Technical textiles, including the crucial segment of geotextiles, play a pivotal role in modern infrastructure development and various other applications. Geotextiles, a subset of technical textiles, are engineered fabrics specifically designed to reinforce soil in construction projects. These textiles find extensive use in transportation infrastructure, erosion control, slope stabilization, and drainage systems. Sustainability is promoted by geotextile materials and practices, resulting in a reduced environmental impact.
Major applications of geotextiles are reinforcement, filtration, and drainage, it is used in various infrastructure projects like road construction, erosion control, retaining walls, slope stability, landfills, etc. The application also includes the use of recycled materials or organic fabrics to create eco-friendly products.
Major applications of geotextile infrastructure include roads, airfields, railroads, embankments, retaining structures, reservoirs, canals, dams, bank protection, coastal engineering and construction site silt fences or geotube234. I
The Department of Civil Engineering at the Institute of Technology, Nirma University has achieved a significant milestone by securing a grant of INR 4.22 crores under the National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM), an initiative of the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India.
Of the total amount, INR 3.92 crores has been earmarked for the establishment of the “Centre of Excellence in Geotechnical Textiles”. The centre will have facilities to test different sets of properties of geotextiles. It is also envisaged to investigate the soil-geotextile interaction for various infrastructure applications. This centre will be poised to become the hub of research, experimentation and hands-on learning.
A sum of INR 30 lacs has been allocated to support the training of faculty and staff members of the department. This would enable the department to impart the knowledge of geotextiles and their applications to the students, academicians and professionals through curricular teaching, workshops and training programs.
Through these initiatives, community members gain the knowledge needed to effectively use geotextile materials in construction and environmental projects, fostering self-sufficiency and economic growth. This funding will be instrumental in development of education and innovation in the field of technical textiles, particularly in the realm of geotextiles to contribute in the enhancement of infrastructure development and various other sectors.