Roads, Pavements & Surfaces

Rigid Pavement Roads

Tensar geogrids can help you build stronger, longer-lasting rigid pavements. Building a rigid pavement structure with a geogrid layer will reduce deformation better than extremely thick aggregate base sections. This enhanced pavement design creates a more uniform and resilient pavement structure.

Most long-term performance problems with concrete pavement are a result of poorly performing joints. Poor load transfer creates high slab stresses, which contribute heavily to distresses such as faulting, pumping, and corner breaks. Geogrids interlock with and confine the aggregate base, resulting in less deformation during construction as well as throughout the pavement’s life. The confinement also reduces the potential for contamination of the aggregate base with the subgrade soil. The geogrid and aggregate base together create a mechanically stabilized layer (MSL), which minimizes potential for the differential movements of the concrete surface that initiate faulting and corner breaks.

Unpaved Roads & Haul Roads

Weak subgrades pose the greatest challenge to the performance of an unpaved access or haul road. Left untreated, a weak subgrade subjected to continuous heavy traffic will quickly deform, causing the road surface to rut, pothole, “washboard,” and ultimately deteriorate beyond use.  Tensar geogrids interlock with aggregate and create a mechanically stabilized layer (MSL) to evenly distribute the load, increasing bearing capacity and ensuring longer-term stability and performance.

Working Surfaces

Crane pads, laydown yards, storage facilities, and other working surfaces often support heavy, sustained loads. When poor subgrade soils are underneath these structures, the surface will quickly degrade beyond use if left untreated. Adding additional aggregate is a common, yet very expensive solution that is only a short-term fix. A mechanically stabilized layer (MSL) formed of multiple layers of Tensar geogrid can easily support these heavy loads. Less aggregate is required, making the construction of these surfaces more affordable by reducing up-front costs. The MSL also improves site access and reduces future maintenance.

Parking Lots

Construction projects with large paved areas often encounter weak, wet subgrades that are not suitable to build on. Tensar geogrids interlock with aggregate and create a mechanically stabilized layer (MSL) to evenly distribute the load, increasing bearing capacity and ensuring longer-term stability and performance. In addition, pavement interlayers can be installed to combat reflective cracking and reduce maintenance.

Many large, paved areas are designed with varied pavement thicknesses directly adjacent to one another. This can cause design, construction, and maintenance problems, most significantly when water entering the pavement accumulates in the “bathtub” created by the thicker heavy-duty section. The subgrade strength decreases and the base becomes saturated, resulting in a weaker pavement in the area where the greatest strength is required. Tensar geogrid allows the site to be graded to one level, avoiding the potential for migration of water into low-lying areas and reducing freeze-thaw susceptibility under heavy-duty pavements.

Concrete Pavers

As with many other surface applications, Tensar geogrids can be used to stabilize weak subgrades underneath concrete pavers. Whether it’s a light-duty road or a sidewalk, geogrid prevents shifting pavers and reduces the need for maintenance over time.

For residential applications, Tensar offers the AmeriGrid™ line: easy-to-handle, lightweight rolls. AmeriGrid rolls are easy to cut in the field, making it simple to adapt to curves and projections. A simple overlap is sufficient for adjacent rolls, and no sewing is required. Our products are 100% UV resistant and will not rust, leach, or degrade in direct sunlight.