Neoloy® Tough Cells Solutions for Airports

Neoloy Tough Cells solutions stabilize all airport infrastructures for the highest pavement performance, delivering the strongest, safeties solutions

Stabilize Airport Pavements

Mechanically Stabilize Pavements for Heavy Duty Pavements

Neoloy® Tough Cells are the best cost-effective method to improve soil bearing capacity, strengthen pavements and reduce maintenance for South African airport operators 

The Challenge

Across the world, airports are built on the margins of cities. Invariably, this means that they are located on marginal or swamp land, requiring significant ground improvement efforts. Innovative soil stabilization solutions are required to strengthen all types of airport pavements, including runways, roadways, aprons and storage yards. 

The Neoloy Solution

Neoloy Geocells are becoming the solution of choice by airport authorities and pavement designers. Neoloy Geocells form a light, strong and stable layer to support heavy-duty airport pavements. They have a proven track record for pavement reinforcement – increasing the soil bearing capacity, improving base layer strength and reducing asphalt layer thickness. 

Often, Neoloy has proven to be the only feasible airport pavement solution, for example, airports in Mexico City, which face extreme geotechnical conditions. Used to reinforced aprons at the Mexico City International Airport, Neoloy Geocell reinforcement reduced extremely problematic settlements from 17 cm a year to 0 a year. (Read case study)

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Why Neoloy

The key to the Neoloy Geocells is the Neoloy, novel polymer alloy (NPA), designed for long-term performance. The high tensile strength, cell wall stiffness and creep resistance of Neoloy Geocells resist permanent deformation – giving it a long lifespan, even under dynamic loading. Neoloy Geocells create a semi-rigid beam effect. This spreads vertical stress by lateral distribution of applied loads to significantly reduce stress to lower pavement layers. 

The result is an ideal stabilization solution to reinforce runways and other airport pavements.These factors coupled with proven PRS smart engineering methods enable PRS to optimize any airport pavement performance at the best possible cost. 

Use Neoloy Geocell stabilization solutions for airport pavements, unpaved airstrips, military airfields, runway shoulders, and stormwater management in challenging conditions.

Click here for case study about new International Airport, Mexico City

Benefits

  • Modulus improvement factor from 2-5x 
  • Semi-rigid slab stabilizes soils with CBR <1% 
  • Resistant to permanent deformation under heavy dynamic loading 
  • Significant saving, due to reduction in asphalt thickness of up to 30% 
  • Eliminate expensive and time-consuming soil replacement 
  • Reduce long-term maintenance, operating costs and downtime
  • Use of local infill reduces environmental impact, sustainability and carbon footprint 
  • Suitable for soft, saturated soils, reclaimed wetlands 
  • Increased pavement lifepsan reduces environmental footprint 

Neoloy Tough Cells solutions stabilize all airport infrastructures for the highest pavement performance, delivering the strongest, safeties solutions

Stabilize Airport Runway Shoulders

Stabilized Runway Shoulders Improve Airport Safety

Neoloy Geocell® reinforced runway and taxiway shoulders make it safe for aircraft if they veer off the pavement while taxing, landing or on take-off. 

Shoulders provide a critical transition and safety zone on the edges of runways and other airport pavements. The strength and stability of runway shoulders is critical to be able to support heavy aircraft in an emergency, even on soft soils. 

Neoloy Geocell soil stabilization improves the bearing capacity of soft soils. This increases the strength of shoulders to safely support even heavy aircraft loads if required in an emergency situation.  The Neoloy behaves like a semi-rigid beam, which distributes loads laterally to reduce vertical stresses  This means that the runway shoulder modulus can handle sudden heavy-duty loads. 

The surface of runway shoulders may be grass, gravel or asphalt depending on the airport design factors and aircraft requirements. A Neoloy stabilized unpaved shoulder with grass surface cover can provide sufficient reinforcement for emergency aircraft traffic. The green surface not only provides a more natural and aesthetic environment, it reduces heat absorption (heat-islands) of these large areas as well. 

Additionally, Neoloy Geocells are self-draining systems ensuring adequate infiltration and/or drainage of runoff water. This is critical issue for large open areas adjacent to runways and other airport pavements, as standing water will attract birds that can threaten aircraft safety. 

Neoloy Geocells are a 3D mechanical soil stabilization solution made of stiff and strong Neoloy novel polymer alloy (NPA) designed for long-term pavement performance. Neoloy Geocells reduce vertical stresses on top of the pavement, distribute loads laterally and reduces pressure to soft subgrade soils. Neoloy based geocells guarantee more stable cell geometry than in HDPE geocells. The result is a more durable and reliable solution to reinforce airport runway shoulders for emergency use. 

Click here to read more about pavement shoulders.

Benefits

  • Increase ground bearing capacity for heavily loaded aircraft 
  • Stiff, strong and durable ground stabilization with guaranteed lifespan. 
  • Semi-rigid 3D foundation stabilizes soft, wet soils 
  • Reduces logistics and installation time by 50% 
  • Reduces infill requirements by 50-70% 
  • Use locally available (lower cost) soils for infill
  • Provides green surface year round for infrequent emergency use 
  • Excellent drainage to prevent flooding, which attracts birds 
  • Less maintenance, reducing material and energy required for repairs 

Neoloy Tough Cells solutions stabilize all airport infrastructures for the highest pavement performance, delivering the strongest, safeties solutions

Solutions for Military Air Bases & Airfields

Robust Reinforcement, Protection & Repairs for South African Airfields

Neoloy® Geocell solutions for military bases and airfields: strengthen runway pavements, quickly repair damaged runways and improve facilities’ protection. 

Military air bases and airfields need tough, durable pavements and buildings that are reliable, resilient and repairable. These may be paved or unpaved runways, aprons and taxiways or facilities such as hangars and fuel depots that could use an additional protective layer of hardening and reinforcement. 

Neoloy Geocells mechanically stabilize pavement structures. The stabilization increases pavement stiffness, load distribution and design life, making them suitable solutions for the following military air base solutions: 

  • Stabilized pavements – runways, aprons, taxiways and shoulders (unpaved or paved) 
  • Rapid runway repair – kits for airfield damage repair (unpaved or paved) 
  • Reinforced walls – for additional layer of protection for hangars, depots, etc. 

Pavements – for even the heaviest military cargo aircraft loads. Furthermore, Neoloy Geocell reinforced airfield pavements can be constructed using locally available but marginal soils instead of high-cost base layer infill – for paved or unpaved airfields. 

Rapid runway repair – Kits using Neoloy Geocells are simple to store and quick to deploy. These provide high strength runway repairs that are ready to use after compaction with no curing time. Airfield Damage Repair (ADR) Solution tested by Airfields and Pavements Branch, US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) (click here). 

Earth reinforcement walls – These provide an additional layer of protection around (or above) hangars, depots and other air base facilities, and can be constructed quickly and at very cost-effectively. 

Neoloy Geocells have higher creep resistance, tensile strength and elastic stiffness than any other soil. Neoloy creates a semi-rigid slab, which separates it from soft subgrade layers and enables it to sustain high dynamic loads over time without deformation. 

Neoloy Geocell pavements and reinforced wall structures have been successfully implemented by armed forces, and civilian airports and airfields around the world, for example by the UN Office of Project Services (UNOPS) in South Sudan and the British Royal Engineers in Afghanistan and other classified clientele. 

Benefits

  • Tested by Airfields and Pavements Branch, US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) 
  • Stabilize soft soils <1% CBR and increase soil bearing capacity 
  • Reduce asphalt layer thickness by up to 30%
  • Significant saving on construction costs by using local infill 
  • Quick installation, reducing labor costs during construction 
  • Lower maintenance costs due to longer life cycle 
  • Reduced use of aggregate materials 
  • Use of local infill reduces carbon footprint 
  • Less maintenance, reducing material and energy required for repairs 

Your Success Starts Here. Contact Us to Evaluate Neoloy Tough-Cells Solution