Geocells Market

Geocells Market Outlook (2023 to 2033)

The global geocells market is projected to expand steadily at a CAGR of 6.1% during the forecast period 2023 to 2033. In the year 2023, the market size is projected to expand and gain a global market valuation of US$ 142.2 million. Considering the rising demand in the global geocells market, it is expected to reach US$ 257.0 million by 2033.

Geocells are strong, lightweight, 3-D systems made of strands of polymer films, also known as geotextiles. Cellular confinement systems are another name for these products. These geocells are innovative geosynthetic materials that boost the structures’ load-carrying capacity and strength by as much as five times. The use of geocells greatly reduces pavement thickness and vertical stresses. These cells are employed in a variety of applications, including channel and slope protection, extra load support, wall retention, and coastline protection.

Geocells are seeing a significant increase in the post-pandemic context, with infrastructure and construction development activity resuming in key emerging markets across the globe Despite a slow recovery, economic prospects are being restored back and beyond the levels before the pandemic levels as resources are deployed across important development initiatives.

Manufacturers are showing a strong preference for exceptionally lightweight and long-lasting materials, such as PP and HDPE, due to their greater load-bearing characteristics. Furthermore, it is projected that deployment across operations related to earth reinforcement to bring in sturdy infrastructure provision would continue to be a prominent opportunity in the global geocells market during the forecast period.

North America is predicted to grow significantly in the geocell market due to tight government regulations and policies, as well as rapidly expanding infrastructure, over the forecast timeframe. Asia Pacific is expected to rise significantly due to increased demand for geocells in several developing markets such as India, Japan, China, and Malaysia. Additionally, rapid infrastructure improvements in the MEA are likely to add to increased demand. Due to rapid industrial expansion and enhanced government regulations, Europe is likely to have significant demand, particularly in its western region, which includes Germany, France, Austria, and the Netherlands.

Geocells Market Historical Analysis (2018 to 2022) Vs. Forecast Outlook (2023 to 2033)

According to market research and competitive intelligence provider Future Market Insights- the market for geocells reflected a CAGR of 5.7% during the historical period, 2018 to 2022. A general slowdown in worldwide construction sector growth through 2019 as a result of a global maturing trend resulted in a major drop in infrastructure spending in various major markets such as the United States. With fewer public and private infrastructure investments on the horizon, the global geocells market's growth prospects appear to be bleak throughout this recession phase. Fortunately, as the pandemic passed, construction operations resumed, creating hopes for a robust post-pandemic rebound.

Upcoming growth projections are primarily predicated on an increase in the number of transportation infrastructural development in emerging nations such as India and China, which have the world's largest demographic bases. But at the same time, the focus on sustainable solutions for sustainability along with the use of lightweight materials is projected to play key roles in reducing the future needs for geocells.

Nonetheless, the geocells layer creates a rigid mattress that is less expensive, which is a prominent opportunity for the product to prosper more during the forecast period. The rapid increase in roadways is also predicted to drive demand due to its application as a surface and base stabilizer in both paved and unpaved roads. Furthermore, the increased use of geocells for groundwater conservation programs, as well as the advancement of lightweight and nano-fiber-based geocells, are expected to boost market growth during the forecast period.

Prominent Growth Drivers Influencing Geocells Market

Increasing Infrastructure Projects to boost the demand for Geocells

In the construction industry, geocells are used to decrease erosion, protect conduits, stabilize soil, and offer structural reinforcements for earth retention and load support. As a result, these cells are regarded as essential in a variety of infrastructural initiatives.

Many various construction projects are growing around the world that will require massive amounts of geocells for appropriate operational efficiency in construction. India, for instance, has the Bharatmala Project, which wants to create 34,800 kilometers of road across the country, and the Setu Bharatam Project, which intends to construct bridges. The Rail Baltica project in Europe proposes to connect Finland, Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania to Poland via a system of European standard gauge rail lines. The California High-Speed Rail project is underway in the United States which will also require huge investments in geocells products. This route is expected to reduce the journey time between San Francisco and Los Angeles.

As per the Council on Foreign Relations, China is expected to invest 5.09% of its GDP in infrastructural development between 2016 and 2040. It is accompanied by Indonesia, which will spend 4.2% of its GDP on construction projects between 2016 and 2040, and India, which will spend 3.7% of its GDP. As a result, demand for geocells has surged significantly and will continue to rise as they are utilized for a variety of infrastructure development purposes such as soil stabilization, erosion management, and channel and slope protection.

Agricultural Activities to Aid Geocells Market Growth

With the increasing global food consumption rates, the need for agricultural land to raise food crops is rapidly increasing too. While the current global food supply is predicted to provide nutritious and safe food to almost 10 billion people by 2050, it also leaves a substantial ecological footprint in the form of poor and uneven farming techniques, which frequently results in natural resource waste. With the use of geocells in various agricultural practices, this footprint can be easily avoided as it supports earth retention very well.

There are various kinds of threats within the agricultural industry such as soil erosion, surface run-off, and water contamination from inorganic chemical deposition. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), inappropriate agricultural practices account for nearly 11.1% of total greenhouse gas emissions. As a result, geocell deployment to control soil erosion and groundwater run-off is expanding in order to avoid such negative environmental repercussions.

As a result, industry participants are introducing new technologies to support the use of geocells in agricultural activities. Presto Geosystems, for example, provides a one-of-a-kind spectrum of soil stabilization geocells. The company developed its patented GEOWEB® geocell to solve a variety of site issues, including steep slopes, coastlines, and channels, as well as multilayered vegetative retaining walls, landfills, agricultural fields, and dams. Such innovations are projected to boost the growth of the geocells market throughout the forecast period.

Nikhil Kaitwade

Principal Consultant

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What could possibly hinder Geocells Market Demand?

Volatile market rates and a dearth of quality control measures to restrict the market growth

Geocell producers measure the pricing structure of the products on the basis of the availability and price of raw materials. Polyethylene, polyester, and polypropylene are the raw materials used to make geocells. The majority of these raw ingredients are petroleum-based compounds that are price sensitive. The constant variations in oil prices have a direct impact on geocell producers' profit margins, drastically limiting their market growth.

Geocells are typically employed in various government projects. As a result, the governments of the individual countries set production and installation criteria. Players in poor countries request that their governments follow international norms. Companies such as PRS Geosynthetics, Strata Systems, and Presto are examples of companies that adhere to international or government-imposed standards. Appropriate policies and guidelines will help corporations and governments run their geocells initiatives effectively If governments do not harmonize their policies, both commercial and environmental ventures may suffer. This may result in violations of state regulations and rules that are not endorsed by associations such as the Geosynthetics Materials Association (GMA), the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), and the International Society for Testing and Materials (ISTM).In this event, the items created by the businesses in the emerging countries will not be accepted in the worldwide market and consequently, the demand will plummet significantly.

Other emerging countries, such as Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, and others, suffer comparable challenges because regulatory rules are not in place. Furthermore, the absence of independent and competent regulatory authorities in accordance with international organizations and fabric associations limits market growth in these nations throughout the projection period.

Category-wise Insights

Which Application Type is forecast to gain the Maximum Market Share?

Channel Protection to account for the bulk of all Geocells Deployment

In 2023, the channel protection category is estimated to account for 42% of total revenue. The rising benefits of geocells in the construction and agricultural industry to protect the channels have increased the demand for geocells.

Geocells are commonly used in various geotechnical engineering solutions to prevent erosion of channel beds, river banks, and slopes. They are utilized on different embankments to help stabilize the topsoil layer and keep it from eroding due to surface runoff. Slope stability is ensured by these cellular confinement structures even with vegetated or aggregate topsoil.

The interplay of plants and geocells reduces the impact of rains while also preventing downslope migration. Additionally, it channels flow and decreases hydraulic shear strains. In India, for example, Neoloy® Geocells provide long-lasting and versatile protection. The self-draining capacity and permeability of the Neoloy Geocells avoid the building of hydrostatic pressure that can cause cracking in cementitious structures and materials. The Neoloy structure's elasticity allows it to flex in response to earth movement without compromising performance or structural stability. During the forecast period, such innovations will drive market expansion.

Based on the Material, which Geocells Category scores above others?

HDPE-based Geocells to experience significant uptake

The HDPE category is expected to dominate the global geocells market, accounting for more than 71.5% of revenue in 2023. High-density polyethylene (HDPE) produced geocells are predicted to gain significant traction for their varied benefits in the construction industry. HDPE geocells are environmentally benign, providing soil-stabilizing solutions that blend seamlessly with the natural environment. Furthermore, because of its 3D structure, it can survive heavy construction activities.

Materials like HDPE also have substantial advantages over traditional counterparts like aluminum, concrete, or steel. Every year, over 33 billion tons of concrete are produced worldwide, accounting for approximately 2.4% of global carbon emissions. HDPE-produced products contribute far less, making them the preferable alternative.

HDPE is the predominant material of choice for making geocells due to its low cost, lightweight, low emission levels, and high durability. Thus, with such benefits, this category will drive the demand for geocells from 2023 to 2033.

Region-wise Analysis

What is the outlook of the North American Geocells Market?

Soil Conservation Activities and Product Innovation will boost Market Demand for Geocells

In terms of market share and revenue, the North American market is predicted to capture a prominent share of the global geocells market during the forecast period, 2023 and 2033. Future Market Insights analysts predict that by 2023 end, the regional geocells market will boom with a revenue share exceeding 39%.

Growing soil conservation projects across North America is one of the major trends, and increasing such government activities will favor geocell market expansion. For example, industrialization has caused around 66% of soil degradation in North America. Several states in the United States have enacted legislation to prevent soil erosion. Geocells are an excellent device for preventing soil erosion and providing long-term slope stability.

Furthermore, one of the most recent industry trends is ongoing product innovation by key companies to meet expanding demand throughout the world. For example, key player HUESKER introduced the world's first geogrid composed entirely of recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET). It is an environmentally conscious solution that conserves natural resources while providing the same quality as traditional alternatives. As a result, ongoing product innovation by key manufacturers will benefit market growth in this region during the forecast period.

How is the growth of the geocells market emerging in the Asia Pacific?

Infrastructural benefits of geocells will boost demand

During the projection period, Asia Pacific is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.5%. In the coming years, the Asia Pacific area is expected to be one of the emerging economies for geocells.

In terms of value, Asia Pacific is the strongest geocells market throughout the projection period. The increase is mostly due to the region's high demand for geocells in load support, wall retention, and slope and channel protection applications. Growing infrastructure operations in the region, as well as increased knowledge of the benefits of geocells, are the key reasons driving geocell demand in the region.

Geocells, for example, are in great demand for the construction of the world's highest dam in China, as well as highway projects and the development of six megacities in India. Likewise, the Indonesian government has also prioritized 30 projects for infrastructure development. These infrastructure developments are also projected to drive geocell consumption during the forecast period in the APAC.

What will be the outlook of the European geocells market during the forecast period?

Rising developments to replace traditional IT systems will accelerate the demand

The European geocells market is predicted to increase significantly throughout the forecast period, with a CAGR of 5.9% during the forecast period ranging from 2023 to 2033.

According to a World Wildlife Fund (WWF) report, the United Kingdom, particularly England, will be required to invest £10 million each year in the future years to ensure that soil quality is sufficient to support food crop yields by the end of the twenty-first century. Such rising soil erosion rates are creating a broad platform for significant geocell producers to enter and emerge.

Germany is likely to develop as a very profitable geocells market throughout Europe, owing mostly to increased efforts to improve transportation infrastructure. The 2030 Federal Transportation Infrastructure Plan (FTIP) is intended to play a key role in achieving this goal. According to its projections, the total number of passenger kilometers traveled in Germany will increase by 12.1% by 2030. As a result, structural repair and infrastructure replacement are important policy areas that will increase demand for geocells in this region.

Start-up Scenario

• Titan Environmental, a company manufacturing geocells since 2006, has its headquarters in Texas. The company has developed a new kind of geocell product feature. It produces geocells with a three-dimensional cellular structure that eliminates the horizontal movement of soil infill. This promotes increased vegetation growth.
• ALRK Geovision LLC, based out of New York City, is both a distributor and a manufacturer of geosynthetic products for soil stabilization, landfill, erosion control, aquaculture, drainage, and filtration applications. They also offer geomembranes, liners, geogrids, geotextile fabrics, tubes, and geobags. Apart from geocells, they also have geocomposites, geomats, geothermal pipes, storage blocks, and prefabricated vertical drains (PVD).

Competitive Landscape

The key players in the market are mostly dependent on product innovation and widening their product portfolio. Apart from this, the manufacturers are also moving towards strategies like partnerships and acquisitions.

• Bermuller & Co. GmbH is a well-known manufacturer of geosynthetic fabrics that offers unique transportation infrastructure solutions. The company provides BONTEC NW non-woven fabrics, which are used in earthworks, road building, and construction management. These are used in the design of geocells to filter soils that must be discharged during the construction phase.
• Greenfix is a well-known soil stabilization and erosion control specialist, providing a wide range of erosion prevention cellular confinement systems, including the renowned Geoweb® line. One such option is the Tree Root Protection System, which protects roots placed within the top 600 mm of the soil's surface layers by distributing the load horizontally and thus reducing compaction.

Key Players in the Global Market:

• Presto Geosystems
• Polymer Group Inc.
• TMP Geosynthetics
• Armtec Infrastructure Inc.
• Strata Systems Inc.
• PRS Mediterranean Ltd.
• Maccaferri S.p.A.
• ACE Geosynthetics
• Maikom Group
• Wall Tahe Pte. Ltd.
• Tensar International Ltd.
• Bermuller & Co. GmbH
• Greenfix Soil Stabilization and Erosion Control Limited
• Tencate Geosynthetics
• Admit Technologies
• Polyfabrics Australasia Pty Ltd.
• Low & Bonar
• ABG Geosynthetics
• Huifeng Geosynthetics
• SABK International
• Wrekin Products Ltd.
• CeTeau Group

Scope of the Report

Geocells Market Segmentation

By Application:

• Slope Protection
• Earth Reinforcement
• Load Support
• Tree Root Protection
• Channel Protection

By Material Type:

• High-density Polyethylene (HDPE)
• Polypropylene (PP)
• Polyester
• Other Polymeric Alloys

By Region:

• North America
• Latin America
• Western Europe
• Eastern Europe
• Asia Pacific
• Japan
• Middle East & Africa (MEA)