Plastic Geocell
Plastic geocells are 3-dimensional cellular structures constructed from plastic materials. Because of their innovativeness, plastic geocells are applied mainly in civil engineering and construction industries. Plastic geocells are highly regarded for their versatile uses and superior performance.
Polyethylene Geocell
Polyethylene is preferred in the manufacturing of plastic geocells because of its flexibility and durability. It is also highly resistant to environmental elements such as UV radiation and chemical exposure.
Polycarbonate Geocell
This material is ideal because of its strength and its resistance to impact. Polycarbonate makes plastic geocells that require both high strength and durability.
Polypropylene Geocell
Polypropylene is used for plastic geocells that are to be used in a highly aggressive environment. A highly aggressive environment is an environment that experiences high temperatures, very low temperatures or has constant chemical exposure. Polypropylene has very good chemical and thermal stability.
HDPE Geocell
HDPE on the other hand is used for plastic geocells because of its high strength, UV radiation resistance, and very durable. This makes it ideal for plastic geocells that are going to be exposed to extreme environments.
Advantages Of Plastic Geocell
Some of the advantages of using plastic geocell include:
Sustainable drainage system – Plastic geocells are ideal when it comes to facilitating attenuation and filtration. This capability makes them ideal for use with sustainable drainage systems especially in managing stormwater. This capability ensures stormwater drainage systems are durable and not strained.
Flexible – Plastic geocells are highly flexible and can sustain constant ground and soil movements while at the same time maintaining structural integrity.
Erosion control – Plastic geocells are ideal especially when installed in sloppy terrain. They can protect and stabilize slopes thus preventing erosion caused by storms, rain, or snow.
Environmentally sustainable – By using plastic geocells, you will reduce the use of other alternative materials which would lead to excavations and environmental degradation. It is also worth noting that most of the plastic geocells are made from recycled plastic.
Cost-effective – Plastic geocells are cheap to produce and install. These will cut expensive costs that would have gone to excavations and labor.
Versatile – The best thing about plastic geocells is that they can be used in different construction projects and for different purposes. For instance, it can be used as a channel liner, wall retainer, coastal protector, and landfill. This versatility makes plastic geocells ideal for multiple construction projects.
Durability – Unlike other materials such as concrete, plastic geocells degrade slowly and can withstand different environmental elements. This makes them ideal for projects that require long service life.
Easy and fast installation – Plastic geocells are easy to install and require little training and know-how to install them. In the long run, they reduce your construction costs, labor, and transport costs.
How Plastic Geocell Is Made
Plastic geocells vary in the production or manufacturing processes depending on the material used, equipment used, or design differences. But the common manufacturing process for the plastic geocell involves:
Step 1: Material Selection – The first process in making plastic geocells is material selection. The selection of the material to use depends on where the plastic geocell will be used. For instance, plastic geocell used for indoor construction purposes may vary in the material used for plastic geocell to be used for outdoor construction. Materials commonly used for plastic geocell manufacturing include polyethylene, polycarbonate, polypropylene, and HDPE.
Step 2: Sheet extrusion – Sheet extrusion is melting the plastic material into a sheet with a set width and a set length depending on the type and design of the plastic geocell.
Step 3: Sheet Cutting – The extruded sheet is cut into specific panels of different shapes and lengths depending on the required plastic geocell design. The required design is preset and the sheets are cut automatically.
Step 4: Folding – The cut sheets are folded into different designs and shapes as required for construction purposes. During the folding process, the cut panels are further stretched and contracted to the specific size as required.
Step 5: Welding – The folded panels are then heated and pressured to stick together at their contact points. This process is what forms the 3-dimensional cell structure of the plastic geocell.
Step 6: Cell Formation – Cell formation is the result of welding. After the three panels are welded together, they form the 3-dimensional shape creating the plastic geocell.
Step 7: Quality Control – After the cell formation, each single plastic geocell is taken through a quality check to check for defects. This is very essential because plastic geocells are used for sensitive construction purposes that require adherence to construction standards.
Step 8: Packaging and Transport – The completed plastic geocells are then transported to the construction site. They can be stacked in bundles, pallets, or rolls depending on size and design specifications.
Plastic Geocell Specifications
Some of the plastic cells specifications include:
Foldable – These are plastic geocells that can be easily folded for transportation purposes. They are unfolded and adjusted on-site.
Light in Weight – You can get plastic geocells light in weight depending on your requested design and also depending on your transport and installation needs.
Good Lateral Restrict – Plastic geocells have excellent lateral confinement to the soil. This works in preventing lateral spreading and at the same time increasing stability.
Easily Expandable – Plastic geocells can be customized in such a way you can spread or contrast them to fit a specified area depending on the project’s needs.
Plastic Geocell Uses
· Stabilization Of Roadbeds
Plastic geocells are used to stabilize and reinforce road foundations. They are essential in ensuring that vehicles do not make the road unstable by distributing the vehicle’s weight evenly on the road. This serves to increase the durability and performance of the road over a long period.
· Foundation Reinforcement
This is important in minimizing ground shifts that can cause the road to crack in the long run. Plastic geocells ensure that the soil remains compactible and compressed thus prolonging the lifetime of the road. All these capabilities serve to support the road’s foundational structure.
· Management Of Resources
Plastic geocells are made from recycled materials thus ensuring that every construction does not need excavation of materials to reinforce roads or other building needs. Plastic geocells are also ideal for controlling of soil erosion and sedimentation. This helps in preserving the environment in the long run.
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