateral migration and deterioration of the ballast particles. Differential stiffness issues associated with transitions from rigid to flexible foundations can be addressed with geogrid-stabilised transition zones.
Suggested reading:Want more information on Plastic Geogrid For Roads? Feel free to contact us.
Visit this page on rail trackbed improvement to discover more on how Tensar products improve rail track maintenance and construction projects.
Geotextile separators and drainage geocomposites are used to control moisture-related problems, while highly specialised sand-filled geotextile mats can replace sand filters below the trackbed.
The construction of earth embankments over weak soils presents challenges that can be addressed by the use of geosynthetics. Over-stressing of the foundation soil as construction proceeds can result in a deep rotational failure. The inclusion of geosynthetic reinforcement in the base of the embankment can maintain stability against this failure mechanism.
Three-dimensional cellular mattress systems, such as Tensartech Stratum®, provide reinforcement at the base, but in addition, the inherent stiffness of the cellular mattress distributes load and influences the settlement profile. Geosynthetic wick drains, driven deep into the foundation soil, can relieve excess pore pressure as the embankment rises, enabling more rapid construction.
Learn more about the benefits of a cellular foundation mattress in this Tensar article.
Along a stretch of the Gemas to Tumpat railway, passing trains had caused fine-grained soils to contaminate the ballast layer, in turn causing track alignment issues and track settlement. The Public Works Department in Malaysia were in search of a cost-effective and time considerate solution.
Geosynthetics, in this case Tensar geogrids, were the perfect solution for replacing the previous geocells used. A single geogrid layer was used below the ballast layer to provide lifetime confinement and stabilisation, further benefiting from rapid installation and material cost saving compared to the typical geocell solution.
This case study is a model example of where the right type of geosynthetic (geogrid vs geocell) needs to be considered when approaching a particular geotechnical engineering problem.
Visit this Gemas Mentakab case study to learn more, or the Tensar TriAx geogrid® page to learn more about the geosynthetic used.
In this success story, Tensar used a combination of geosynthetic reinforcement systems to build a steep-sided 'rail overbridge embankment'. As a part of Network Rail’s electrification of the Great Western Mainline, the client needed a new embankment, up to 5m high with a natural vegetated finish.
This was on top of poor ground conditions with weak clay deposits, as well as the site being located within a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in South Wales. Utilising Tensar’s high-strength Basetex® geotextile alongside the Tensartech® Greenslope™ system, the embankment was built at a 70℃ slope with the geotextile in place to reinforce and support the embankment for its 120-year design lifespan.
Visit the Green Lane Rail case study to learn more, or the Tensar Basetex® to learn more about the geosynthetic used.
A biaxial geogrid is a geosynthetic compound made out of polypropylene polymers and are primarily used to reinforce and stabilise soils. They are made through a series of procedures including crossway stretching, lengthway stretching and extruding. This production process ensures that all the geogrids have high tension resistance along with a high tensile strength, which therefore increases the overall bearing force that the geogrids are capable of.
It is important to also understand that there are three different types of geogrids available on the market; uniaxial, biaxial and triaxial. In our case we are focusing on the Biaxial Geogrid which is designed to ensure that the subgrade is strong in two directions, both length and width. This is why these types of geogrids have been used for projects like pavement and road stabilisation for over thirty years.
We only stock the Biaxial geogrids here at EasyMerchant as the others are more specialist for uses such as airport pavements and hardstand areas etc. Biaxial geogrid is the most commonly sold type as it serves a variety of different purposes.
If the soil in the area where you will be adding a dense load (such as slabs, railway sleepers, trucks or lorries) is too soft, the pressure will force the soil to warp. A Geogrid will help to secure the soil through compacting the aggregate which furthermore enhances the bearing capacity of the underlying ground. In short, it strengthens the ground and stops it from disappearing in heavy traffic, preventing rutting – etc.
Unlike when the load is introduced to the soil alone, the geogrid forces the heavy load’s pressure to be spread over the entire surface area of the grid, due to the subgrade having strength in both directions. It’s a similar reason to why, if you were walking on thin ice, you are better off laying down to spread your body weight over a larger surface, it’s the same principle here.
This essentially means once the Biaxial geogrid is set out and the heavy load is put in place the soil beneath the grid compacts and the subrade’s strength is further enhanced. This means that it is very cost effective by saving both labour and maintenance expenses.
Works really well for farm tracks etc or country lanes that lorries drive up and down. It helps to stop the ruts caused by the weight on the tyres which otherwise would need regularly refilling.
Geogrids can be installed underneath the surfaces of various construction projects to stop deformation caused by subsidence build up over time. Examples of this may include:
Geogrids are also used behind retaining walls as a reinforcement layer to keep the soil in a fixed position.
If the soil in a specific area has a high moisture content, the site may be experiencing ‘pumping’. This is where various soil types mix and weakens the soils core bearing ratio. In other words, wet soggy ground will pit or trench even quicker – In this case a non woven geotextile membrane can be used to separate the aggregate from the geogrid. This will filter the soil participles and it helps to separate them from the aggregate layer which helps to further compact the subgrade. Strengthening the ground and helping to remove water.
Before placing any geogrid down you must first prepare the subgrade (the aggregate or base soil beneath). The subgrade must be leveled out with compliance to any standards in order to ensure the whole job can be performed correctly and efficiently, and within any guidelines set out by construction standards specific to your project. It is also advised that heavy duty hand protection is worn when handling Biaxial geogrid as it can be sharp, especially when cut.
The geogrid can firstly be placed parallel to the central line of where your project is taking place or in the crossways direction. If you are needing to use a geotextile membrane for reasons such as your site experiencing ‘pumping’, then this should be laid down first, before you place the geogrid.
There must be an overlap between the adjacent rolls. The size of this overlap will depend on the grading and the thickness of the fill and type of subgrade. As standard a minimum overlap tends to be 300mm and and a maximum of 600mm. Commercial projects may vary with contracted agreements. Usually overlaps would just be overlapped with the aggregate being placed over the top to weigh it down, however it can be stapled into place too.
During the fill process it should be placed in small layers and not directly tipped onto the geogrid. Care should be taken when handling the geogrids, to minimise the risk of damage.
There are standards associated with every different project and the compaction must be carried out in accordance with the rules set out.
We stock two types of biaxial geogrid, the 20/20s and 30/30s. The difference between the two is the tensile strength. The 20/20s has a tensile strength of 20KM/m and the 30/30s has a tensile strength of 30KN/m. Each of them have the same grid opening size (the size of the holes in the grid) of 40mm and both come in the same sizes with the same weight.
The company is the world’s best biaxially stretched plastic grid supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.
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