How Geocell Reinforcement Improves Pavement Performance in Industrial Yards

Industrial yards and container terminals carry concentrated wheel loads from reach stackers, RTGs, straddle carriers, AGVs, top‑picks, and heavy trucks – often channelized into repeated paths that accelerate rutting, pumping, and joint distress. Unreinforced “traditional” highway design methods miss this loading reality: tire pressures can exceed 1,000 kPa, equipment dwells are longer, turn radii are tighter, and subgrades are frequently reclaimed or saturated, which makes them unsuitable to use. Authoritative port guidance has warned for years that highway methods are not appropriate for container terminals and that designers must account for unique load spectra, drainage and settlement on reclaimed ground (PIANC WG 165 overview).

Where subgrades are soft and water‑affected, geocell reinforcement – especially the highest‑modulus Neoloy Tough Cells – deliver a proven solution to stabilize the platform, lowest differential settlement and reduce long‑term maintenance in yards and terminals (Ports & yards application note, PRS Geo Technologies; Tough Cell technical background).

Why unreinforced yard pavements fail in ports and terminals

Port pavements experience slower, heavier, and more channelized repetitions than highways, with cornering and braking spikes at equipment lanes and stack edges. These drives localized shear, rutting, and block settlement over compressible fills and dredged soils. For example, PIANC’s working groups highlight that container equipment wheel loads are often an order of magnitude greater than highway traffic, and that reclaimed ground magnifies drainage and settlement risks (PIANC WG 165 synopsis; updated sustainability ToR, WG 243).
Case literature shows designers using geocells along with geogrids and geotextiles to reduce imposed pressures and minimize differential settlement in container stacking areas built on soft marine clays (Design of container yards paving using geocells; CMHA Port & Industrial Pavement Design Manual).

Where geocells and Neoloy Tough Cells fit in the section

Neoloy® Tough-Cells create a semi-rigid, slab-like “beam effect” that redistributes concentrated loads, increases the composite layer modulus, and maintains particle interlock and confinement within unbound infill materials under repeated MHE loading. This performance is particularly critical over soft, saturated, or reclaimed subgrades commonly encountered in ports and industrial yards, where reduced surface deformation translates into lower maintenance demands and improved operational continuity (Tough Cell technical background; PRS ports & yards application).

Typical placements

• Working platform / subbase: geocells atop a separator geotextile to confine locally available sand or recycled aggregate, forming a uniform platform that limits settlement and pumping (Tough Cell technical background; PIANC WG 165 overview)
• Base layer under blocks or asphalt: geocells within the base to reduce thickness and mitigate channelized rutting under RTG and reach‑stacker paths (Design of container yards using geocells; CMHA manual)

Quantified benefits decision‑makers care about

• Reduced base thickness and imported aggregate
  By confining marginal fills (including dredged sands) and improving modulus, geocells often enable thinner sections and lower material logistics, critical on constrained quays and inland terminals (PRS ports & yards application; Tough Cell technical background)
• Lower rutting and fewer shutdowns
  The slab‑like response mitigates channelized deformation under RTG lanes and turning pockets, extending maintenance intervals and reducing emergency patching (Design of container yards using geocells; CMHA manual)
• Better fit with evolving sustainability targets
  PIANC’s forthcoming update emphasizes reducing embodied carbon and using local materials; geocells support both by enabling thinner sections and local infill (WG 243 sustainability ToR; PIANC WG 165 overview)

Design notes for industrial yards and container terminals

Focus on load spectra, not highway defaults

Use port‑specific guidance that incorporates slow, heavy, channelized loads and high tire pressures. ASCE and PIANC documents detail equipment classes, wheel loads, repetitions, and lane behaviors for proper mechanistic design (ASCE Port & Intermodal Yard Pavement Design Guide synopsis; PIANC WG 165 overview).

Stabilize subgrades on reclaimed or compressible ground

Where wick drains, surcharging, or deep improvements are impractical on program timelines, geocell platforms provide uniform support, reducing differential movements that crack or rock surfacing and blocks (Design of container yards using geocells; CMHA manual).

Detail drainage and filtration aggressively

Marine environments demand rapid evacuation of water from layers and protection against fines migration. Port manuals and PIANC emphasize drainage geometry, joints, and underdrains for long‑term performance (PIANC WG 165 overview; CMHA manual).

Choose a geocell with the long‑term stiffness and lowest creep

For multi-decade yard operations, materials should be prioritized to retain structural geometry under sustained loading and temperature cycling. Neoloy® Tough-Cells are engineered from a high-modulus polymeric alloy to minimize deformation and preserve confinement over long service lives, as validated by the most stringent international geocell performance standards like ASTM D6992, ISO Stabilization and more. (Tough Cell technical background; Neoloy Tough‑Cells for ports).

Implementation checklist for project teams

• Establish equipment mix, wheel loads, tire pressures, and channelized paths per port/terminal design guides (ASCE design guide synopsis; PIANC WG 165 overview)
• Confirm subgrade variability and consolidation behavior on reclaimed ground; plan for platform reinforcement where deep ground improvement is infeasible (Design of container yards using geocells; CMHA manual) 
• Specify geotextile separation and drainage layers to control fines migration and moisture (CMHA manual; PIANC WG 165 overview)
• Select geocell depth and panel geometry to meet target modulus and settlement limits using port‑appropriate mechanistic methods (PIANC WG 165 overview; Tough Cell technical background)

Conclusion

Industrial yards and container terminals are prone to premature failure when unreinforced highway design assumptions are applied to port environments. Addressing these challenges requires more than increased section thickness – it demands improved load-transfer mechanics tailored to slow-moving, heavy, and channelized traffic over weak or reclaimed subgrades (ASCE design guide synopsis; PIANC WG 165 overview). While port-specific guidance from ASCE and PIANC defines the design framework, geocell reinforcement with Neoloy® Tough-Cells delivers the engineered response needed to strengthen pavements against deformation and settlement. By preserving confinement, increasing composite stiffness, and reducing long-term maintenance demands, Neoloy® Tough-Cells provide the most stable, durable platforms that support continuous operations on saturated or reclaimed ground. For projects constrained by budget, schedule, and site limitations, Neoloy® geocell-reinforced sections deliver a proven most practical solution to long-term yard reliability, with fewer operational shutdowns and the lowest total lifecycle cost. (PRS ports & yards application; Tough Cell technical background).