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Highways

Dual Carriageway Concrete Bay Stabilisation

Challenge

Void formation and subgrade instability beneath 150 concrete bays caused cracking, uneven surfaces, and recurring failures — full-depth reconstruction would have required long closures and high emissions.

Solution

Geobear stabilised all bays with rapid geopolymer injection, restoring support, extending pavement life, and cutting carbon emissions by 62% — all completed in six weeks of night works.

62%

Reduction (326.7 tCO₂e avoided) vs. full reconstruction

150

Bays stabilised in just 6 weeks

0 daytime disruption

All works completed overnight with full daytime traffic flow

Background

A heavily trafficked dual carriageway had experienced long-standing deterioration due to instability in the underlying soils. Repeated resurfacing had failed to provide a lasting solution, with cracking and potholes reappearing soon after.

Investigations confirmed voids and subsidence beneath the rigid pavement structure, compromising performance and safety.
Geobear was engaged to design and deliver a solution that would stabilise the pavement, extend its service life, and minimise disruption to road users.

Challenge

The rigid pavement had been subject to widespread subsidence caused by voiding beneath slabs. Conventional repair methods such as slab replacement or full-depth reconstruction would have required extended closures, likely lasting several months, and generating a very high carbon footprint.

The challenge was to stabilise a large number of bays quickly, within a tight programme, while maintaining daytime traffic flow and meeting sustainability requirements.

Fact

150 bays, zero daytime disruption — Geobear delivered faster, cleaner, and more sustainable highway stabilisation at scale.

Solutions

The works were delivered in two phases, supported by a high-definition ground penetrating radar survey to map voids across the carriageway. Based on this data, Geobear created a bespoke injection plan:

  • Targeted injections up to 1.5 m deep, addressing both shallow and deep voiding.

  • Multiple injection levels applied in areas of severe instability.

  • 150 bays treated, restoring uniform support beneath slabs.

  • Optimised traffic management, with phase two works completed within the traffic setup from phase one to reduce programme length.

  • Overnight works only, with the carriageway reopened to daytime traffic each morning.

The geopolymer resin achieves 95% of its design strength in just 15 minutes, enabling rapid reopening of treated sections.

Assessing the concrete bay repair

Results

The scheme demonstrated the efficiency and sustainability of geopolymer injection for large-scale highway stabilisation:

  • Programme completed in 6 weeks, compared with an estimated 5–10 months for conventional bay replacement.
  • All 150 bays stabilised, restoring load-bearing capacity and extending the life of the carriageway.
  • Carbon saving of 326.7 tCO₂e, verified as a 62.4% reduction compared with full reconstruction.
  • Disruption minimised by restricting works to overnight closures and maintaining daytime traffic flow.

This project proved that geopolymer injection can deliver rapid, sustainable stabilisation of concrete pavements at scale, reducing both disruption and environmental impact.

Ready to discuss your project?

Get in touch with our expert team today and discover how Geobear can extend the life of your critical infrastructure assets.

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