Abstract Manager

Freeze–thaw (F–T) cycles are a major cause of pavement deterioration in cold regions, as repeated seasonal freezing and thawing weaken foundation support and reduce long-term performance. The increasing frequency of extreme weather events and irregular temperature fluctuations further intensify freeze–thaw activity, accelerating pavement degradation and increasing maintenance demands for transportation agencies operating in cold climates. Although geosynthetic reinforcement systems are increasingly applied in practice, comparative long-term field evidence on their load distribution behavior remains limited under repeated seasonal exposure. This study presents a four-year field evaluation in Alberta, Canada, investigating pavement test sections reinforced with two types of novel polymeric alloy (NPA) geocell (Types C and D) and geogrid–geotextile composite systems. Annual plate load tests were conducted from 2022 through summer 2025, and the stress distribution angle was evaluated to quantify load-spreading performance over time. Results show that the higher strength geocell (Type D) section exhibited the most stable load-spreading response, followed by the Type C geocell section, while the geogrid composite section remained comparatively lower with minimal change across years. Overall, the findings provide multi-year field evidence supporting geocell reinforcement in load bearing applications as a practical approach for improving pavement performance under seasonal freeze–thaw exposure in cold-region infrastructure systems.