The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (“the Corps”) developed the first cellular confinement system (“CCS”) during the late 1970s as a means to construct roads, airstrips, etc. for soft ground and wet weather conditions.

The Corps determined that placement of thin walled, sand filled cells over a soft subgrade provided significantly greater load bearing capability than compacted soil alone.

Various cell materials were tried, including resin-impregnated paper, aluminum and plastic. High-density polyethylene (HDPE) was found to provide the best combination of strength, service life and economy.

During 1990, GeoProducts received an order to furnish 6,400,000 ft² (595,000 m²) of CCS for Operation Desert Storm. Upon completion of the Desert Storm project, GeoProducts became aware of the need for CCS in the civil engineering market place and began to promote the geocell.

Geocells have been installed in Superfund sites, landfills, DOT projects and various other civil applications.

Geocells are still manufactured to the exacting standards set forth by the U.S. Army Corps.  The geocell material is manufactured by GeoProducts under ISO 9001:2000 quality management system.