Mitigating Reflective Cracking at Peveril Street, Brunswick

THE PROJECT

In 2025, New Horizon Construction delivered pavement rehabilitation works for Merri-bek City Council along Peveril Street, Brunswick, Victoria. The existing pavement exhibited widespread surface cracking, with isolated crocodile cracking indicating localised subgrade distress. To address these structural deficiencies and extend the pavement’s service life, the project adopted a 175 mm deep-lift asphalt pavement incorporating an intermediate high strength glass fibre asphalt geogrid composite layer.

THE CHALLENGE

Peveril Street is an 8m wide local access road servicing adjoining commercial properties. The corridor included:

• On-street parking on both sides

• Multiple manhole service pits and stormwater inlets

• A dense network of shallow underground utilities

These constraints required a reinforcement system that could be installed safely and efficiently within a confined, service rich environment.

OUR SOLUTION

ProGrid® Compo GB 100/100 Glass Fibre Geogrid Composite was selected as the optimal treatment to control reflective cracking and maintain long term pavement performance. The composite comprises:

• A bitumen-coated 100 kN/m glass fibre geogrid, fully stitch bonded to

• A permanent 80 g/m² lightweight porous PET geotextile backing

• This configuration provided several installation and performance advantages:

• Minimal wrinkling and excellent lay flat behaviour

• Enhanced intimate contact with the underlying surface

• Strong bitumen saturation and bonding with asphalt layers

• Improved shear transfer and long-term crack mitigation capability

These attributes are critical to achieving durable reinforcement performance, particularly in deep lift asphalt rehabilitation works.

PROJECT DELIVERY

Installation of the ProGrid® Compo GB 100/100 was completed at the end of each shift, prior to asphalt placement, with no delays and full alignment with the construction schedule. Feedback from the construction team highlighted:

• Ease of handling and placement

• Minimal wrinkles during installation

• Excellent bond strength with asphalt layers

• A smooth, efficient installation process

BENEFITS

ProGrid® Compo GB products deliver a combination of structural performance, durability, and installation efficiency ideal for asphalt reinforcement applications.

• High tensile strength and temperature resistance, ensuring stable reinforcement during asphalt placement and throughout the pavement’s life

• Excellent resistance to alkaline environments, supporting long term durability

• Enhanced fatigue resistance, reducing initiation and propagation of reflective cracking

• Bituminous coating with permanent 80 g/m² porous geotextile backing, improving bonding, shear transfer, and installation quality *(For further detail, refer to the Global Synthetics technical blog Proper Application of Asphalt Geosynthetics to Achieve Optimal Shear Bond Strength.)

• Fully stitch bonded manufacture of the geogrid composite, protecting against installation damage and maintaining structural integrity

• Robust manual handling characteristics, supporting efficient placement and reducing risk of damage

CONCLUSION

ProGrid® geosynthetic reinforced pavements continue to demonstrate their effectiveness as a reflective crack mitigation system, delivering extended pavement life and improved asset performance for road owners. Global Synthetics thanks New Horizon Construction and Merri-bek City Council for their collaboration and commitment to selecting the right solution for this project.

For technical support or assistance in selecting the most appropriate geogrid for your project, please contact our specialist engineering team.

Contact: amar.singh@globalsynthetics.com.au