Development and Performance Evaluation of Industrial Jute Geocells: A Sustainable Solution for Advanced Soil Reinforcement Applications

Geocells play a vital role in reinforcing weak soils, improving their load-bearing capacity and enhancing overall stability. However, conventional polymeric geocells present environmental challenges due to high carbon footprints and nonbiodegradability. This study introduces a novel, cost-effective, industrially produced jute geocell as an alternative to conventional geocells and evaluates its efficacy. The initial phase details the manufacturing process, including the fabrication of jute geocells, noting an 80% reduction in production costs through mechanical stitching compared to hand stitching. The final phase demonstrates the elemental tests on geocells and the performance evaluation of geocells based on model footing tests. The unique surface texture of jute geocells, with significantly higher surface roughness than polymeric geocells, enhances resistance under vertical loading. Tensile strength testing demonstrated that jute geocells offer superior strength over their polymeric counterparts. Laboratory plate load tests were conducted, with jute geocell layers placed at various depths within the foundation bed. Results showed that soil reinforced with a jute geocell layer at a depth of 0.1 times the plate width achieved a 120% increase in load-bearing capacity compared to unreinforced soil. This study highlights jute geocells as a highly effective, sustainable, and affordable solution for soil reinforcement applications.