## 1 Introduction  
Geocells have been widely utilized in geotechnical engineering for a long time due to their effective reinforcement performance and obvious economic benefits, such as pavement [1, 2, 3], embankment [4], foundation [5, 6], and slope protection [7, 8]. The geocell's three-dimensional honeycomb structure provides more lateral constraints than other planar reinforcement materials, which, when combined with the filling material, shapes a composite reinforcement with high strength and stability, further improving the structure's overall reliability and service life [9]. [PERSON] [10] found, by means of a compression test, that the junction was the key factor in the geocell's \"ferrule effect\". [PERSON] and [PERSON] [11] conducted indoor pull-out experiments for geocells and indicated that the pull-out resistance of geocells was limited by the seam peel strength of the geocell junctions. Using the limit equilibrium method (LEM), [PERSON] and [PERSON] [12] provided an analytical approach to investigate the stability of geocell-reinforced slopes. [PERSON] [13] proposed vulnerability modeling to design small volume roads by considering the modulus of the geocell-reinforced layer and showed that geocell reinforcement reduced the stress of the cushion beneath the pavement. [PERSON] [14] developed the polymer-blend geocell (PBG) and investigated the tensile properties of blends of various formulations in terms of yield strength, tensile strength, and elongation at break. The above studies focused on the material properties, engineering application, and reinforcement mechanism of geocells, evaluated the performance of geocells extensively, and emphasized the importance of geocell junctions. Therefore, a detailed study of geocell junctions is required to assure the safety and stability of reinforced structures. [PERSON] [15] conducted centrifugal model experiments to investigate the failure mode of the geocell-reinforced soil retaining wall, discovering that the geocell strips were stretched and ruptured and that the connections at the junctions collapsed. Based on laboratory tests and a numerical simulation, [PERSON] and [PERSON] [16] demonstrated that the junctions played a crucial role under cyclic loads or multiple loads; no tearing or rupture was found on the cell-wall or at the junction. [PERSON] [17] observed the failure of the junction by placing the NPA geocell in the sand base of the unpaved road. By loading unconstrained geocell elements, [PERSON] [18] observed similar failure scenarios. Both geocell junctions and strips are subjected to soil action from all directions [19]. Geocells need to withstand high tearing, tensile, and shear stresses in both the strips and the welded junctions to prevent the strips' rupture and separation of the junctions. Some studies have found the failure phenomenon of the geocell junction [15; 17; 18], but these research results cannot fully explain and evaluate the failure mode and the performance of junctions, hindering the application and promotion of geocells in the engineering field. In addition, to simulate the different force states of junctions, [PERSON] [20] compared and analyzed the failure mechanisms of the junctions of welding, bolt, and plug connections under various stress states. The tensile shear, peeling, and splitting tests were conducted with a clamping distance of 100 mm. [PERSON] [21] also studied the response of HDPE welded geocell junctions under different load conditions. The weld tensile strength and tensile shear tests were conducted with a clamping distance of 10.5 mm, and a clamping distance of 30 mm was used for the peeling and splitting tests. However, there is a lack of standardization in the geocell tensile test method, and scholars' test processes differ in terms of the distance of clamps, which could lead to variances in the research on specimen test failure mechanisms and the evaluation of geocell product performance.