Next-generation geogrid installed under a paved road

In April 2021, Rantoul Foods in Rantoul, Ill., was undergoing an expansion of its building and grounds. A daily, continuous flow of semitrucks delivering livestock required a paved road designed to last. High-quality techniques prevailed throughout construction of the new facility, and the same high quality was expected for the new portland cement roadway.

A mechanically stabilized base incorporating Tensar InterAx NX850 geogrid was used to ensure long life of the new delivery roadway. The geogrid is the company’s latest innovation for ensuring road resilience. It is designed with three different geometric aperture shapes and three sandwiched layers of material, and it allows more particles to interact with the geogrid itself, causing greater penetration of aggregate and more resistance to lateral movement of the stone within the aggregate. 

Placing geogrid below the aggregate base course of the concrete pavement improved joint performance and decreased the amount of aggregate base needed. The owner achieved a cost savings, and less maintenance requirements are expected over time due to better joint performance. Jeff Swan, president of Integrity Concrete & Excavation LLC, says, “The geogrid rolled out easily. It helped make the operator’s job easier. Put it in and the subgrade doesn’t pump. Geogrid under portland cement pavement—this is high-tech road building.”

InterAx sets a new standard of performance in creating more stable and durable foundations that withstand greater loads and increasingly variable conditions. Using the geogrid, contractors can achieve the same performance results with less fill. In cases where life-cycle cost is the primary driver, the geogrid can be used to achieve greater durability and longer life spans without increasing costs. In either case, the application of this state-of-the-art solution helps achieve design objectives more efficiently, resulting in reduced impacts to both the local community and the environment.

The owner saved an estimated $226,000 by using the geogrid compared to conventional methods.

SIDEBAR: Project Highlights: New geogrid for paved road in Illinois

Owner: Rantoul Foods

Location: Rantoul, Ill.

Contractor: Integrity Concrete & Excavation LLC

Design Engineer: Tensar International

Geosynthetics Product: InterAx NX850 geogrid

Geosynthetics Manufacturer: Tensar International