Biaxial geogrid in Malaysia.
Infraconcrete Construction Sdn Bhd supplies and installs biaxial geogrid across Malaysia. Punched-drawn polypropylene (PP), tensile 20 to 40 kN/m, aperture 30 to 50 mm. Six applications: plantation access road, mining haul road, container terminal, highway sub-base, working platform for plant operations, temporary construction access road. Aggregate savings 20 to 50 percent on CBR 1-3 subgrades typical for Malaysian residual saprolite and alluvium. Design per AASHTO Guide for Design of Pavement Structures (paved) and Giroud-Han 2004 method (unpaved). Sole STRATA Geosystems Asia distributor through Starwall plus CIDB G7 installation.
Punched-and-drawn polypropylene with rectangular apertures.
Biaxial geogrid is a polymer mesh manufactured from polypropylene (PP) by the punched-and-drawn process. A solid sheet of PP is punched with a regular pattern of holes, then biaxially stretched in both machine direction (MD) and cross-machine direction (CD) at high temperature. The stretching orients the polymer molecules along the rib axes, increasing tensile strength while opening the holes into the characteristic rectangular aperture geometry. Aperture sizes 30 by 30 mm to 50 by 50 mm typical. Tensile 20 to 40 kN/m equal in both directions.
The aperture is sized to interlock with crushed aggregate (typical 14-40 mm aggregate fragments partially extrude into the 30-50 mm apertures, mechanically locking the aggregate to the geogrid plane). The combined effect of aperture interlock and lateral confinement under cyclic vehicle loading is what gives biaxial geogrid its road-base reinforcement function.
How biaxial geogrid reinforces road base.
1. Aperture interlock
Crushed aggregate (14-40 mm) partially extrudes into the 30-50 mm geogrid apertures during compaction. The aggregate is mechanically locked to the geogrid plane and cannot displace laterally under wheel loading. The geogrid effectively recruits the aggregate into a stiffer composite layer.
2. Lateral confinement
Under cyclic vehicle loading, the geogrid restrains lateral spread of the aggregate. Without geogrid, aggregate gradually rearranges and spreads under repeated loading, causing rutting. With geogrid, lateral spread is restrained, maintaining aggregate stiffness throughout the design traffic period.
Combined effect: same design traffic with thinner aggregate (cost saving on aggregate import), or same aggregate thickness with extended pavement life (lifecycle saving). Quantified by Giroud-Han 2004 method for unpaved roads or AASHTO Guide for paved roads.
Biaxial geogrid properties by tensile grade.
| Property | Test Standard | 20 kN/m | 30 kN/m | 40 kN/m | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wide-width tensile (MD) | BS EN ISO 10319 / ASTM D6637 | 20 | 30 | 40 | kN/m |
| Wide-width tensile (CD) | BS EN ISO 10319 / ASTM D6637 | 20 | 30 | 40 | kN/m |
| Elongation at break | BS EN ISO 10319 | 10-15 | 10-15 | 10-15 | % |
| Junction strength | ASTM D6638 | greater than 90% of rib | greater than 90% of rib | greater than 90% of rib | % |
| Tensile at 2% strain (aperture stability modulus indicator) | ASTM D6637 | 7 | 10 | 14 | kN/m |
| Aperture (MD x CD) | dimensional | 30-40 x 30-40 | 30-50 x 30-50 | 30-50 x 30-50 | mm |
| Mass per unit area | ASTM D5261 | 180-220 | 200-260 | 240-300 | g/m² |
| Pullout coefficient Ci (granular fill) | ASTM D6706 | 0.6-0.8 | 0.6-0.8 | 0.6-0.8 | dimensionless |
| RF_CR creep (100-year design) | BS EN ISO 13431 | 1.80-2.50 | 1.80-2.50 | 1.80-2.50 | dimensionless |
| RF_ID installation damage | BS EN ISO 10722 | 1.10-1.40 | 1.10-1.40 | 1.10-1.40 | dimensionless |
| UV resistance (500 hr xenon-arc) | ASTM D4355 | greater than 70% | greater than 70% | greater than 70% | % strength retention |
Note: Long-term design strength T_d = T_ult / (RF_CR x RF_ID x RF_CH x RF_W) per BS EN ISO 13431. For typical Malaysian residual soil conditions: T_d roughly 35-45 percent of T_ult.
Per m² pricing by tensile grade.
| Tensile grade | Supply only ex Klang Valley | Stock policy | Typical applications |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 kN/m | RM 5-9 | Direct mill order | Light working platform, temporary access road |
| 30 kN/m | RM 6-12 | Klang Valley stockyard | Plantation road, working platform, sub-base stabilisation |
| 40 kN/m | RM 8-16 | Klang Valley stockyard | Highway sub-base, container terminal, haul road |
Install rate (added on top of supply): RM 4-8 per m squared for typical road base placement. Multi-crew mobilisation for large projects. Anchoring (U-pins or J-pins at 1.0-1.5 m spacing) priced per project. CIDB G7 supervision, daily diary, photo log.
How much does biaxial geogrid save?
Site: 5 km plantation access road through residual soil subgrade. Soil CBR 2 percent (typical for Malaysian saprolite). Design traffic: medium-duty plantation truck (typical wheel load 50-80 kN). Aggregate import cost: RM 60 per m cubed delivered. Pavement design per Giroud-Han 2004 method.
| Design case | Aggregate thickness | Aggregate volume (4 m road width) | Aggregate cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Without geogrid (unreinforced) | 600 mm | 5,000 m x 4 m x 0.6 m = 12,000 m³ | RM 720,000 |
| With biaxial geogrid 30 kN/m (Giroud-Han) | 400 mm (33% reduction) | 5,000 m x 4 m x 0.4 m = 8,000 m³ | RM 480,000 |
| Plus geogrid supply (5,000 m x 4 m = 20,000 m² x RM 9) | RM 180,000 | ||
| Plus geogrid install (20,000 m² x RM 5) | RM 100,000 | ||
| Geogrid solution total | RM 760,000 | ||
| Difference | RM 40,000 MORE (no saving in this case) |
Honest note: Geogrid savings depend on aggregate cost, transport distance, and CBR. The above example shows geogrid roughly breaks even on a relatively cheap-aggregate site. Where aggregate import is expensive (East Malaysia remote sites RM 90-150 per m cubed) or CBR is lower (1 percent or below), savings can be RM 100-400 per m of road. Project-specific Giroud-Han calculation against project subgrade CBR, aggregate cost, and design traffic is the accurate budget basis.
Where biaxial geogrid actually delivers savings.
1. Plantation access road
Long haul-road networks in oil palm and rubber plantations. Subgrade typically saprolite CBR 1-3. Aggregate import often expensive due to remote location. Biaxial 30 kN/m for medium traffic, 40 kN/m for heavy plant. Combined with nonwoven PP 200 gsm separator for fines retention.
2. Mining and quarry haul road
Off-highway dump-truck loading (300+ ton wheel loads). Standard biaxial 40 kN/m plus heavy aggregate gradation. Sometimes combined with StrataWeb HDPE geocell above geogrid for high-stiffness cellular confinement.
3. Container terminal pavement
Port apron, container handling area, RTG runway. Heavy point loads from straddle carriers and reach stackers. Biaxial 40 kN/m at sub-base level. Combined with cement-treated base above for pavement structural design.
4. Highway sub-base on soft cut
Federal road cuts through soft saprolite (CBR 1-3). Biaxial 30-40 kN/m below the granular sub-base layer reduces aggregate thickness on long sub-base lengths. Common on east-coast and central highway corridors through hilly residual soil.
5. Working platform for crane / tracked rig
Temporary crane pad, tracked-rig working platform on soft alluvium (CBR less than 1). Biaxial 30 kN/m plus thick crushed aggregate platform provides stable working surface for heavy plant. Removed or repurposed at project end.
6. Temporary construction access
Site access road during construction phase, removed at project end. Biaxial 20-30 kN/m for short-design-life applications. Cheap insurance against soft-ground breakdown during wet season.
Buyers and consultants usually ask:
30 vs 40 kN/m, which do I need? +
Do I need separator geotextile under the geogrid? +
What's the design lifetime for biaxial PP geogrid? +
Biaxial vs triaxial, when do I switch? +
Can biaxial geogrid be used in retaining walls? +
Where this connects.
Geogrid hub →
All geogrid types: uniaxial PET, biaxial PP, triaxial PP.
Uniaxial geogrid →
For MSE wall, RSS, basal reinforcement on soft ground.
Biaxial vs triaxial compared →
When triaxial outperforms biaxial for subgrade stabilisation.
Geogrid for road subgrade →
Full application reference: Giroud-Han design, AASHTO method.
Geogrid supplier →
Sole STRATA distributor (Starwall), stock policy, lead times.
Geogrid design guide →
Engineer reference: 4 design tracks with reduction factors.
Glossary →
Aperture, junction strength, pullout coefficient defined.
Standards reference →
AASHTO Guide, Giroud-Han 2004, BR 470, JKR-SPJ Section 7.
Need biaxial geogrid?
Send subgrade CBR + design traffic + aggregate thickness + area. Same-day quote with Giroud-Han thickness calculation and aggregate savings estimate.