Coir
Geotextile Development Programme
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Govt.
of Kerala declared the year 2000 as coir Bhoovastra
Varsham to increase the multifarious application of
coir geotextiles. The following experimental pilot
projects were conceived and taken up on trial basis
with governmental support.
1. Watershed management in malanadu development
society’s site at kambammedu in Idukki district
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The
site prone to rain shadow area in Kerala, rainfall
is significantly low compared to the other parts of
Kerala. However the intensity of rain is very heavy
impinging severely on earth causing huge erosion.
In order to augment the percolation rate of water,
which in turn shall recharge the ground water table,coir
geotextiles were tried as erosion control material.
Vegetation has grown within 3 weeks of laying the
coir geotextiles and very thick vegetation has formed
within 5 weeks in the bench terracing areas. |
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Coir mesh matting along bench terraces
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Coir geotextiles for gully plugging
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2.
Stabilization and erosion control of slopes at Vilappilsala,
Trivandrum |
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In order to protect the slopes from rainwater
splash and consequent erosion, coir geotextiles
were tried. Vegetation growth took place in the
treated area within one month. No vegetation growth
has been there on the untreated area and the subsequent
monsoon has lead to gully formation in the untreated
areas.
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Vegetation on coir geotextile treated area
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3.
Erosion control of iron ore mine waste dumps in Goa |
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Severe surface erosion takes place along the open
mine waste dumps during the monsoon season and creates
a lot of environmental problems in the surrounding
area. In order to prevent the surface erosion and
to increase the slope stability of the dumps coir
geotextiles were tried.
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Mine waste dumps before laying coir geotextiles
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Laying or coir geotextiles along
mine waste dumps
During subsequent rainy seasons
and vegetation growth has also established and thereby
the waste dump heaps are stabilized.
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4.
Erosion control in western ghats |
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Woven
coir geotextiles were used to stabilize a steep slope
having 60 degrees along the Western Ghats in Kerala.
The woven geotextiles was found to be effective in
controlling the erosion and subsequent growth of vegetation;
even on previously exposed rock surfaces along slopes
having 45 degrees also it was found to be effective
along 60- degrees. |
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Surface of the slope showing the wide gully
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Geotextile in position along the Slope
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5.
Le-meridian hotel site at Cochin |
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The
Le-Meridian hotel in Cochin was constructed on a developed
marshy land near one of the canals in the Cochin-Maradu
region of Cochin City. The land was developed by taking
proper ground improvement methods. The approach road
to this five star hotel consists of two lanes separated
by a median.
Approach road makes a curve with an inclination and
leads to the portico of the hotel. Coir geotextiles
have been used in the leveled portion of the approach
road. |
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Road work in progress using coir geotextile
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6.
Flexible pavement at Beypore |
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Due to the prolonged activity of oil transition,
spillages of oil have changed the geotechnical properties
of the soil and subsequently lead the area to a
waterlogged one. To eliminate the water logging
and also to prevent the penetration of aggregates
in WBM into natural ground, woven coir geotextiles
was used above the sub grade.
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Cross-section of the road with edge drain -Beypore
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7.
Woven Coir geotextiles for the stabilization of embankment
over soft marine clays in Kuttanad, Kerala. |
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The existing embankment will be submerged during
monsoon season and thereby the side slope of the
embankment as well as the surface of the unpaved
road has got large undulations. The existing embankment
was raised using coir geotextiles as a reinforcement
material.
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Laying of coir geotextile below WBM
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8.
Coir geotextiles for subsurface drainage |
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Bharatapuzha, one of the major rivers in Kerala
suffers acute shortage of water during summer season
owing to various reasons. The river width is approximately
500 m and during summer the water will flow through
nearby any of the shoreline. This flow nature of
the river has badly affected agricultural activities
on the other shore. Solved this perennial problem
by providing a subsurface channel made of large
sized aggregates and covered with woven coir geotextiles
(French Drain) across the river bed
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French drain installation across Bharatapuzha
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9.
Coir Geotextiles for Embankments on Soft Soil Deposit
at Feroke grama panchayath, Calicut |
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The Feroke Grama Panchayat of Calicut district
in Kerala proposed to develop a playground in a
soft soil deposit area in a paddy field. It was
decided to place the embankment over a woven coir
geotextile. The coir geotextile used as to serve
both separation and reinforcement function in this
case. The side slope of the playground developed
by filling has been protected by coir geotextiles
as erosion control material.
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Line diagram showing embankment over soft soil
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10. Canal Side Protection using coir geotextiles
in kole field, Thrissur
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The vast stretch of paddy fields in Thrissur and
Malappuram districts of Kerala are known as kole
fields. During the rainy season, the large stretch
of water bodies will create waves and subsequent
soil erosion is also another perennial problem farmers
are facing in these localities. We have applied
the coir geotextile to raise on such existing embankment
above the maximum flood level and protect the sides
of the embankment from soil erosion.
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Canal Bank stabilized with woven coir geotextile
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