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Project Title: “Engineering Suitable Overlay Fabric to Serve as
a Cheaper Substitute of Bitumen Mastic”
(JTM R & D Project No.
14)
1.0 Objectives:
Development
of an innovative and cost effective jute paving fabric with a
combination of woven and nonwoven jute fabric.
(a) Preparation of final bitumen impregnated Composite Paving
Fabric with developed grey jute paving fabric as a cheaper
substitute of mastic asphalt now used in roads.
(b)
Assessment of the developed fabrics functional performance
in a recognized laboratory (Central Road Research Institute, New
Delhi) before field trials under suitable conditions that can
resist of moving loads expected on different categories of roads
(e.g. State Highways, Major District Roads and Rural Roads etc.)
and standardization of the same.
(c)
Undertaking field trials on operational roads with
different traffic intensity for assessment of the end – use
performance of the said developed fabrics as existing National and
International Standards in association with Central Road Research
Institute, New Delhi.
(d)
Dissemination and transfer of technology (Students,
Industry Personnel, Researchers and End - users) on development
and application of above stated composite jute paving fabrics in
roads.
2.0 Deliverables:
(a) Development of different optimized suitable Grey Jute
Geotextile (JGT) Paving Fabric (combination of Woven and Nonwoven
Jute Fabric) for use in roads (State Highways, District Roads,
Municipality and Corporation Roads along with Rural Roads etc.) as
an effective surface overlay fabric.
(b)
Standardization and optimization of process parameters
along with machine parameters for bulk production of grey JGT
paving fabric.
(c) Identification of the most suitable type and grade of
bitumen for application on the developed grey JGT paving fabrics.
(d)
Optimization of the most effective and suitable bituminized
jute paving fabrics to be used as an overlay fabric in above
stated roads.
(e) Standardization and optimization of process and machine
parameters for bitumen application on grey JGT paving fabric.
(f)
Cost analysis of the bituminized paving fabric and
comparison with mastic asphalt to assess the techno-economic
viability of the developed Bituminized JGT Paving Fabric.
(g) Identification of
the most convenient size and shape of the developed fabric (easy
to handle and install).
(h)
Standardization of
installation and application procedure of the developed JGT paving
fabric in the roads.
(i)
Field trials in roads (district roads and rural roads as
per DPR) for performance evaluation and standardization of the
developed bituminized JGT paving fabric.
3.0 Achievements so far:
As per work plan, initially ten
(10) numbers of Grey Jute Paving Fabric (GJPF which is a
combination of different layers of Woven and Nonwoven Fabric) are
developed. Out of which, five numbers (05) of GJPF have been
selected by optimizing the dimensional and functional geotechnical
properties. The related testing parameters like Tensile
Properties, Bursting Strength, Puncture strength, Apparent Opening
Size (AOS), Water Permeability, etc. of those developed GJPF
samples have been carried out for optimizing the GJPF fabrics on
which bitumen are being applied for final production of Bituminous
Jute Paving Fabric (BJPF). Optimization and standardization of
BJPF is entrusted with the CRRI, New Delhi (collaborative project
partner). In this connection CRRI, New Delhi has sent an interim
report of BJPF which is related to the use of BJPF as an overlay
for prevention of reflective cracking in roads. As this report
does not cover fully the project objectives, the PI of the project
is going to CRRI, New Delhi for finalizing the optimization and
standardization of the BJPF towards the project objective. This
work is expected to be completed within October 2011. Afterwards
large scale production of the optimized and standardized BJPF will
be done in a suitable production house for taking actual field
trials.
Dr. S.K.Ghosh
Associate Professor
DJFT, IJT, C.U.
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