Innovative Geo-synthetic solutions-an indian Perspective

While geo-synthetics have been used in the Western countries from the late 1970s onwards, in India, geo-synthetics started being used from the early 1990s. Since then, geo-synthetic usage has slowly spread to form an integral part of the country's infrastructure fabric. India's varied and rugged topography with young mountain ranges, deserts and a long and largely unstable coastline has presented several challenges to geo-synthetic manufacturers and applicators. It has also acted as a litmus test for devising innovative products and solutions customized towards these conditions.

This article highlights the pioneering role played by Garware-Wall Ropes Ltd in this journey of geo-synthetic usage in India. Garware has been active in the field of geo-synthetics in India since the early days of it's usage in the 1990s, and has taken the lead in designing applying innovative products successfully. Starting off with the design of a geo-cellular structure made of polypropylene ropes, and continuing to the design and usage of polypropylene rope gabions in coastal and riverine environments; Garware has been the first to actually use a geo-composite product for erosion control, well before such composites became a by-word in the industry symbolizing multi-performance products. More recent product like saddle bags for anti-buoyancy applications in pipelines, wind barriers designed using high strength geo-textile, grout bags for sub-sea applications and low energy rock fall barriers for boulder arrestor applications, have continued this tradition of designing site-specific solutions rather than customizing standard products to suit all sites. This article chronicles the development, usage, and upgrades done in these solutions in India; and, in a sense, the Indian perspective of geo-synthetic development.

These products and solutions are now finding increasing usage and applicability in the Asia-Pacific region, wherein the concept of customization is finding increasing resonance with all stakeholders.