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S h e n b a g a R. K a n i r a j & G. V e n k a t a p p a R a o
ABSTRACT
This paper reviews the trends in the use of geotextiles and the related
products in civil engineering applications in India. The review has ,[i've sub-
themes, name@, (i) manufacture o[ geotextiles in India and their proper-
ties, (ii) testing equipment and spec(/i'cations for geotextiles in India, (iii)
applications of geotextiles in India, (it,) research on geotextiles in India,
and ( v) the use of geotextiles made o[ natural fibres and materials in India.
The paper also highlights the potential for growth in the use o['geotextiles
and their related products in India.
1 INTRODUCTION
389
390 S. R. Kcmira/, (i. 1". Rao
square metre and sometimes even more (Venkatappa Rao. 1989). The
reasons for the high cost are the high price of the local raw materials, the
high rate of duties levied by the Government at different stages of manu-
facturing, the uneconornical scale of production due to lack of demand,
the lack of modernisation of the production units, the high overhead
costs, and the insignificant outlay on research and development by the
manufacturers (Dey el a/., 1992). Conventional methods of construction
are therefore cost effective in most instances.
Nevertheless, there is no gainsaying the fact that the use of geotextiles in
India is constantly and consistently growing. Geotextiles continue to be a
l/trust area o f research identified by the Central Board of Irrigation and
Power, the Department of Science and Technology, the Ministry of
Human Resources Development, the Roads Wing of the Ministry of
Surface Transport, and the Ministry of Textiles of the Government of
India.
This paper reviews the trends in the use of geotextiles and the related
products in India in the following five sub-themes:
(i) manufacture of geotextiles in India and their properties,
(ii) testing equipment and specifications for geotextiles in India,
(iii) applications of geotextiles in India,
(iv) research on geotextiles in India, and
(v) the use of geotextiles made of natural fibres and materials in India.
The paper also highlights the potential for growth in the use of geotextiles
and the related products in India.
Table 1
Details of Some Geotextiles Manufactured in India
Table 2
Physical Properties of Some Indian Geotextiles
strength and the m odul us values are given in Table 3. The results of the
C B R push th r ough test and the cone d r o p test are summarised in Table 4.
Creep test results indicate that the available woven geotextiles are suitable
for use only in t e m p o r a r y works or noncritical structures.
1.0
"Fable 3
Tensile Strength (kN m) and M o d u l u s (kN m) Values of Somc Indian Geotextiles
Geole.vti/e SII'C/1£rl/I ell lO!¢f) strain lO o secant ;nodulu.s .~lodulu,s at 50% peak
Narrow strip 14"ide strip Narrow strip Wide strip Narrow strip Wide ,slrip
II1(" )(11l (' Ill(" :~111 ( I l l C' .~tll (' 11l (" )['111 { ' ttl (" Xlll (" Ill C A~lll C'
Table 4
Results of C B R Push Through and Cone D r o p Tests
- - thickness gauge,
sieve test apparatus, for the determination of apparent opening size
(AOS) or the equivalent opening size (EOS),
interface friction measurement apparatus, to conduct modified
direct shear test and pullout test,
- - universal testing system for geotextiles suitable for carrying out
narrow width and wide width tensile tests, grab tensile test, trapezoi-
dal tear resistance test, CBR push through test, and puncture test,
- - cone drop apparatus,
- - cross permeability test apparatus,
- in-plane permeability test apparatus,
-
Presently, though no one test house may have all the facilities required for
carrying out the tests on geotextiles, some of them have very good testing
facilities for almost all the index tests on geotextiles.
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has set up committees and sub-
committees, in the Textile Division Council as well as the Civil Engineer-
ing Division Council, to prepare specifications and test methods on
geotextiles (Venkatappa Rao, 1991). Table 5 gives the list of the current
Indian codes of practice on geotextiles. Many more are being finalised.
]'able 5
List of Current Indian Codes of Practice on Geotextiles
tions can be broadly grouped under the following four categories (Dey
et al., 1992):
Table 6
Applications for Slope Stabilisation, Drainage Control in Embankments and Dams using
Geotextiles in India
Table 7
Applications for Land Reclamation and Ground Improvement Using Geotextiles in India
Table 8
Applications fi)r Stabilisation and Improvement of Bearing Capacity of Sub-grade Using
Geotexiiles in India
Table 9
Applications of Geote×tiles in India in Dams
Medha Creek dam, Nonwoven needle-punched geotextile in the form of filter layer
Gujarat to protect the downstream slope against wave action and
fluctuating water level from the sea
Hiran dam II, Gujarat Filter layer
Ramman hydro- Filter layer
electricity project,
West Bengal
Dharoi earth dam, Nonwoven needle-punched geotextile in the form of filter layer
Gujarat between natural soil and loading berm for seepage control
Salal hydro- Geotextile as filter around perforated polyvinyl pipes in relief
electricity project, wells
Jammu
Table 10
Applicalions of Geogrids in India
Project 7)'pica/use
6 T H E U S E OF N A T U R A L FIBRES A N D M A T E R I A L S IN I N D I A
Geotextiles made of natural fibres such as coir and jute are manufactured
in India. These geotextiles are mostly in the form of plain or twill woven
fabrics or open mesh net. Coir and jute needle felts have been developed
recently. With this, nonwoven geotextiles made of natural fibres could be
manufactured in future. The properties of the typical geojute used in a
project near Nayachara island are as below:
Type woven (D.W. twill)
Mass 1538 g/m 2
Thickness at 10 kPa 2.83 mm
Trends in the use of geotextiles in India 399
7 T H E P O T E N T I A L F O R T H E F U T U R E G R O W T H IN T H E U S E
O F G E O T E X T I L E S IN I N D I A
There are two aspects to the potential for future growth in the use of
geotextiles in India, namely economical and technical. As far as the tech-
nical aspect is concerned, there now exists a good awareness of geotextiles
and their applications among the civil engineers in India. There also exists
a good infrastructure for the manufacture and testing of geotextiles. With
the Bureau of Indian Standards publishing more and more codes of prac-
tice, the civil engineers will have reliable documents on which to base their
decision. The civil engineers, even today, have a keen interest in using
Table 11
Applications of Geotextiles Made of Natural Fibres in India
Nayachara island near Hooghly River bank protection with bitumen coated
estuary, West Bengal geojute and Mangrove plants
Kathgodam, Almora State highway Slope protection with geojute and coir
geogrid
Lambidhar mines area, Musoorie Wind erosion control with geojute and coir
geogrid
Meerapur Dewal road, Muzzafarnagar Surface erosion control with geojute and coir
geogrid
Nagapattinam-Gudalur-Mysore road Surface erosion control with geojute and coir
geogrid
Conoor-Kundha road Surface erosion control with geojute and coir
geogrid
400 S. R. Kanirq/, G. 1". Rao
8 CONCLUSIONS
This paper reviews the trends in the use of geotextiles and the related
products in civil engineering applications in India.
Presently, both woven and nonwoven geotextiles are manufactured in
India. The physical and mechanical properties of six woven and two
nonwoven geotextiles are reported.
Different equipment for testing geotextiles is currently being manu-
factured in India. This equipment has been identified. The Bureau of
Trends in the use o[geotextiles in lndia 401
9 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
REFERENCES