GEO-SYNTHETICS: FUTURE OF INDIAN INFRA

Synthetic polymer is known for its resilience and durability making it suitable for advanced infrastructure developments.

With rapid development reaching the remote mountainous regions in India with the help of road connectivity, and an ever-increasing burden of traffic towards to hills for tourism and religion, there is an immediate need to mitigate any risks associated with carving out roads in these extremely sensitive areas. The Himalayan mountains are known for their fragile nature and there are frequent incidences of landslides, rockslides, rockfalls, etc. This leads to sporadic closing down of the mountain roads in India due to maintenance and repair causing unnecessary delay in the movement of freight and people. This delay leads to losses worth millions every year along with the repairing cost.

A strong infrastructural foundation is crucial to support India's diverse topography; that is constantly threatened by naturally occurring and man-made catastrophes.  The geo-hazard mitigation industry with support from government authorities, civil engineers, product manufacturers, contractors, etc. has been working relentlessly in the backdrop to reduce damage caused by such calamities. Stabilization of terrain prior to project handover has been an inherent aspect of project designs and has recently started emerging as a key success evaluator for large, mid, and small-scale projects. However, the struggle of dealing with the road damage and road closure continues as the material used in the construction of these roads is not entirely suitable for this fragile topography. Geo-synthetic and geo-hazard products are an answer to this crucial problem as the use of these polymer products in building of roads helps in constructing a durable structure. Geo solutions have been used in solving some of the critical civil engineering problems in building of dams, canals, railroads, embankments, airfields, etc.

The increasing application of geo-synthetic products in filtration, separation, slope stabilization, pavements and erosion control have substantially reduced the usage of natural materials like boulders for stabilization, thereby increasing longevity of structures and simplifying construction activities.

GEO-SYNTHETICS: NEED OF THE HOUR

For quality and for long term sustainability of the infrastructure modern materials are need of the hour. Geo-synthetics is one such material family with proven history worldwide. Be it road, railway or any other civil or engineering discipline. Awareness of modern day techniques like geo-synthetics is required to improve the quality of the infrastructure and in turn prolong its life.

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT AND STANDARDIZATION

Infrastructure forms the backbone of any country's economy and is vital for a sustained growth. The Indian and other governments have been undertaking various initiatives to further expand the sector by promoting foreign direct investments and infusing capital into their economies. It is believed that these initiatives will boost the geo-synthetics industry by ensuring widespread application in construction of industrial infrastructure. The first known experiment with building roads using synthetic fabric was done in 1926 in United States' South Carolina highway. It was found that the use of fabric improved road condition and reduced road failures due to cracking. Ever since then, the use of geo-synthetics in construction has been growing and experiments have been done with different kind of products. Geo-synthetics primarily perform five important functions, i.e., reinforcement and separation, improving filtration and drainage, and acting as a moisture barrier. All these functions help in improving the overall health of the roads and engineering structures.

ENVIRONMENT FRIENDLY

There are two primary reasons why geosynthetic products are environment friendly when compared to the traditional products used in the manufacture of roads and structures. The first is that the use of geosynthetics automatically cuts down dependency on non-renewable products like gravel and sand while building the structures which not only has a long-term impact on the climate but also makes the overall project much cheaper.

Secondly, the geosynthetic material is much lighter in weight as compared to traditional products and it takes lesser time for their application. Both these aspects ensure that the vehicles must carry less heavy material and make lesser trips in the entire process, thereby cutting on the use of fuel.

At the same time, reducing surface erosion, developing long-lasting roads and minimizing usage of natural resources like sand, gravel, etc are some of the reasons why geosynthetics are eco-friendly and are a perfect solution in today's world where there is an immediate need to adopt sustainable ways of development to slow down the process of climate change.

The products offered by Garware Technical Fibres are known for these useful features and being eco-friendly. The company understands the need for sustainable and environment friendly development in today's world and ensures that its products qualify in that criterion.

GARWARE'S EXPERTISE

Garware Technical Fibres used its long expertise in the field of polymers and extended its operations to diversify in the field of geosynthetics starting in the year 1998. Today, the company has successfully completed more than two decades in providing geosynthetic solutions in the field of infrastructure development and civil engineering.

The company boasts of a team of highly competent and skilled engineers along with the latest software technology like Talren, Geo5, GeoCops, FoSSA, etc. which are used in the designing and implementation of projects like river training structures, railway, roads, industrial landfills, etc.

Garware has been providing excellent solutions in nine primary areas, namely - reinforced soil structures, waste landfill design, coastal and river protection work, rockfall protection, gabion gravity retaining walls, geosynthetic lining, erosion control and embankment protection, railway track stabilization, and flexible rope net gabions.

There are a range of services that the company provides for a 360-degree solution to the customers starting from problem analysis by the experienced engineers and technicians to the technical support and guidance after implementation of the project. Garware proposes appropriate solutions after a thorough investigation and analysis, following which a design is created. The company also supplies relevant products and carries out the implementation.

Overall, Garware's services help in creating long-duration durable structures while cutting down the costs and reducing the burden on the environment because of the use of geosynthetics. The company has worked with prestigious organisations like Konkan railways in the past.

USE IN ROAD CONSTRUCTION, ROCKFALL PROTECTION

Among the wide range of services provided by Garware are also the crucial rockfall protection and durable road construction which is pertinent for the Indian mountainous regions as mentioned above. The company provides three different systems of rockfall protection depending upon the site conditions. These include, galvanized steel wire rope net, chain link mesh/hexagonal double twisted wire mesh, and rockfall barriers.

All the three techniques are proven to be highly efficient in rockfall management and have a potential of bringing down the damage caused to roads in the mountainous regions during the monsoons. On the other hand, the company has been a leading solution provider in ground improvement, road reinforcement, and landfill construction.

Garware's products are relevant for the growing demand of high-quality roads and safe structures in the mountain regions of India to avoid damage to property and life. Apart from this, the eco-friendly nature of these products makes them extremely relevant for the Himalayan region because of its topography and the need of using products that are sustainable and do not pollute the environment of this region.

The company has taken both these issues into consideration and provides solutions that solve these two problems. At the same time, it also reduces dependency on transporting heavy traditional construction material, frequency of repair, and construction time, which further brings down the cost of implementation of these projects.

Garware has already provided excellent solutions at the Nalupani landslide project in Uttarakhand which was started in the year 2017 and completed in 2019. This included construction and installation of high strength boulder net and DT mesh with rockfall barriers to secure a total of 40884 square meter of area along the national highway 34.

Apart from this, the company has also successfully implemented projects like slope protection in Barkakana, Ranchi, along with ground improvement and geosynthetic lining in Odisha. This proves the experience of Garware in providing geo hazard  solutions in regions across the country, especially in the high-sensitive mountainous regions and areas exposed to heavy rainfall and flooding.  If geo hazard solutions are adopted widely in building roads, they have the potential of solving massive problems in a country like India which has a diverse landscape. Garware's experience of working in regions ranging from rough mountain terrain to the plains of south India, and coastal regions has shown that the geosynthetics are future of road construction in India to provide long-lasting and durable roads, along with safeguarding the environment.

WHERE IS THE INDUSTRY HEADED?

An environment of friendly approach towards utilization of geo-synthetic products is what industry experts foresee in the near future. By keeping the terrain intact for a longer duration, geo-synthetics plays an important role in navigating crises by reinforcement of the soil and thus have been mandated by various governments across the globe. In India, the sector sees an upcoming demand from the infrastructure and mining segments in the APAC region.

When talking about India, budget allocations for the year 2020-25 showcases a possible allotment of approximately INR 103 lakh crore on infrastructures disbursed over the coming five years. Also, the UDAN scheme by the Government of India intends to construct over 100 airports by 2025 - giving a significant boost to the industry by stimulating product demand.

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