Beneath the unseen underground world, this
polymer grid is quietly supporting the infrastructure of modern society.
Beneath the winding paths of highways and deep within the foundations of
skyscrapers, a seemingly simple yet critically important material is at
work—the geogrid. This polymer grid material has become an indispensable
component of global infrastructure construction, from preventing reflective
cracks in roads to reinforcing slopes, from sealing landfills to reinforcing
foundations for wind farms.
01 Market Size and Global Landscape
According to market research data, the
global geogrid market sales reached 24.4 billion CNY in 2022 and is projected
to grow to 32.6 billion CNY by 2029, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR)
of 4.2%. China is currently the world's largest geogrid market, accounting for
over 40% of the market share, followed by the US and European markets, which
together account for over 35%. The global geogrid market is highly
concentrated, with the top five manufacturers holding over 10% of the market
share. Major manufacturers include Maccaferri, Tensar, and Feicheng Lianyi. The
growth of this market is closely linked to global infrastructure investment.
For example, the Indian National Highway Authority plans to construct 25,000
kilometers of roads annually by 2025, requiring approximately 7.2 million tons
of geosynthetics for slope stabilization.
02 Diverse Materials and Technological
Innovation
Geogrids can be classified based on
material type into plastic geogrids, steel-plastic composite geogrids, glass
fiber geogrids, and polyester geogrids, among others. Each type has its
specific application scenarios and advantages. Four-directional stretched
plastic geogrids use polypropylene as the main raw material and are
manufactured through plasticization extrusion, punching, and integral
stretching processes, forming a planar four-directional triangular mesh
structure. Their uniqueness lies in the ability to disperse stress in all four
directions (longitudinal, transverse, +45°/-45°), forming a three-dimensional
reinforcement network. Compared to traditional bidirectional stretched grids,
four-directional stretched grids have more balanced mechanical properties, with
a tensile strength 1.5 to 2 times that of ordinary grids, effectively
inhibiting roadbed settlement and slope slippage. Glass fiber geogrids excel in
preventing reflective cracks. Experiments conducted by the Texas A&M
Transportation Institute showed that reinforced asphalt specimens have crack
resistance more than twice that of unreinforced specimens.
03 Wide-Ranging Application Areas
The application of geogrids has penetrated
multiple areas of infrastructure construction:
- Transportation Infrastructure: In
highways, railways, and airport pavements, geogrids are used to enhance
the subgrade, prevent reflective cracks, and mitigate uneven settlement.
- Environmental and Energy Projects: In the renewable energy sector, for instance, the foundation
of a single offshore wind turbine may require 800-1200 tons of
high-strength materials.
- Mining and Industrial Applications: Mining operations use plastic geogrids to stabilize tailings
dams and access roads.
- Climate-Resilient Construction:
Coastal protection and flood management infrastructure consume 22% of
global geosynthetic production.
In the future, with advancements in
material science, geogrids will play an even greater role in addressing climate
change and resource conservation. Driven by both progress in material science
and the needs of sustainable development, geogrids have evolved from simple
soil reinforcement materials into intelligent, multi-functional engineering
solutions. In the future, this "invisible champion" will continue to
play a key role in shaping the human-built environment.