Together with the engineering firm Icarus geo and Argos suriname n.v., baitali group n.v. has entered into a partnership to bring a new product to the surinamese market, called geocell reinforced concrete (grc). This product must ensure that the roads in Suriname are reinforced and are more resistant to water. To demonstrate the added value of this product, the company is carrying out a pilot project on Gompertstraat together with its partners. This is under the supervision of the Ministry of Public Works. Shayer Nijman, head of engineering of Baitali group N.V., says that it is a sustainable product, a combination of geocell and concrete, which can be regarded as reinforced concrete.

Nijman indicates that the Gompertstraat and several roads in Suriname are experiencing flooding, on the one hand because of the weather and on the other hand because of the inadequate infrastructure. This often leaves the streets in a deplorable state and the method to solve that is often with patch work and asphalt. Asphalt is, he says, a very good product, but it is not very resistant to flooding. With this product we want to demonstrate that on these types of roads, which are flooded for a long time, you can still come up with a sustainable solution. Nijman explains, even if you don’t have a sufficient budget for solving the dewatering facilities.

The pilot project started mobilization on Thursday, July 27, 2023. It concerns the road section of the Gompertstraat between the Rembrandtstraat and the Picassostraat, which was in a deplorable state. First of all, the existing old asphalt layer was milled away and the existing sand bed underneath was profiled and raised. After raising and compacting it, geocells, a black plastic product, were installed. The concrete was then poured, further drilled and neatly finished. The concrete will become grayer when hardened and look just like what you see on the Wijdenbosch bridge and on the Coppename bridge. That’s what the final product will be, says Sergio Tjin Wong Joe, chief technical officer Icarus. According to the technicians, the cells of the geocell will be visible through the concrete. That’s totally the point. That geocell functions as a reinforcement, a traditional reinforced concrete. It is a very expensive application, but it is completely resistant to water, emphasizes Tjin wong joe.

For this pilot phase, the partners covered all costs themselves. If the government, Min OW, is convinced of this project and thinks the product is good, the companies are prepared to implement this nationally for the government. The section of road where the work is taking place will remain closed to traffic until August 3.