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 standardsTest Parameters 1ASTM D1004Tear Resistance 2ASTM D1238Melt Flow Index 3ASTM D1603Carbon Black 4ASTM D1693ESCR 5ASTM D4491 ISO 11058water permeability 6ASTM D4533Trapezoid Tear Resistance 7ASTM D4595 ISO10319Wide-Width Strip Tensile Strength 8ASTM D4632 Grab Breaking Load and Elongation 9ASTM D4751Apparent opening size 10ASTM D4833Index Puncture Resistance

TESTING FACILITIES- Accredited Tests Sr.Test standardsTest Parameters 11ASTM D4884 ISO10321Seam Strength of Sewn Geotextiles 12ASTM D4885Tensile Strength of Geomembranes by Wide Strip 13ASTM D5199 Nominal Thickness 14ASTM D5261 ISO9864Mass per Unit Area 15ASTM D53232% Secant Modulus for Geomembranes 16ASTM D6241 ISO 12236Static Puncture Strength of Geotextiles 17ASTM D 6637Tensile strength of Geogrids by the Single rib 18ASTM D 6693Tensile strength of Geomembranes 19ASTM D 6767Pore Size 20ISO 13433Dynamic 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 28 th Feb The centre is also Accredited internationally by Geosynthetic Accreditation Institute (GAI), Philadelphia USA, as per Laboratory Accreditation Program(LAP) since 1 st 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 growth No. of Trainees trained No of prototypes developed Number 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

NO OF SAMPLES TESTED 1 APRIL 2010 TO 31 MARCH 2011

NO OF SAMPLES TESTED 1 APRIL 2011 TO 31 JULY 2011

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.

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