IGS UK & University of

Manchester

“GEOCELL RETAINING WALLS”

Richard Heritage
Geotechnical Engineer
ABG Geosynthetics Ltd
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Outline
• What are Geocell Retaining Walls
• A Short History of Geocells
• Design
• Gravity Retaining Walls
• Reinforced Retaining Walls
• Construction
• Advantages and Disadvantages
• Specification
• Case Studies
• Conclusion

IGS / UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 4TH FEBRUARY 2019 – GEOCELL RETAINING WALLS

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Retaining Wall Options

IGS / UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 4TH FEBRUARY 2019 – GEOCELL RETAINING WALLS

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Retaining Wall Options

Geocell wall

IGS / UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 4TH FEBRUARY 2019 – GEOCELL RETAINING WALLS

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What are Geocell Retaining Walls
• Definition of geocells:
Geosynthetics made with internal structural junctions that can be
expanded on-site to form a honeycomb-like structure and filled with soil,
rock, or concrete.
• Typically made with polymers such
as HDPE or NPA membranes, or
PP/PE geotextiles.
• Backfill can be site won or imported.
• Geocell / soil combination forms a
semi-rigid block which can be
stacked up to form a gravity retaining
wall.
• Geocell provides confinement.
• Broadly two types: Gravity and MSE

IGS / UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 4TH FEBRUARY 2019 – GEOCELL RETAINING WALLS

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What are Geocell Retaining Walls
• Definition of geocells:
Geosynthetics made with internal structural junctions that can be
expanded on-site to form a honeycomb-like structure and filled with soil,
rock, or concrete.
• Typically made with polymers such
as HDPE or NPA membranes, or
PP/PE geotextiles.
• Backfill can be site won or imported.
• Geocell / soil combination forms a
semi-rigid block which can be
stacked up to form a gravity retaining
wall.
• Sometimes combined with a geogrid
reinforced soil block to create a
Mechanically Stabilised Earth (MSE)
wall.

IGS / UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 4TH FEBRUARY 2019 – GEOCELL RETAINING WALLS

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A Short History of Geocells
• Invented in late 1970’s with
the US Army Corps of
Engineers.
• Primarily used to create
stabilised sand roads.
• Rapid construction of fortified
walls with Operation Desert
Storm in the 1990s.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers testing

geocell roads at Camp Blanding in 1982

IGS / UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 4TH FEBRUARY 2019 – GEOCELL RETAINING WALLS

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Design – Gravity Walls
• Option 1: Coulomb earth pressure theory
(Standard gravity wall design methods to check for overturning, bearing,
etc. CIRIA C516 “Modular gravity retaining walls – design guidance”)
• Option 2: Limit equilibrium method for slopes
(Method of slices e.g. Morgenstern & Price using slope stability software.
Model geocell-reinforced soils as having an ‘apparent cohesion’ cr)
• Special considerations:
- Interface friction between geocell webs
- Flexible footing
- Consistent soil type
- Soil compaction

IGS / UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 4TH FEBRUARY 2019 – GEOCELL RETAINING WALLS

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Design – Gravity Walls
• Option 1: Coulomb earth pressure theory
(Standard gravity wall design methods to check for overturning, bearing,
etc. CIRIA C516 “Modular gravity retaining walls – design guidance”)
• Option 2: Limit equilibrium method for slopes
(Method of slices e.g. Morgenstern & Price using slope stability software.
Model geocell-reinforced soils as having an ‘apparent cohesion’ cr)
• Special considerations:
- Interface friction between geocell webs
- Flexible footing
- Consistent soil type
- Soil compaction

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Design – MSE Walls
• Standard reinforced
earth design techniques
GEOCELL PANELS
(BS8006 Section 7:
Reinforced slopes)
• Geocells form a facing
for the wall. GEOGRID

• Geocell / geogrid sliding

resistance.
• Facing may need
protection against UV.
• Soft facing.

IGS / UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 4TH FEBRUARY 2019 – GEOCELL RETAINING WALLS

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Construction
• Foundation

IGS / UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 4TH FEBRUARY 2019 – GEOCELL RETAINING WALLS

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Construction
• Foundation
• Expanding cells

IGS / UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 4TH FEBRUARY 2019 – GEOCELL RETAINING WALLS

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Construction
• Foundation
• Expanding cells
• Connecting adjacent
panels

IGS / UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 4TH FEBRUARY 2019 – GEOCELL RETAINING WALLS

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Construction
• Foundation
• Expanding cells
• Connecting adjacent
panels
• Backfilling

IGS / UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 4TH FEBRUARY 2019 – GEOCELL RETAINING WALLS

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Construction
• Foundation
• Expanding cells
• Connecting adjacent
panels
• Backfilling
• Placing geogrid

IGS / UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 4TH FEBRUARY 2019 – GEOCELL RETAINING WALLS

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Construction
• Foundation
• Expanding cells
• Connecting adjacent
panels
• Backfilling
• Placing geogrid
• Compaction methods
(topsoil vs. general fill)

IGS / UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 4TH FEBRUARY 2019 – GEOCELL RETAINING WALLS

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Construction
• Foundation
• Expanding cells
• Connecting adjacent
panels
• Backfilling
• Placing geogrid
• Compaction methods
(topsoil vs. general fill)
• Aligned front face cells

IGS / UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 4TH FEBRUARY 2019 – GEOCELL RETAINING WALLS

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Construction
• Foundation
• Expanding cells
• Connecting adjacent
panels
• Backfilling
• Placing geogrid
• Compaction methods
(topsoil vs. general fill)
• Aligned front face cells
• Curves

IGS / UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 4TH FEBRUARY 2019 – GEOCELL RETAINING WALLS

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Construction
• Foundation
• Expanding cells
• Connecting adjacent
panels
• Backfilling
• Placing geogrid
• Compaction methods
(topsoil vs. general fill)
• Aligned front face cells
• Curves
• Corners
IGS / UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 4TH FEBRUARY 2019 – GEOCELL RETAINING WALLS
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Advantages and Disadvantages
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES

• Green finish • Soft facing

• Flexible (curves, corners etc.)
• Re-use of site won material
• Reduced Carbon footprint
• Ease and speed of construction
• Cost savings
• Soft Facing
• Typical maximum slope 70°
• UV resistance and ESCR
• Susceptible to vandalism
(repairable?)

IGS / UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 4TH FEBRUARY 2019 – GEOCELL RETAINING WALLS

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Advantages and Disadvantages
ADVANTAGES

• Green finish
• Flexible (curves, corners etc.)
• Re-use of site won material
• Reduced Carbon footprint
• Ease and speed of construction
• Cost savings
• Soft Facing

IGS / UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 4TH FEBRUARY 2019 – GEOCELL RETAINING WALLS

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Advantages and Disadvantages
ADVANTAGES

• Green finish
• Flexible (curves, corners etc.)
• Re-use of site won material
• Reduced Carbon footprint
• Ease and speed of construction
• Cost savings
• Soft Facing

IGS / UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 4TH FEBRUARY 2019 – GEOCELL RETAINING WALLS

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Advantages and Disadvantages
ADVANTAGES

• Green finish
• Flexible (curves, corners etc.)
• Re-use of site won material
• Reduced Carbon footprint
• Ease and speed of construction
• Cost savings
• Soft Facing

IGS / UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 4TH FEBRUARY 2019 – GEOCELL RETAINING WALLS

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Advantages and Disadvantages
ADVANTAGES

• Green finish
• Flexible (curves, corners etc.)
• Re-use of site won material
• Reduced Carbon footprint
• Ease and speed of construction
• Cost savings
• Soft Facing
MSE wall with Geocell (Webwall) vs Gabion
Baskets facing elements. Based on ‘Axis Business
Park’ case study from WRAP (2010)

IGS / UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 4TH FEBRUARY 2019 – GEOCELL RETAINING WALLS

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Advantages and Disadvantages
ADVANTAGES

• Green finish
• Flexible (curves, corners etc.)
• Re-use of site won material
• Reduced Carbon footprint
• Ease and speed of construction
• Cost savings
• Soft Facing

IGS / UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 4TH FEBRUARY 2019 – GEOCELL RETAINING WALLS

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Advantages and Disadvantages
ADVANTAGES

• Green finish
• Flexible (curves, corners etc.)
• Re-use of site won material
• Reduced Carbon footprint
• Ease and speed of construction
• Cost savings
• Soft Facing
Savings based on cost of exporting waste and
imported material costs only.

MSE wall with Geocell (Webwall) vs Gabion

Baskets facing elements. Based on ‘Axis Business
Park’ case study from WRAP (2010)

IGS / UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 4TH FEBRUARY 2019 – GEOCELL RETAINING WALLS

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Advantages and Disadvantages
ADVANTAGES

• Green finish
• Flexible (curves, corners etc.)
• Re-use of site won material
• Reduced Carbon footprint
• Ease and speed of construction
• Cost savings
• Soft facing

IGS / UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 4TH FEBRUARY 2019 – GEOCELL RETAINING WALLS

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Advantages and Disadvantages
DISADVANTAGES

• Soft facing
• Typical maximum slope 70°
• UV resistance and ESCR
• Susceptible to vandalism

IGS / UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 4TH FEBRUARY 2019 – GEOCELL RETAINING WALLS

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Advantages and Disadvantages
DISADVANTAGES

• Soft facing
• Typical maximum slope 70°
GEOCELL PANELS

• UV resistance and ESCR

• Susceptible to vandalism
GEOGRID

IGS / UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 4TH FEBRUARY 2019 – GEOCELL RETAINING WALLS

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Advantages and Disadvantages
DISADVANTAGES

• Soft facing
• Typical maximum slope 70°
• UV resistance and ESCR
• Susceptible to vandalism

IGS / UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 4TH FEBRUARY 2019 – GEOCELL RETAINING WALLS

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Advantages and Disadvantages
DISADVANTAGES

• Soft facing
• Typical maximum slope 70°
• UV resistance and ESCR
• Susceptible to vandalism (only
front face, repairable)

IGS / UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 4TH FEBRUARY 2019 – GEOCELL RETAINING WALLS

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Specification
What to look out for in
datasheets
• Tensile strength/
stiffness of strip and
joints.
• Creep.
• UV & Oxidation
resistance.
• Environmental Stress
Crack Resistance
(ESCR).

IGS / UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 4TH FEBRUARY 2019 – GEOCELL RETAINING WALLS

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Specification - Strength/Stiffness
• Both polymer strips and
joints should be tested
• Strips: Strip tensile
strength, ISO 10319:
2015 (wide width)
• Joints: Strength of
internal structural
junctions. Geocells, ISO
13426-1:2003

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Specification - Creep
• Standard Test Method:
Tensile, Compressive,
and Flextural Creep and
Creep-Rupture of
Plastics, ASTM D 2990
• Accelerated Test
Method: SIM (Stepped
Isothermal Method)
Testing, ASTM D 6992.

IGS / UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 4TH FEBRUARY 2019 – GEOCELL RETAINING WALLS

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Specification - UV & Oxidation
• Accelerated Test
Method: Photochemical
(UV) & Oxidation
Resistance (HPOIT),
ASTM D 5885.
• Addition of antioxidant
stabilisers (AO)
intercepts the oxidation
reaction of polymers.
• Result must be greater
than 400 minutes.

IGS / UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 4TH FEBRUARY 2019 – GEOCELL RETAINING WALLS

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Specification - ESCR
• Environmental Stress
Crack Resistance.
• Occurs only in HDPE
under tension e.g. front
face of Geocell
Retaining Wall.
• Brittle failure following
exposure to oxidation.

IGS / UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 4TH FEBRUARY 2019 – GEOCELL RETAINING WALLS

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Specification - ESCR
• Test Method: Single
Point Notched Constant
Tension Load Test
ASTM D 5397.
• Result must be greater
than 500 hours.

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Case Studies
• Clitheroe Embankment Retention
• Istanbul Seismic Resistant 15m High Wall
• Colchester Attenuation Pond
• Swansea Sea Wall
• Saundersfoot Roadside Wall
• Kentucky Flood Defence

IGS / UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 4TH FEBRUARY 2019 – GEOCELL RETAINING WALLS

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Case Studies - Clitheroe
• The Challenge
- Road underslip on a key
tourist route in an AONB.
- Limited access.
- Excavated soils
unsuitable as fill material.
- Green finish required.

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Case Studies - Clitheroe
• The Solution
- HDPE Geocells.
- Light weight fill
(expanded clay beads).
- Minimal machinery
required to achieve
speedy installation.

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Case Studies - Clitheroe
• The Solution
- HDPE Geocells.
- Light weight fill
(expanded clay beads).
- Minimal machinery
required to achieve
speedy installation.
- Drainage constructed
through the wall.

IGS / UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 4TH FEBRUARY 2019 – GEOCELL RETAINING WALLS

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Case Studies - Clitheroe
• The Solution
- HDPE Geocells!
- Light weight fill
(expanded clay beads).
- Minimal machinery
required to achieve
speedy installation.
- Drainage constructed
through the wall.
- Green finish.

IGS / UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 4TH FEBRUARY 2019 – GEOCELL RETAINING WALLS

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Case Studies – Istanbul
• The Challenge
- Luxury residential /
commercial complex on a
hill.
- 15m high retaining wall
- Earthquake resistance

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Case Studies – Istanbul
• The Solution
- NPA Geocells.
- MSE wall.
- Local granular infill
material used.

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Case Studies – Istanbul
• The Solution
- NPA Geocells.
- MSE wall.
- Local granular infill
material used.
- System acts as unified
drainage system with no
build up of hydrostatic
pressures.
- Colour blends into
landscape.

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Case Studies – Saundersfoot
• The Challenge
- Narrow roadside area
below a historic church.
- Footpath at the top.
- Green finish required.
- Simple and speedy
construction.

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Case Studies – Saundersfoot
• The Solution
- HDPE Geocells.
- Re-use of site soils.
- Rapid construction.
- Use of small machinery
in a tight space.

IGS / UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 4TH FEBRUARY 2019 – GEOCELL RETAINING WALLS

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Case Studies – Saundersfoot
• The Solution
- HDPE Geocells!
- Re-use of site soils.
- Rapid construction.
- Use of small machinery
in a tight space.
- Handrail in cells at top
Green finish.

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Case Studies – Swansea
• The Challenge
- Resisting frequent water
inundation (high tides and
flooding).
- Prevent erosion from
wave action and storm
surges.
- Withstand corrosive
effects of seawater.
- Muddy clay soft
subgrade.

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Case Studies – Swansea
• The Solution
- NPA Geocells.
- MSE wall.
- Concrete infill to resist
erosion forces.
- Dutch toe at base.

IGS / UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 4TH FEBRUARY 2019 – GEOCELL RETAINING WALLS

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Case Studies – Swansea
• The Solution
- NPA Geocells.
- MSE wall.
- Concrete infill to resist
erosion forces.
- Dutch toe at base.

IGS / UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 4TH FEBRUARY 2019 – GEOCELL RETAINING WALLS

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Case Studies – Colchester
• The Challenge
- Attenuation pond for a
housing development.
- Retaining walls to
steepen the sides and
maximise land take.
- Re-use challenging site
soils to minimise costs.
- Green finish required.

IGS / UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 4TH FEBRUARY 2019 – GEOCELL RETAINING WALLS

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Case Studies – Colchester
• The Solution
- HDPE Geocells.
- MSE wall.
- Curvilinear face.
- Re-use of site soils.

IGS / UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 4TH FEBRUARY 2019 – GEOCELL RETAINING WALLS

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Case Studies – Colchester
• The Solution
- HDPE Geocells.
- MSE wall.
- Curvilinear face.
- Re-use of site soils.
- Erosion resistant green
face.

IGS / UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 4TH FEBRUARY 2019 – GEOCELL RETAINING WALLS

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Case Studies – Kentucky
• The Challenge
- Record river surge in
Smithland, Kentucky.
- US Army Corps of
Engineers requested
emergency installation of
geocell retaining walls for
flood defence.

IGS / UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 4TH FEBRUARY 2019 – GEOCELL RETAINING WALLS

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Case Studies – Kentucky
• The Solution
- PP/PE geotextile
Geocells.
- Installation frame used
for increased construction
speed.
- In 34 hours 1 mile of
geocells were installed by
local, untrained
workforce.

IGS / UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 4TH FEBRUARY 2019 – GEOCELL RETAINING WALLS

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Case Studies – Kentucky
• The Solution
- PP/PE non-woven
geotextile Geocells.
- Additional 1.1m of
height added to levee
flood protection height.
- Outperforms sand bags
due to: faster installation
(and removal), less water
seepage, higher
endurance.

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Conclusion
• Geocell retaining walls have been used since 1990s
• Standard design methods
• Significant advantages
(Green finish, flexible, re-use of site won material, reduced Carbon
footprint, ease and speed of construction, cost savings, soft facing)
• What to look out for in datasheets
(Tensile strength and stiffness, creep, UV oxidation resistance, ESCR)
• Geocell retaining walls can be used almost
anywhere!

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Acknowledgments

IGS / UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 4TH FEBRUARY 2019 – GEOCELL RETAINING WALLS