Dr.A.N.Desai

Director,BTRA

Perspectives of COE in Geotextiles

Bombay Textile Research Association,

Mumbai

Centre Of Excellence (COE) in Geotech (Since Feb 2009)

at

Geotech Sector:

Case studies show superior performance characteristics of Geotech Products as compared to those with conventional technology.

Survey reports indicate a 12% growth for this sector but informal discussions with user industry indicate a much higher growth rate

Some important Issues pertaining to Geotech sector

Lack of awareness is one of the often quoted reasons for slow growth of this sector

Lack of world class test facilities/performance tests was a major hindrance to manufacturers and users

Information on literature and standards was not available

Lack of product specifications is a constraint

Objectives

Develop Testing facilities to test input, intermediate materials and end products related to Geotextiles.

Develop Internationally Accredited Testing Facilities to test and certify different Geotech products for facilitation of commerce.

Develop IT enabled Resource centre of data base on the Geotextiles sector.

Set up State of Art R&D facilities for product development to enable the Indian industry to meet international quality norms.

Objectives

Set up Training facilities for meeting the requirement of man power for the Indian Geotech Industry

Develop Accredited Trainers for organizing various Training programs for the Industry

To serve as an Incubation Centre for fostering entrepreneurs in the Geotech sector.

Work closely with the Indian industry to catalyze the product development programs to meet domestic and international trade.

OUR VISION

The COE will provide services to the Geo-Technical Industry in :

Testing and Technical services,

Development of Testing and performance standards for Geotextiles,

Technical Consultancy,

R&D in the area of Product (Prototype) and Process development,

Training and Entrepreneurship development

Resource centre for all the literature, Market data and sample book

for Reverse Engineering.

COE Clientele

Geotech manufacturers, new and potential entrepreneurs, user

agencies of geo synthetic.

The sector has the potential to benefit a large number of skilled

and unskilled workers in addition to providing an impetus to

growth of the relatively new technology in India.

Target Beneficiaries

Use of Geotech in Infrastructure projects like roads, bridges ,

cannel etc. can enhance the serviceability. This will have direct

social impact

Since routine maintenance are minimal so roads in the rural

sectors will be sustainable for longer period, thereby serving the

cause of rural poor.

TESTING FACILITIES- Accredited Tests

Sr. Test standards Test Parameters

1 ASTM D1004 Tear Resistance

2 ASTM D1238 Melt Flow Index

3 ASTM D1603 Carbon Black

4 ASTM D1693 ESCR

5 ASTM D4491 ISO 11058 water permeability

6 ASTM D4533 Trapezoid Tear Resistance

7 ASTM D4595 ISO10319 Wide-Width Strip Tensile Strength

8 ASTM D4632 Grab Breaking Load and Elongation

9 ASTM D4751 Apparent opening size

10 ASTM D4833 Index Puncture Resistance

TESTING FACILITIES- Accredited Tests

Sr. Test standards Test Parameters

11 ASTM D4884 ISO10321 Seam Strength of Sewn Geotextiles

12 ASTM D4885 Tensile Strength of Geomembranes by Wide Strip

13 ASTM D5199 Nominal Thickness

14 ASTM D5261 ISO9864 Mass per Unit Area

15 ASTM D5323 2% Secant Modulus for Geomembranes

16 ASTM D6241 ISO 12236 Static Puncture Strength of Geotextiles

17 ASTM D 6637 Tensile strength of Geogrids by the Single rib

18 ASTM D 6693 Tensile strength of Geomembranes

19 ASTM D 6767 Pore Size

20 ISO 13433 Dynamic perforation ( Cone Drop )

Accreditation of the Geotech Labs

•Testing Facilities for testing of Geomembrane, Geo-grid, Geo-net, Geotextiles, and geo-synthetic Clay liners are in place as per international standards

•Accreditation of Geotextiles Lab.

•The Geo Textile Lab. is accredited by Nation Board of Accreditation of Laboratory (NABL) as per ISO 17025:2005 since 28th Feb 2009.

•The centre is also Accredited internationally by Geosynthetic Accreditation Institute (GAI) , Philadelphia USA, as per Laboratory Accreditation Program(LAP) since 1st Jan 2010

Geotech Resource Centre

• 9 Papers are published and 7 papers were presented in various seminars/conferences

• 142 Books procured

• 31 journals subscribed

• 77 Testing Standards procured

• 103 ASTM standards through on line Procured

• Web site of BTRA includes COE Activities

• Sample Resource Book on the Geotextiles products

Training infrastructure at BTRA

BTRA has training hall with audio visual facilities to conduct the training programs

The Testing and R&D facilities available with BTRA as also the facilities created under the COE in Geotech. are being used for conducting training programme.

Readymade capsules for training of the industrial personal have not been made, however need based training programs on specific area as requested by the industries /units is considered to impart the training.

The duration of training ranges from 2 weeks to 1 month.

The trainers are diploma in textiles and graduates/Post- graduates in science/Textile Technology.

Trainers are imparted training in different disciplines including technical textiles locally as well as in the international centres.

Product Development and Incubation Centre

Incubation Centre and Prototype Development for catalytic development of the enterprises

Prototype Development needs to address the generic features as well as local conditions. Therefore, strategy, perhaps to be to suit to local requirement apart from cost competitiveness

Implication of the initiatives

These facilities will be provided to interested entrepreneurs on certain agreed terms and conditions specific to product, duration, operators training, quantity of raw material to be processed and other associated facilities for quality and performance test. Using these facilities, the identified entrepreneur will be encouraged to manufacture the specific geo-tech product of his or her interest in adequate quantity to carry out test marketing.

This catalytic development initiative should lead to absorption of technology and gain confidence in setting up of manufacturing unit in a reasonable period of time

COE-Incubation Centre

BTRA has facilities to make Geotextiles by Nonwoven Technology .

In addition to this, it will have pilot scale facility for Geogrid, Geomembrane , Geo-net & PVD manufacturing facilities of pilot scale.

Current program

BTRA is involved in Geotech product development by needle

punching technology.

BTRA laboratories are serving the needs of Geotech industry for

material testing.

Training of Trainers and industry personnel

Resource center

Success Criteria

In order to assess the success of the program, the following parameter are being considered.

No. of samples received for testing and its growthNo. of Trainees trainedNo of prototypes developedNumber of participants using the facilities of the Incubation centre

Overall growth of the sector which has bearing on the confidence reposed by the industry on these support system organizations set up by government of India

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Impact of COE in testing

Initially, industry was reluctant to use the testing facilities of COE

Due to state of art facilities and national &international accreditation, motivated the industry to avail the facilities.

Testing charges levied by BTRA are lower than those levied at other laboratories abroad.

Sustainability

Number of users availing the COE facilities

Managing of working capital with internal receipt with surplus to keep as depreciation fund for replacement of equipment in the long run

Upkeep of equipment/machines with core strength of the institute operating the COE to reduce the running cost/operating cost.

Bringing more number of Geotech manufacturing units as members of BTRA

On its own initiatives, taking up of R&D program on product development and process optimization.

Transfer of technology through incubation centre

Conduct of EDP to bring new Geotech manufacturing enterprises

Assisting the financing institutes in terms of project appraisal/evaluation to facilitate TUFs program of GOI.

THANK YOU