Coir to be used in road construction

November 03, 2015 - India

Coir fibre may soon be used in road construction in India.

This, after the Indian Road Congress and the National Rural Road Development Agency have approved the use of coir geo-textile in nine states, including Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka,Coir Board secretary M. Kumara Raja told a leading newspaper.

In Tamil Nadu, the National Institute of Technology at Tiruchi had already used it on a trial basis, he said.

Geo-textiles are widely used for filtration and separation in road constructions, to prevent migration and mingling of materials, yet allowing free movement of water.

The use of coir geo-textile as a layer while laying a road increases its life and reduces the cost. The conventional use of coir geotextiles has been for soil erosion control in roads, railway embankments and hill slopes. But this use will no doubt open up a new range of application of coir geo-textiles in providing soil consolidation in rural roads. This will result in better economy, durability and improved performance. (SH)