NH-17, Calicut, Kerala | National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)
As a part of the Calicut Bypass Phase III project, funded by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways and executed by Public Works Department (National Highways), Kerala, it was required to construct a three km. long road embankment with heights up to 5m, on very soft ground comprising old paddy fields and marshy land. Techfab Woven Geotextile was used to solve difficult problems associated with construction of embankments on soft sub-grades.
The thickness of the soft clays at the site varied from 3 m to 8 m. Hence issues of embankment stability and postconstruction settlements need to be carefully considered. Also, the upper most clay layer was extremely soft with very high water content. Therefore, it was not possible to carryout normal construction operations on this stratum. However, removal of this layer was not a viable option because of uncertainty in thickness of layer, cost and time involved in excavation & removal. It also leads to environmental objections to disposal of the excavated material. Hence innovative techniques were considered to find a satisfactory and cost-effective solution to these problems.
Pre-fabricated Vertical Drains were installed to accelerate the consolidation of the soft clays. As the clay consolidated, there was a corresponding increase in the shear strength, thereby ensuring adequate stability of the embankment. It also ensured that most of the settlements occurred prior to construction of the pavement.
As an alternative to excavation and removal of the top layer of extremely soft clay, it was decided to use a woven Geotextile to stabilize the sub-grade. After a careful evaluation of the required Geotextile functions and properties, Techfab TPP 250, a woven polypropylene tape Geotextile manufactured by Techfab India was selected for this purpose. The Geotextile had a combination of mechanical and hydraulic characteristics making it suitable to function as a separator and reinforcement. In addition, it had a width of 5 m to minimize overlaps.
Techfab TPP 250 Woven Geotextile installed at the surface of the sub-grade functioned as a separator between the very soft clay and the better quality fill material allowing placement of fill material without mixing and excessive rutting. It also acted as a reinforcement supporting the loads imposed by the initial lifts of embankment fill and construction traffic without inducing shear failure of the clay foundation. The restraint offered by the Geotextile, enabled the proper compaction of the initial lifts of embankment fill.
The use of Techfab TPP 250 Woven Geotextile resulted in an environment friendly Solution and enabled the successful completion of the project with appreciable savings In cost and time.
The site consisted of old paddy fields and marshy land with soft clay layers ranging from 3 m to 8 m thick. The upper clay layer was extremely soft with high water content, making normal construction operations impossible and excavation/removal unviable due to cost, time, and environmental concerns.
Embankment stability issues due to low shear strength.
Excessive post-construction settlements.
Difficulty in placing and compacting fill material.
Environmental objections to disposal of excavated clay.
Two key measures were implemented:
Pre-fabricated Vertical Drains (PVDs) – to accelerate consolidation of soft clay, increasing shear strength and reducing settlement before pavement construction.
Techfab Woven Geotextile (TPP 250) – installed at the subgrade surface to function as a separator and reinforcement layer.
Acted as a separator between soft clay and fill material, preventing mixing and rutting.
Provided reinforcement, supporting loads from initial embankment lifts and construction traffic.
Enabled proper compaction of fill material without inducing shear failure.
Reduced overlaps with its 5 m width, improving installation efficiency.
Manufactured from polypropylene tape yarns.
Combined mechanical and hydraulic characteristics for reinforcement and separation.
High tensile strength and durability suitable for soft ground stabilization.
Environment-friendly solution compared to excavation and disposal.
The use of Techfab Woven Geotextile enabled:
Successful completion of the embankment on very soft ground.
Significant savings in cost and time.
Environmentally sustainable construction by avoiding clay excavation.
Long-term stability and performance of the embankment.
TechGeo PP Woven Geotextile (TPP 250) supplied by TechFab India Industries Ltd.
