TRAINING WORKSHOP ON

NON-WOVENS IN GEOTEXTILES
AT SURAT

5TH MARCH 2008

BY
S.K. PURI
CHIEF GENERAL MANAGER - NHAI
 National Highways
• Total Length of NHs : 65,569 km (2% of
total road length)
• Roads carry 85% of Passenger and 70% of
Freight Traffic
• NHs carry about 40% of traffic
• NHAI is entrusted with implementation of
National Highways Development Project
(NHDP)
 Components of NHDP
Phase Length (Km) Cost Focus
(Rs crore)
I Bal. 1738 Bal. 9071 Golden quadrilateral (GQ)- connecting Delhi-
Mumbai-Chennai- Kolkata-Delhi Total Length 5846

II Bal. 6736 Bal. 43623 North South& East west Corridors (NS-EW)
Total Length 7300

III 12,109 80,626 State capital connectivity,High traffic density,

Imp.centers of tourism &economic activity
IV 20,000 27,800 Widening & Strengthening to 2-lane with
Paved shoulders
V 6,500 41,210 Six laning of high density corridors
VI 1000 Km 16,680 Expressway for connecting important places
VII (Being identified) 16,680 Ring roads to cities, flyovers, by-passes
SARDP-NE 588 5208 Special Accelerated Road Development
Programme for NE
ICTT 17 557 International Container Transhipment Terminal
Cochin
Total 48,688 2,41,454
Definition, Type, Process and Properties
What is a Geotextile?
Any permeable textile natural or synthetic, used with foundation
soil, rock, earth, or any other geotechnical engineering related
material.

Types of Geotextile

Non-woven
Woven
Nonwoven Geotextiles
Method of production Process Form of fibre Polymer

PP/PE bi-component
Continuous filament PP
Heat-bonded
Staple fibre
PP
PP/PE mix
Nonwovens
PP
PET
Staple fibre HDPE
Needle-punched
Continuous filament PP
PET
Nonwoven Geotextiles

Needle Punched nonwoven

Thermally bonded nonwoven

 Woven Geotextiles

Method of production Process Form of fibre Polymer

Slit-flat tape PP (HDPE)

Wide loom (beam) Fibrillated yarn PP

Wide loom (creel) Multi-filament yarn PET (PA)

Woven
Medium mono filament
<3.8m loom (beam) PP
with yarn
HDPE
PA
 Woven Geotextiles

Slit film tape-on-slit film tape

Extruded tape-on-extruded tape

 Woven Geotextiles

PET multifilament woven fabric

Monofil woven fabric

 Knitted Geotextiles

Method of production Process Form of fibre Polymer

Nonwoven base with multi- PP or PET nonwoven

Stitched-bonded
filament stitch yarn PET stitching

Knitted Weft insertion filament yarn PET

Warp knitted Multi-filament yarn PET

 Knitted Geotextiles

Knitted base

Upper surface
 Physical Properties
Property Value range
Thickness 0.25 – 7.5 mm

Stiffness Nil – 25,000 mg-cm

 Mechanical Properties
Property Value Range
Compressibility Nil to high
Tensile strength (grab) 0.45-4.5 kN
Tensile strength ( wide width) 9-180 kN/m
Confined tensile strength 18-180 kN/m
Seam strength 50-100% of tensile
Cycle fatigue strength 50-100% of tensile
Burst strength 350-5200 k Pa
Tear strength 90-1300 N
Impact strength 14-200 J
Puncture strength 45-450 N
Friction behavior 60-100% of soil friction
Pullout behavior 50-100% of geotextile strength
 Hydraulic Properties
Property Value Range
Porosity (non wovens) 50-95%
Present open area (wovens) Nil to 36%
Apparent opening size ( sieve 2.0 to 0.075 mm ( # 10
size) to # 200)
Permittivity 0.02-2.2s-1
Permittivity under load 0,01-3.0s-1
Transmissivity 0.01 to 2.0 x10-3m2/min
Soil retention: turbidity curtains Must be evaluated
Soil retention: silt fences Must be evaluated
 Endurance Properties
Property Value Range
Installation damage 0.70% of fabric strength
Creep response g.n.p.if <40% strength is being used
Confined creep response g.n.p.if <50% strength is being used
Stress relaxation g.n.p.if <40% strength is being used
Abrasion 50-100% of geotextile strength
Long-term clogging m.b.e.for critical conditions
Gradient ratio clogging m.b.e. for critical conditions
Hydraulic conductivity ratio 0.4-0.8 appear to be acceptable
g.n.p. – generally no problem, m.b.e. – must be evaluated
 Degradation Properties
Property Value Range
Temperature degradation High temperature accelerates
degradation
Oxidative degradation m.b.e. for long service lifetimes
Hydrolysis degradation m.b.c. for long service lifetimes
Chemical degradation g.n.p.unless aggressive chemicals
Radioactive degradation g.n.p.
Biological degradation g.n.p.
Sunlight ( UV) degradation Major problem unless protected
Synergistic effects m.b.e.
General aging Actual record to date is excellent
TYPICAL PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF GEOTEXTILES

Function Strength range Mass per unit area Roll width Roll length
kN per m gm per sq m Metre Metre
Separation 0.5 – 5 70 - 500 3.8 to 5.5 (4.5) 50 to100

Filtration 0.3 – 2 70 - 250 2.5 to 4.5 50 to100

Drainage 1–5 500 - 2000 1.5 to 5.5 25 to 50

Reinforcement 30 - 1000 N/A 3.8 to 5.5 50 to100

or strips or Defined
 The polymers used for Geotextile

DENSITY MELTING STRAIN CREEP

POLYMER UNITS
g/cm3 ºC % CREEP
PE, PP 0.90 to 0.95 110 to 170 >100 HIGH
PET 1.38 >240 10 to 15 LOW

Abbreviation:
PE: Polyethylene
PP: Polypropylene
PET: Polyester
 Durability Test Methods for Geotextile

Geotextiles and geotextile-related products - Screening test

EN 12447 method for determining the resistance to hydrolysis in water
Geotextiles and geotextile-related products - General tests for
EN 12226 evaluation following durability testing
EN 14030 Geotextiles and geotextile-related products -Screening test
(ISO 12960) method for determining the resistance to acid and alkaline
liquids
Geotextiles and geotextile-related products - Screening test
EN ISO 13438 method for determining the resistance to oxidation at elevated
oxygen pressure
Geotextiles and geotextile-related products - Microbiological
EN ISO 12225 resistance (soil burial)
Functions and properties of Geotextiles
The functions of Geotextiles

 Separator

 Reinforcement

 Drainage

 Filter

 Container

 Energy absorber
 APPLICATIONS FOR GEOTEXTILES

Roads Railroads Retaining walls Reservoirs, dams

Liquid waste Solid waste Drainage systems Erosion protection

1 ROADS
1.1 APPLICATIONS IN FILTRATION AND DRAINAGE

applications
Pavement drains
Sub-horizontal drains
Curtains
Trenches
Settlement acceleration

materials
Geotextiles
Geocomposite drain
(PVD)
 1 ROADS
1.2 APPLICATIONS IN EROSION CONTROL
SUPERFICIAL EROSION
silt fences

MATERIALS
GEOTEXTILES

Detain carried particles:

during construction,
before vegetation or
under wind effects
 1 ROADS
1.3 APPLICATIONS AS BARRIER
MEMBRANE-ENCAPSULATED SOILS - moisture barrier
maintenance of base material properties
for use in
low cost pavements
in:
wet regions
expansive clays
good base soils (lateritic soils,..)

Materials
asphalt impregnated geotextiles
reinforced geomembranes
geogrids (when hard cracking)
1 ROADS
1.4 SEPARATION AND REINFORCEMENT MATERIALS
SEPARATION
GEOTEXTILES
GEOCOMPOSITES
REINFORCEMENT
GEOGRIDS
GEOTEXTILES
GEOSTRIPS
2 BENEFITS OF GEOSYNTHETIC SEPARATORS
2.1 TYPICAL APPLICATIONS
Located at the interface between soil and aggregate
-prevent contamination
-avoid build-up of pore pressure
-avoid loss of granular material

sub-base/sub-grade interfaces
embankments
2 BENEFITS OF GEOSYNTHETIC SEPARATORS
2.2 MECHANISMS

Avoid granular material penetration

Puncture resistance

Filtration
Pore size and permeability

Interlock advantages
Tensile resistance
3 BENEFITS OF GEOSYNTHETIC REINFORCEMENT

3.1 PAVEMENT SYSTEMS

3.1.1 ASPHALT OVERLAY

3.1.2 BASE/SUBGRADE

3.2 EMBANKMENTS OVER SOFT SOILS

3.3 SLOPES AND WALLS

3.1 PAVEMENT SYSTEMS
3.1.1 ASPHALT REINFORCEMENT

new roads

Increase in fatigue life

Reduction in rutting

maintenance of existing roads

3.1 PAVEMENT SYSTEMS
3.1.1 ASPHALT REINFORCEMENT
MECHANISMS GEOTEXTILE

GEOGRID

WITHOUT REINFORCEMENT
 3.1 PAVEMENT SYSTEMS
3.1.1 ASPHALT REINFORCEMENT
Note: thin nonwoven geotextiles can be used when
cracking still keeps the aggregates interlocking
(tensile characteristics are not required)

The asphalt impregnated geotextile do not acts as

a reinforcement, but as a protector layer and a
moisture barrier.

protector layer - retards crack propagation by deviation

moisture barrier – increases life time after cracking
3.1 PAVEMENT SYSTEMS
3.1.2 SOIL STABILIZATION
“The use of a geosynthetic placed at the sub-grade/fill interface to increase the
support of construction equipment over a weak or soft sub-grade”

Applications
Temporary roadways
Initial construction lift of permanent ways or embankments
Area constructions platforms
3.1 PAVEMENT SYSTEMS
3.1.3 BASE AND SUB-BASE REINFORCEMENT
The use of a geosynthetic placed as a tensile element at the bottom or
within a flexible pavement base or sub-base to:
-increase the service life
-obtain equivalent performance with a reduced structural section
-avoid subsidence problems (sinkholes)
Applications
Permanents ways
Parking lots
Airport taxiways
Container loading facilities
Railway tracks
 3.1 PAVEMENT SYSTEMS
3.1.4 ADVANTAGES

-cost savings in construction and maintenance

-increase of service life

-decrease or eliminate over-excavation and required granular fill

“in pavements systems, life cycle cost analysis are important

to show additional maintenance cost savings”
 3.2 EMBANKMENTS OVER SOFT SOIL
3.2.1 Applications
-basal reinforcement
-piled embankments with basal reinforcement
-reinforcement over areas prone to subsidence
3.2 EMBANKMENTS OVER SOFT SOIL
3.2.2 Basal reinforcement mechanisms

rotational stability

bearing capacity

foundation extrusion
3.2 EMBANKMENTS OVER SOFT SOIL
3.2.3 Piled embankments basal reinforcement
design
Ultimate limit states
Pile group capacity
Pile group extent
Vertical loading shedding
Lateral sliding
Overall stability

Serviceability analysis
Reinforcement strain
Foundation settlement
3.2 EMBANKMENTS OVER SOFT SOIL
3.2.4 Construction
3.3 REINFORCED SLOPES AND WALLS
3.3.1 applications
landslide reparation
bridge abutment
increase working area
reduce filled area
reduce filling material
 3.3 REINFORCED SLOPES AND WALLS
3.3.2 types
reinforcement spacing
Walls (angle of inclination larger than 80o)
Steep slopes
Block walls

.
3.3 REINFORCED SLOPES AND WALLS
3.3.2 types
3.3 REINFORCED SLOPES AND WALLS
3.3.3 benefits

Economical solutions
Rapid and simple construction method
Allows construction in difficult terrain
Allows use of cheaper fill material
Satisfactory appearance structures
Environmental:
reduce damaged areas and
reduce natural material extracting
4. REQUIREMENTS AND TECHNICAL PROPERTIES

Mainly mechanical characteristics

Tensile strength (ISO 10319)

Seam tensile strength (ISO 10321)
Puncture resistance (ISO 12236)
Impact test (ISO 13433)

Mainly hydraulic characteristics (for separation)

Opening size (ISO 12959)
Permeability normal to the plane (ISO 11058)
 Technical Requirement as per MoSRTH
Specifications for use in subsurface drains
• Breaking load not less than 10 kN/m
• Minimum Failure strain of 10%
• Apparent opening size 0.22mm – 0.43 as
soil properties
• Allow water flow @ not less than
10lit/sqm/sec
• Minimum puncture resistance of 200 N
• Minimum tear resistance of 150N
 Technical Requirement as per MoSRTH
Specifications for use in Highway Pavement

• Minimum Tensile strength 36.3 Kg

• Elongation 50%
• Asphalt Retention 10 kg/10sqm
• Melting Point 150C
• Surface Texture- heat Bonded on one side
only
 Technical Requirement as per MoSRTH
Specifications for use in Protection Works

• Aperture : Rectangular, square or oval

• Colour : Black
• Strength : Min 10kN/m
• Elongation: Max 15%
• Form : GR1-GG3 standards
• Life : Min 8 years
 Typical Specification of NHAI
Separation and drainage
Properties Units Fabric
PHYSICAL
Grab Tensile Strength KN 0.900
Grab Tensile Elongation % 50
Mullen Burst KPA 2750
Puncture KN 0.575
Trapezoid Tear KN 0.355
UV Resistance %@hr 70/500
HYDRAULIC
Apparent Opening Size (AOS) Mm 0.150
Permittivity Sec 1.5
Flow Rate 1/min/m2 3225
Life Period Years 120
MINIMUM AVERAGE ROLL VALUES
 Typical Specification of NHAI
Soil Reinforcement
Sl. Minimum Partial FOS for calculation of 100 Woven PP Woven PET
No. years long term design strength (TD) in based based
accordance with BS-8006:1995 requirements geotextiles geotextiles
1 Partial FOS for deformation (at 40 C to meet 6.0 3.0
less than 0.5% post construction strain
requirement for retaining wall cases)
2 Partial FOS for variations in manufacture from 1.0 (use only 1.0 (use only
control specimens (fm 11) MARV) MARV)
3 Partial FOS for extrapolation of creep test data 1.10 (10000 1.10 (10000
(fm 12) hours creep) hours creep)
4 Partial FOS for construction/ installation 1.83 2.44
damage (susceptibility to damage) [fm 21]
5 Partial FOS for potential chemical (at 40 C) and 1.10 1.15
biological degradation. (Environment) [fm 22]
Distribution of Geotextiles in the United Kingdom
Nonwovens Wovens Knitted Extruded
Roads 55 65 10 35
Rail 5 3 ~ 10
Structures 2 10 15 20
Drainage 10 2 15 5
Erosion 3 2 5 2
Dams 1 ~ ~ ~
Canals 1 1 ~ ~
Tunnels 2 ~ ~ ~
Solid Waste 6 2 5 5
Liquid Waste 6 2 5 5
Embankments 4 10 45 15
Other 5 3 ~ 3
Distribution of Geotextile Use in South Asia
Percentage distribution of Geotextile type in the South Asia
Nonwovens Wovens Knitted Extruded
45% 35% 5% 15%

Percentage distribution of Geotextile type per application

Nonwovens Wovens Knitted Extruded
Roads 55 35 10 35
Rail 5 8 ~ 10
Structures 2 25 15 20
Drainage 10 2 15 5
Erosion 3 2 5 2
Dams 1 ~ ~ ~
Canals 1 1 ~ ~
Tunnels 2 ~ ~ ~
Solid Waste 6 2 5 5
Liquid Waste 6 2 5 5
Embankments 4 10 45 15
 History of Geotextiles in India
• Used commercially since early ’80s
• However, during ’80 – ’90 the use was restricted to separation,
filtration and drainage application for both non-woven and
woven type
• Indian manufacturer like Hitkari, Tata Mills etc. participated in
production of non-woven type for civil engineering application
• Major boost in usage came after 1995 with major ports and
highway development projects.
• Application included marine protection below rip-raps and
armour layers for separation and filtration for land reclamation
projects.
 History of Geotextiles in India
• Application in river Training works and erosion control also
started
• National Highways saw the application in drainage,
embankment protection, base course stabilization and separation
below highway embankments, also protection against erosion.
• Growing usage for environmental projects such as landfills,
waste storage etc.
• MSE block walls are also a major end user, specially for low –
medium heights using geogrids and high strength woven
Geotextile
• Now there are 10-15 non-woven as well as woven Geotextile
manufacturer besides several unorganized participations
Few Examples of NHAI Projects
Project Purpose Qty.
Visakhapatnam In Marshy/ Slushy Soils 1,08,100 sqm

Vallarpadam, Geotextile (non woven) as 4,30,260 sqm

Cochin separation/ filtration layer
Tuticorin Below sub-grade 2,55,000 sqm

Paradip (i) for high embankment over land 1,04,250 sqm

drains 40,640 sqm
(ii) below sub-grade
JNPT Package II Woven geotextile below 64,600 sqm
(SH-54 & Aamra embankment
Marg)
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION