Localized road depressions adjacent to landscaped planters are a widespread and recurring issue in townhouse communities. These defects are frequently misdiagnosed as asphalt-related failures; however, field observations and engineering assessment consistently show that the root cause lies within the underlying pavement support layers.
This article provides a technical explanation of the failure mechanism, explains why conventional repair methods repeatedly fail, and describes how Geobear’s ground improvement solution delivers a structural and durable remediation by restoring sub-base stiffness and load-bearing capacity.
In typical residential road construction within Dubai communities, asphalt pavements are supported by unbound granular sub-base layers placed over native sand or engineered fill. These systems rely on adequate confinement and drainage to maintain stiffness and performance.
Landscaped planter boxes are often constructed directly adjacent to road edges, frequently at or near finished road level. Daily irrigation introduces a persistent source of water at the most vulnerable location of the pavement structure.
Over time, irrigation water migrates laterally beneath the asphalt and into the granular sub-base. This process initiates several damaging mechanisms:
Internal erosion and washout of fine particles from the granular matrix
Progressive reduction in sub-base density and stiffness
Formation of localized voids beneath the asphalt
Loss of load transfer efficiency under traffic loading
The resulting pavement response is localized vertical deformation of the asphalt surface. Importantly, this is not classical long-term consolidation settlement, but rather a rapid and progressive loss of structural support caused by erosion-driven weakening.
Conventional repair strategies typically involve milling and replacement of the asphalt surface. While this temporarily improves ride quality, it does not address the degraded sub-base condition.
As long as the weakened granular layers remain untreated and water ingress continues, the repaired asphalt is subjected to the same loss of support. As a result, depressions commonly reappear within months, leading to repeated maintenance interventions and escalating lifecycle costs.
Geobear’s Ground improvement solution is specifically designed to remediate ground-support failures beneath existing pavements without excavation. The method directly targets the degraded sub-base rather than the asphalt surface.
Small-diameter injection holes are drilled through the pavement at predetermined locations. A high-performance expanding material is injected into the weakened sub-base, where it undergoes a controlled expansion.
The injection process achieves the following engineering outcomes:
Filling of voids created by erosion
Re-compaction of loosened granular material
Increase in stiffness and load-bearing capacity
Restoration of uniform support beneath the pavement
Where required, controlled expansion allows gentle re-levelling of the pavement surface while continuous monitoring ensures movements remain within acceptable tolerances.
Geobear’s Ground Improvement solution is particularly well suited to residential environments in the UAE, where access constraints, live traffic, and resident comfort are critical considerations.
Key advantages include:
No excavation and no removal of landscaping
Minimal noise, vibration, and disruption
Rapid execution with same-day reopening in most cases
Immediate structural performance improvement
While soil injection restores the structural integrity of the pavement foundation, long-term performance is maximized when combined with basic water management measures.
These may include sealing of planter–asphalt interfaces, improved planter drainage, and optimization of irrigation volumes and frequencies to limit future water ingress.
Localized road depressions near landscaped areas are a structural ground-support issue, not a surface pavement defect. Effective remediation requires treatment of the underlying sub-base.
Geobear’s ground improvement solution provides a fast, precise, and non-disruptive method to restore pavement support and extend the service life of residential roads, while avoiding the disruption and cost associated with traditional excavation-based repairs.
We work with facility and property managers in the UAE. Contact us today so we can get a better idea of your needs and to learn more about the Geobear solution.