Sustainable Construction Solutions with Neoloy® Tough-Cells

Sustainable Construction Challenges

Green construction requires more than selecting a lower-impact material. Civil infrastructure must meet safety, loading, durability, schedule and cost requirements while reducing virgin-resource use, transportation, emissions, waste and site disturbance across the project life cycle. 

These objectives become more difficult on weak soils and remote sites, where conventional construction can require excavation, subgrade replacement, thick aggregate layers and repeated maintenance. Sustainable design must therefore combine measurable environmental improvements with reliable engineering performance. 

  • High embodied carbon from aggregate, asphalt and concrete
  • Quarrying, hauling, fuel use and emissions from imported materials
  • Weak soils requiring excavation, replacement and thicker pavements
  • Limited structural use of local, marginal and recycled materials
  • Construction waste and circular-economy requirements
  • Dust, runoff, erosion and impacts on soil, water and habitats
  • Stormwater, permeability, heat-island and green-surface requirements
  • Heavy loads and climate exposure that accelerate deterioration
  • Material shortages and logistical constraints at remote sites
  • Need for credible lifecycle data and substantiated sustainability claims

For engineers, contractors, owners and sustainability teams, the challenge is to reduce environmental impact without transferring risk to performance, constructability, maintenance or total lifecycle cost. 

How Neoloy® Tough-Cells Supports Green Construction

Neoloy® Tough-Cells provide 3D mechanical soil stabilization and pavement reinforcement. When the cells are filled and compacted, confinement increases the stiffness of the infill and distributes vertical loads over a wider area, helping protect weak subgrades and reduce deformation. 

This reinforced layer can reduce the quantity and quality of imported aggregate required, allow project-approved local or recycled materials to be used as structural infill, and minimize excavation or subgrade replacement. The same technology supports permeable pavements, stormwater channels, erosion-control slopes and vegetated earth structures. 

For sustainable infrastructure projects, Neoloy® Tough-Cells can help: 

  • Reduce aggregate use, quarrying, hauling and construction emissions
  • Reduce pavement thickness while maintaining structural performance
  • Stabilize weak soils and minimize excavation, replacement and earthmoving
  • Enable approved local, marginal or recycled infill materials
  • Reduce rutting, settlement and long-term maintenance
  • Build durable access roads and platforms for remote and renewable sites
  • Support permeable paving, vegetated drainage and erosion control
  • Build green retaining walls and reinforced earth structures with local infill

Neoloy® Tough-Cells are manufactured from Novel Polymeric Alloy – NPA, with engineering properties intended to maintain confinement and structural contribution over long project service periods: 

High elastic stiffness

Maintains reinforced-layer response under repeated loading, allowing material-efficient pavement designs.

Low permanent deformation

Supports dimensional stability, maintained confinement and longer service intervals.

High tensile strength

Resists hoop stresses and lateral movement as loads are distributed through the confined infill.

Environmental durability

Manufacturer documentation describes resistance to water, UV, oxidation and naturally occurring acidic and alkaline soil conditions, with no intentional leaching during designated use.

Sustainable Infrastructure Applications

Green Retaining Walls & Temporary Access

Uses local infill for reinforced earth structures and can reduce the footprint of temporary access through sensitive or remote sites. 

Reinforces turf, gravel and permeable paving for parking, shoulders, emergency access, public spaces and low-impact-development areas. 

Creates durable construction and service roads for solar, wind, battery-storage and remote energy projects with constrained logistics. 

Confines soil, limits erosion and supports vegetation on embankments, channels, riverbanks and rehabilitated landscapes. 

Supports drainage channels, bioswales, retention areas and permeable surfaces that promote infiltration and control runoff. 

  • Reduces structural material quantities,
  • Supports local or recycled infill
  • Extends performance over weak subgrades. 

Potential Environmental & Lifecycle Benefits

Aggregate use

Comparative road studies reported approximately 30–60% less aggregate material than conventional designs.

Material hauling

The same comparative analysis reported approximately 28–42% less total aggregate hauling.

CO2 emissions

Calculated project comparisons reported approximately 25–58% lower CO2 emissions from aggregate production and hauling.

Pavement structure

Project-specific reinforced designs may reduce total pavement structure by up to approximately 70%.

Local and recycled materials

Project-approved sand, marginal granular soils, reclaimed asphalt and recycled concrete can replace part of the virgin imported aggregate.

Subgrade replacement

Weak-soil stabilization can minimize or eliminate excavation and replacement where supported by project design.

Smaller construction footprint

Lower material quantities can reduce quarrying, earthworks, haul traffic, equipment use and onsite disruption.

Reduced dust and disturbance

Fewer earthmoving and hauling operations can lower fugitive dust, noise and disturbance around the work area.

Stormwater and permeability

Perforated cells and suitable permeable infill can promote infiltration, lateral water movement and reduced surface runoff.

Erosion control and vegetation

Cellular confinement protects soil and can support vegetated slopes, channels, green walls and landscape restoration.

Temporary works and restoration

Temporary access sections may be removed at project completion, with local infill retained onsite and vegetation restored, subject to the restoration plan.

Reference service life

PRS documentation identifies a typical service-life range of approximately 10–75 years or more, depending on design, exposure and project conditions.

Maintenance and downtime

Reduced deformation and surface degradation can lower repair frequency, maintenance-related material use and operational disruption.

Operational resource demand

The installed system itself does not require operational energy or water; normal pavement or landscape maintenance still applies.

Environmental Product Declaration

PRS provides an Environmental Product Declaration for Neoloy® Tough-Cells as a Type II self-declared environmental statement under ISO 14021. It covers raw materials, manufacturing, project use, reference service life and end-of-life considerations.

Key management and product credentials

Key supporting credentials include ISO 14001:2015 environmental management, ISO 9001:2015 quality management, CE marking and factory production control, plus manufacturer declarations addressing REACH, SVHC and RoHS requirements.

Environmental Product Declaration & Key Credentials

PRS provides an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for Neoloy® Tough-Cells, prepared as a Type II self-declared environmental statement under ISO 14021. The declaration consolidates product and lifecycle information that project teams can use during environmental review, material evaluation and alternative-design comparison. 

  • Lifecycle coverage from raw materials and manufacturing through project use, reference service life and end-of-life options 
  • ISO 14001:2015 environmental-management certification 
  • ISO 9001:2015 quality-management certification 
  • CE marking and documented factory production control 
  • Manufacturer declarations addressing REACH, substances of very high concern (SVHC) and RoHS requirements 

Project Validation: Sustainable Solar Farm Access Roads, Palau

A 23 MWac solar and battery-storage project in Palau required durable unpaved construction and service roads across 16 hectares of savannah. The remote island had a low-bearing sandy subgrade and limited granular resources, while the project team aimed to minimize aggregate use, protect surrounding forest and provide low-maintenance access over a 50-year design life. 

Neoloy® Tough-Cells stabilized the subgrade without soil replacement and reinforced a blend of locally available sand, soft volcanic rock and limited limestone aggregate. Folded sections simplified shipping, and remote training supported correct installation by local crews. 

Project value delivered 

  • Supported access for a 23 MWac renewable-energy and battery-storage development 
  • Used locally available granular materials instead of relying only on imported aggregate 
  • Avoided subgrade replacement on the soft sandy site 
  • Installation, infilling and compaction proceeded smoothly and on schedule following remote training, and more.

     

View Palau Solar Farm Access Road Case Study 

Build More with Less with PRS

Sustainable infrastructure must deliver measurable environmental value while remaining safe, buildable and durable throughout its intended service life.