Geocell-Reinforced Pourable Geopolymeric Clayey Waste Slurry: Performance as a Roadway Layer under Cyclic Loading

This study proposes and validates the feasibility of using geopolymer-stabilized waste slurry cast into geocells as an innovative and sustainable roadway layer. The inclusion of geocells addresses the significant limitations of using geopolymer-stabilized slurry alone as a roadway material. Compared to unreinforced geopolymer-stabilized slurry, geocell-reinforced geopolymer-stabilized slurry maintains higher stress levels even at strains exceeding 5%, demonstrating enhanced toughness and crack resistance. Additionally, geocells significantly improve the mechanical performance of low-strength geopolymer-stabilized slurry, increasing unconfined compressive strength by 19.38–126.66% and reducing cumulative plastic strain. These findings highlight that incorporating geocells provides greater safety margins and better construction quality control for utilizing geopolymer-stabilized slurry as a roadway material. Furthermore, the surface characteristics of geocells influence the performance of geopolymer-stabilized slurry in a manner that deviates from conventional understanding. While embossed geocells typically enhance the performance of unbonded granular materials, they cause considerable cumulative plastic strain in geopolymer-stabilized slurry due to damage induced at the interface. In contrast, smooth geocells are found to prevent such damage and are therefore recommended for use in these applications.