MORTH Extract (310-334,789-816)

700
GEOSYNTHETICS
Section 700
GEOSYNTHETICS FOR ROAD AND BRIDGE WORKS
Application and General Requirements
specification covers the various applications of geosynthetic materials for use in road
bridge works including supplying and laying as per contract specifications.
Ge>os'ynthel:ic is a general classification for all synthetic materials used in geotechnical

.,nI1in'~Arinn application. It includes geotextiles, geogrids, geostrips, geomembranes, geonets,
geocells, geosynthetic mats, paving fabric and glass grid etc. Geo fabrics
from natural fibres such as jute, and coir referred to herein under natural geotextiles
may also be used in different geotechnical engineering applications.
i) Geotextiles: Any permeable synthetic textile used with foundation,

soil, rock, earth, or any other geotechnical engineering-related material
as an integral part of a human-made project, structure, or system.
The geotextile fabric shall be a woven, non-woven or knitted fabric
consisting of long-chain polymeric filaments or yarns such as
polypropylene, polyethylene or polyester or any combination thereof,
formed into a stable network such that the filaments or yarns retain
their relative position to each other.
There are several application areas for geotextiles requiring specific
functions namely separation, filtration, drainage, reinforcement or a
combination thereof.
ii) Geogrids :Adeformed or non-deformed netlike polymeric material used
with foundation, soil, rock, earth, or any other geotechnical engineering-
related material as an integral part of human-made project, structure,
or system.
Geogrids have relatively high strength, high modulus, and low-creep-
sensitive polymers with apertures varying from 10 to 100 mm in size or
more. The openings/holes in geogrids are either elongated ellipse, near
squares with rounded corners, squares or rectangles. Geogrids can be
of uni-axial grid, bi-axial grid or three dimensional grids. Geostrip is
another form of geogrid, which is used in reinforced soil structures. It
is primarily made of synthetic material in strips and is made from high
tenacity polyester yarn and contained in a suitable polymer sheath.
These are used as reinforcement in pavements and reinforced soil
slopes.
iii) Geomembranes: An essentially impermeable membrane (liner
or barrier) used with foundation, soil, rock, earth, or in any other
geotechnical application as an integral part of human-made project,
structure, or system, used to control fluid migration.
299
Section 700 Geosynthetics
Geomembranes are made from PVC or polyethylene sheets, which

are duly protected from ultraviolet exposure by carbon black or any
antioxidants and thermal stabilizers.
These are used as capillary cut off in roads in water logged areas.
iv) Geonets: Geonets are used in combination with other types of
geosynthetics. These are usually formed by continuous polymeric ribs
at acute angle to one another. When the ribs are opened relatively
large size apertures are formed in a net like configuration.
These are used in combination with other geosynthetic materials
form a composite material.
v) Geocomposite: A manufactured material, which could be a
combination of any two or more synthetic materials like ge()texti!<es,
geogrids, geonets and geomembranes etc., in laminated or comoosite
form. One of the popular form of geocomposite is Drainage
Drainage Composites are formed by combining geotextile
geomembrane with a core of geonet or seratted/corrugated
materials.
Prefabricated Vertical Drains (PVD)/Band Drains and Fin Drains come
under the category of geocomposites.
vi) Geocell: It is a three dimensional structure with
cells. The geocells are made of polyester/polypropylene/high rlo,,,,;l!,,
polyethylene stabilized with carbon black.
Geocells may be used in erosion control of slopes.
vii) Geosynthetic Mats: These are two dimensional or three
mats with specified thickness, made of multi-filaments, with apertures
allow vegetation growth for erosion control application. Geosynthetic
consists of UV stabilized non-degradable nnlvnlrnr,vlfmA!lnr)lvl~thvIA,ne
or similar polymer fibres that are extruded or heat bonded to provide
dimensionally stable matrix. A tension element like steel wire mesh
geogrid shall be included in these mats as reinforcement, where th",,,,,,,
mats are required to posses more strength against erosive forces,
in steep slopes or in heavy rainfall areas.
These are used for erosion protection of slopes.
viii) Natural Geotextiles : These geotextiles are made of natural TlnF'''''''
like jute or coir, The blankets/mats/mesh made of these fibres
sometimes further reinforced with polymeric nettings to enhance
tensile strength and for holding the fibres intact. The polymer
is securely stitched on both sides of the fabric to form a strong
mat. These fabrics have excellent drapability and aid in quick
vegetation and are used for erosion control applications.
300
Geosynthetics Section 700
ix) Paving Fabric and Glass Grids : The paving fabrics are non woven
heat set material, consisting of atleast 85% by weight of polyolefins,
polyester or polyamides. They are heat bonded only on one side.
Glass grids are either a composite glass fibre reinforced geogrid with
continuous filament nonwoven geotextile chemically /mechanically
bonded to the grid, or bituminous coated glass fibre geogrids with or
without adhesive on one side of the grid.
The paving fabric, glass grids and composite of fabric and glass grids
are used in bituminous pavements to act as stress relieving membrane
and crack retarding layer within the pavement structure. The paving
fabric also serves the function of water barrier.
701.2 Testing, Certification and Acceptance
701.2.1 Geosynthetic Materials Shall be Tested and Certified in the Following

Manner.
a) The manufacturer shall have ISO or CE certification for manufacturing

process and quality control.
b) The manufacturer shall provide manufacturer's test certificate for every
lot supplied from the factory.
c) The supplier shall provide third party test reports from an independent
laboratory with valid accreditation for all the test values in Manufacturer's
test certificate.
701.2.2 Geosynthetics shall be tested in accordance with tests prescribed by BIS. In

absence of IS codes, tests prescribed either by ASTM, EN, BS or ISO shall be conducted.
701.2.3 The material shall meet the requirements as specified in the contract.
701.3 Marking
Geosynthetic rolls shall be marked with the following information:
a) Manufacturer's name
b) Roll number
c) Grade
d) Length
e) Date of manufacture; and
f) Product identification details
301
Section 700
701.4 Packing, Storage and Handling
701.4.1 Each geosynthetic roll shall be wrapped with a material that will protect
geosynthetic from damage due to shipment, water, sunlight and contaminants. The nrntA~ltivA
wrapping with a tarpaulin or opaque plastic sheet shall be maintained during periods
shipment and storage.
During storage, geosynthetic rolls shall be elevated off the ground and adequately covered
protect from site construction damage, precipitation, prolonged ultra-violet radiation
sunlight, chemicals that are strong acids or strong bases, flames includinq welding ~n::llrk~
temperatures in excess of 71 cC, and any other environmental condition that may damage
physical properties of the geosynthetics.
701.4.2 If the outer layer of the geosynthetic is damaged, or exposed to

for a period beyond that is permitted the outermost wrap of the rolls shall be discarded
and only the remaining undamaged/unexposed material shall be used. If the gec)synth,etic
rolls become wet, the water proof cover shall be removed, the rolls shall be elevated off
ground and exposed to wind in order to dry the fabric. The paving fabric used with
overlays shall be completely dry prior to installation.
702 GEOTEXTllES FOR DRAINAGE, SEPARATION AND

CONTROL
702.1 Scope
The work covers the use of geotextile materials for drainage, separation/filtration
erosion control works including supplying and laying as per design, drawing and th~'"",
specifications.
For drainage/filtration function, geotextile shall be able to convey water across the plane
the fabric throughout its design life.
For separation function the geotextile shall prevent intermixing of two layers of rli",,,im,il>lr
materials, throughout the design life of the structure.
The geotextile as a filter material below erosion control measures like stone pitching or "tr,nA
filled mattresses over the slopes, shall allow the water to flow out and at the same
prevent the loss of soil under the protective measures.
702.2 Material
702.2.1 Strength Requirement
The minimum strength of geotextile in terms of MARV under different installation ~n"rliIHl1rl~
shall be as specified in Table 700-1.
302
Section 700
Table 700-1 : Minimum Geotextlle Strength Property Requirements
Installation Type strength Property Requirement (MARV)

Condition Grab Tear strength Puncture Burst
strength in in Newton (III) Strength in Strength in
Newton (N) as per ASTM Newton (I'll) Newton (1'1)
as per ASTM D 4533/ as per as per ASTM
,
D 4632/ 15:14293 IS:13162 D 3786/
15:13162 Part 4 15:1966
Part 5
Elongation at Failure
<50% >50 % <50% >50 % <50% >50% <50% >50%
Harsh installation Type 1 1400 900 500 350 500 350 3500 1700
condition
Moderate Type II 1100 700 400 250 400 250 2700 1300
Installation condition
Less Severe Type III 800 500 300 180 300 180 2100 950
Installation condition
Note:
1) All numeric values in the above table represent Minimum Average Roll Value (MARV) in
weaker principal direction. The MARV is derived statistically as the average value minus
two standard deviations.
2) When the geotextiles are joined together by field sewing, the seam strength shall be
at least 60 percent of the material's tensile strength. All field seams shall be sewn with
thread as strong as the material In the fabric.
3) The puncture strength if determined in accordance with ASTM D 6241, the minimum
requirement in terms of "Newton (NY' shall be as follows:
Installation condition Strength property requirement (MARV)

Puncture Strength in Newton (N) as per
ASTM 06241.
Elongation at Failure
<50% >50%
Harsh installation condition 2800 2000
Moderate Installation condition 2250 1400
Less Severe Installation condition 1700 1000
702.2.2 Ultraviolet Stability Requirements
The material shall satisfy the ultraviolet stability requirements specified in Table: 700-2.
303
Section 700
Table 700-2 : Requirements for Ultra Violet Stability
S.No Properties of Fabric Requirements (Retained Strength)

1) Grab Strength Not less than 70% after 500 hours of
2) Tear Strength exposure
3) Puncture Strength
4) Burst Strength
702.2.3 Hydraulic Requirements for Various Applications
702.2.3.1 Subsurface Drainage
The geotextile shall conform to the physical requirements specified in Table 700-3.
Table 700-3 : Geotextile Requirements for Subsurface Drainage
In-situ Passing 0.075 mm Permittivity, per sec, as Maximum Apparent

Sieve (%) per ASTM Opening Size, mm ASTM D
D 4491/IS:14324-1995 4751/IS:14294-1995
< 15 0.5 0.43
15 to 50 0.2 0.25
> 50 0.1 0.22
The type of geotextile shall be decided by the Engineer depending upon the
conditions.
702.2.3.2 Separation
The geotextile for different subgrade soil conditions shall conform to the requirements n.\J'An
in Tables 700-4 and 700-5.
Table 700-4 : Geotextile Requirements for Separation (Subgrades Soaked CBR >3)
S. No. Geotextile Property Requirement

1) Permittivity as per ASTM D 4491 0.02 sec" (per sec)
2) Maximum Apparent Opening Size as per ASTM D 4751 0.60 mm
Table 700-5 : Geotextile Requirements for Separation (Subgrades Soaked CBR :$3)
S. No. Geotextile Property Requirement

1) Permittivity as per ASTM D 4491 0.05 sec" (per sec)
2) Maximum Apparent Opening Size as per ASTM D 4751 0.43
304
Section 700
Erosion Control
geotextile for erosion control shall conform to requirements given in Table 700-6.
Table 700-6 : Geotextile Requirements for Erosion Control
In-situ Soil Passing Permittivity, per sec Maximum Apparent Opening

0.075 mm Sieve (%) ASTM D4491 Size, mm ASTM D 4751
<15 0.7 0,43
15 to 50 0.2 0.25
>50 0.1 0.22
702.3 Construction
102.3.1 General
Exposure of geotextiles to the elements between lay down and cover shall be a maximum of
14 days to minimize damage potential.
In trenches, after placing the backfill material, the geotextile shall be folded over the top
of the filter material to produce a minimum overlap of 300 mm for trenches greater than
300 mm wide. In trenches less than 300 mm wide, the overlap shall be equal to the width of
the trench- The geotextile shall then be covered with the subsequent course.
Overlap at roll ends and at adjacent sheets shall be a minimum of 450 mm, except when
placed under water. In such instances, the overlap shall be a minimum of 1 m. Where seams
are required in the longitudinal trench direction, they shall be joined by either sewing or
overlapping. All seams and overlaps shall be subject to the approval of the Engineer.
Care shall be taken during installation so as to avoid any damage to the geotextile. Damages,
if any, during installation shall be repaired by placing a geotextile patch over the damaged
area and extending it 1m beyond the perimeter of the tear or damage, or as approved by the
Engineer.
702.3.2 Subsurface Drainage
Construction shall conform to Clause 309.3 of the specifications.
702.3.3 Separation
After preparation of subgrade as per the specifications along the road alignment, geotextile
shall be rolled out as indicated in the drawings. The entire roll shall be placed on the subgrade
305
Section 700
and unrolled as smoothly as possible. Wrinkles and folds in the fabric shall be removed
stretching as required.
Adjacent rolls of geotextiles shall be overlapped, sewn, or joined as required. For curves,
geotextile shall be folded or cut and overlapped in the direction of construction. Folds in
geotextile shall be stapled or pinned approximately 0.6 m centre-to-centre. Before ""'/Arinn
the condition of the geotextile shall be checked for damage (i.e., holes, nips, tears, etc)
the Engineer.
Before placing the first lift of granular sub-base on the geotextile, a trial stretch of 100
shall be laid as per roll width to establish a proper construction methodology of placing
compacting the sub-base in a manner that no damages are caused to the separation
of geotextile.
702.3.4 Filter layer Under Stone Pitching for Erosion Control
The geotextile shall be placed in intimate contact of soil ensuring slight tension, to
wrinkles or folds and shall be anchored on a properly shaped surface as indicated in
and approved by the Engineer. It shall be ensured that the placement of the overlying m",tAr;,,,1
be placed in such a manner that it does not tear/puncture the geotextile. Anchoring of
terminal ends of the geotextile shall be accomplished as per drawings through the use of
trenches or aprons at the crest and toe of slope.
The geotextile shall be placed with the machine direction parallel to the direction of w",tAr
flow. Adjacent geotextile sheets shall be joined by either sewing or overlapping.
The pitching shall begin at the toe and proceed up the slope. Big sized boulders shall not be
allowed to roll down the slope.
Any geotextile damaged shall be either replaced or repaired with a patch, as directed by
Engineer, at the cost of the contractor.
702.4 Measurement for Payment
The measurement for payment for sub surface drains shall be as per Clause 309.
The geotextile for separation and for filter layer shall be measured in square metres
per planned dimensions with no allowance for overlapping at transverse and 10ngltlJdlr
joints. Excavation, back fill, bedding and cover material shall be measured separately as per
relevant clauses of the Contract.
702.5 Rate
The contract unit rate for subsurface drains using geotextile shall be as per Clause 309.5.
306
Section 700
rnr,lr::l,d unit rate for the accepted quantities of geotextile for separation and filter layer
shall be full compensation for furnishing, preparing, hauling, and placing geotextile
all labour, freight, tools, equipment, and incidentals to complete the work as per
GEOGRID
Scope
work covers the use of geogrids in sub-base of pavement, erosion control of slopes,
t'eilnforce,d soil slopes and reinforced soil walls including supplying and laying as per design,
dra.wirlQ and these specifications.
use of geogrids as a component for reinforced soil slopes and walls shall be as per
Section 3100.
Materials
General
Geoqrids shall be either made from high tenacity polyester yarn jointed at cross points by
knitting or bonding process with appropriate coating or from polypropylene or
polyethylene or any other suitable polymeric material by an appropriate process. Geogrids
manufactured by extrusion process are integrally jointed, mono or bi-directionally oriented
or stretched meshes, in square, rectangular, hexagonal or oval mesh form. The geogrids
manufactured by weaving/knitting/bonding process shall be formed into a stable network
such that ribs, filaments or yarns retain their dimensional stability relative to each other
including selvages.
703.2.2 Sub-base Reinforcement
Geogrid for use as reinforcement of sub-base layers of flexible pavements shall meet
the requirement as per the design SUbject to the minimum requirements as given in
Table 700-7.
703.2.3 Erosion Control
The geogrid for erosion control application shall have the minimum tensile strength of 4 kN/m,
when tested as per ASTM 05035 (Minimum Average Roll Value in Machine Direction). The
aperture opening size shall be minimum 20 mm x 20 mm and average grid thickness shall be
minimum 1.0 mm. Geogrid for erosion control application shall be UV stabilized. The geogrid
shall have ultraviolet stability of 70 percent after 500 hrs exposure as per ASTM 0 4355.
307
Table 700-7 : Minimum Requirements for Geogrid for Sub-Base of Flexible Pavement
Property Test Method Unit Requirement

Stiffness at 0.5% strain ISO-10319 kN/m 2:350; both in machine and cross-
machine direction
Tensile strength @2% ASTM 06637 kN/m 2:15% of T UIl ; both in machine
strain cross-machine direction
Tensile strength @5% ASTM 06637 kN/m 2:20% of TUll ; both in machine
strain cross-machine direction
J unction Efficiency for GRI-GG2-87or 90% of rib ultimate tensile strength
extruded geogrids ASTM-WK 14256
Ultraviolet stability ASTM 04355 70% after 500 hrs exposure
Note:
1) All numerical values in the Table represent MARV in the specified direction.
2) All geogrids shall be placed along machine direction parallel to the centre line of roadwav
alignment.
703.2.4 Reinforced Soil Slopes and Walls
The strength and other requirements shall be as per Section 3100.
703.3 Installation and Construction Operations
703.3.1 Sub-base Reinforcement
Prior to laying of geogrid, the surface shall be properly prepared, cleaned and dressed to
specified lines and levels as shown on the drawings.
The geogrid shall be laid within the pavement structure as shown on the drawings.
Geogrid reinforcement shall be placed flat, pulled tight and held in position by pins or SUlil8Ulilf
means until the subsequent pavement layer is placed.
No vehicle shall be allowed on geogrid unless it is covered by at least 150 mm thick

material.
703.3.2 Erosion Control
The geogrid for erosion control applications shall be installed in accordance with
manufacturer's recommendation and as per Clause 706.3.
308
Section 700
Reinforced Slopes and Walls
geogrid for reinforced slopes and walls shall be installed in accordance with the
recommendation and as per Section 3100.
Measurement for Payment
geogrid shall be measured in square metres as per planned dimensions with no

::ilklw,mc:e for overlapping at joints, anchoring at toe and crest of the slope. Excavation, back
bedding and cover material shall be measured separately as per relevant clauses of the
Reinforced soil slopes and walls shall be measured as per Section 3100.
Rate
contract unit rate for the accepted quantities ofgeogrid in place shall be infull compensation
furnishing, preparing, hauling, and placing geogrid including all labour, freight, tools,
iea1uipiment and incidentals to complete the work as per specifications.
reinforced soil slopes and walls, Section 3100 shall govern.
GEOCOMPOSITE DRAINS
Scope
work covers the use of geocomposite drainage system: (i) Fin drains and (ii) Prefabricated
"A,"';~~' Drains. The work for fin drains shall be carried out in accordance with the requirements
specifications and to the lines, grades, dimensions and other particulars shown on
drawings or as directed by the Engineer. The work for prefabricated vertical drain shall be
out as per Clause 314.
drains with plastic core shall be installed for affecting vertical and/or horizontal drainage.
;f?n3falbric:ateld vertical drains shall be installed in soft saturated subsoils at designed spacing
to accelerate the rate of consolidation.
Materials
Fin Drains
shall be made of light weight, three dimensional high compressive strength

PCllve,th\rlerle core; and heat bonded or needle punched polypropylene/polyester geotextile
on one side or both sides of the core as per the requirements. Geotextile used in a
309
Section 700
drainage composite shall meet the requirements as specified in Table 700-9. The nrr,nArti",,,,
of the core material shall meet the requirements as indicated in Table 700-10.
Table 700-9 : Geotextile Requirements for Fin Drains
In-situ Soil Passing Permittivity, per sec ASTM Maximum Apparent Opening
0.015 mm Sieve (%) D 4491/18:14324-1995 Size, mm as per A8TM D
4751/18:14294-1995
< 15 0.5 0.43
15 to 50 0.2 0.25
> 50 0.1 0.22
Table 700-10 : Properties for Fin Drain Core
Property Test Method Units Minimum Average

Roll Value
Tensile strength EN ISO-10319 kN/m 16
CBR Puncture Resistance EN 180-12236 N 3000
Mass per unit area EN 180-9864 g/m2 710
Thickness of Composite EN 180-9863 mm 4.5
In-plane Hydraulic Gradient, i=1 at 100 EN 180-12958 11m 0.55
permeability kPa pressure
Hydraulic Gradient, i=1 at 200 0.45
kPa pressure
704.2.2 Prefabricated Vertical Drains (PVDs)/Band Drains
The PVDs/Band Drains shall meet the requirements as specified in Table 700-11.
Table 700-11 : Properties for Prefabricated Vertical Drains/Band Drains
8.No Property Test Method Value

A Composite Drain
1) Width 2:100 mm
2) Thickness ASTM 05199 2:4 mm
3) Tensile strength A8TM 04595 >2.00 kN
4) Elongation at break >35%
5) Discharge i = 1.0 at, 300 kPa A8TM 04716 >1.5 x 10-5 m3/s
capacity pressure
310
Geosynthetics Section 700
5.1'110 Property Test Method Value

B Core
1) Material Polypropylene/Polyethylene
2) Configuration/structure Corrugated, filament,
dimpled, studded etc.
C Filter
1) Material Polyester/polypropylene
2) Structure Nonwoven
3) Mass per unit area ASTM 05261 >120 g/m 2
4) Tensile strength ASTM 04632 >500 N
5) Elongation at break >45%
6) Trapezoid tear strength ASTM 04533 >150 N
7) Permeability ASTM 04491 >5 x 10-6 m/s
8) Apparent opening size ASTM 04751
104.3 Installation
704.3.1 Fin Drains
The installation of fin drains shall be as per drawings. Where fin drains are assembled on site,
the assembly area shall be clean and dry. No geotextile or core material shall be exposed
to daylight (or any source of ultraviolet radiation) for a period exceeding 50 hours. Where fin
drains are laid in a trench, the bottom of the trench shall be free of irregularities and shall
be brought to the required level. Rock and other hard protrusions shall be removed and any
excess cut in the trench bottom shall be filled and compacted back to the required grade
with suitable excavated or imported material as directed by the Engineer. Fin drains shall
be capable of being connected longitudinal or laterally into pipe systems or chambers for
inflow and outflow purposes. Joints parallel to the direction of flow and any exposed edge
shall be protected from the ingress of soil by a geotextile wrapping with a minimum overlap of
150 mm or other measures as approved by the Engineer- The splicing of lengths of geotextile
and minimum overlap shall be as per the drawing or as approved by the Engineer.
704.3.2 Prefabricated Vertical Drains (PVD)
The installations for PVO shall be as per relevant Clauses of Section 314.
Measurement for Fin drain shall be in running metre of its length.
Measurement for payment for PVOs shall be as per Clause 314.2.3.
311
704.5 Rate
The Contract unit rate for fin drains shall be payment in full for all items such as excavation,
dressing the sides and bottom, providing fin drains and installation etc., including full
compensation for all materials, labour, tools, equipment incidental to complete the work as
shown on drawings with all leads and lifts including removal and disposal with all leads of
unsuitable material. Provision of inlets, outlet pipes, bedding, etc., wherever required shall be
incidental to construction of drain.
Unit rate for installation of vertical drains shall be as per Clause 314.2.4.
70S GEOCEll FOR SLOPE PROTECTION
705.1 Scope
The work covers the use of geocells for erosion control of soil slope including supplying
laying as per design, drawings and these specifications.
Geocells filled with local soil or with granular material shall be placed on cut or fill slope
hold top cover soil and allow vegetation to grow.
705.2 Materials
The geocell is a three dimensional structure consisting of series of cells and resembles
honey combed structure. The geocell shall be made of a suitable polymeric material such
high density polyethylene stabilised with carbon black.
705.2.1 Strength and Other Requirements of Geocell
Geocell shall meet the minimum specifications and properties specified in Table 700-12.
The geocells for erosion control measures shall have cells with nominal opening of 450
to 1250 ern- and perforations in the cell wall shall be between 11% to 16%.The cell depth
erosion control shall vary from 75 mm to 100 mm.
For anchoring the cells on steep slopes suitable arrangements shall be made as shown
the drawings.
705.3 Installation and Construction Operations
Prior to laying of geocell on the slope, the surface shall be properly prepared, clean
dressed to the specified lines and levels as shown on the drawings.
312
Section 700
Table 700·12: Requirements of Geocell for Slope Protection
Property Test method Unit Min. Required Value

ASTM 01505 3
gm/cm 0.900
Environmental Stress ASTM 01693 Hrs 3000
crack resistance (ESCR)
Carbon Black Content % by Weight 1.5 to 2
$trip/Cell Wall thickness ASTM 05199 mm 1.20
Peel-Strength Test N per 25 mm 350
of cell depth.
Creep Rupture Strength ASTM 02990 Creep Rupture Load at
10,000 hours shall be 1 kN
minimum obtained from the 95%
prediction interval at 10,000 hours
considering a logarithmic time/
creep rupture model.
! rAn"h keys along the crest and at the bottom of slope area shall be dug to fix the cellular
svstern in the ground.
Cellular section shall be expanded to the predesigned shape and size, and placed over
prepared slope. Geocell sections shall be fastened together using accessories as per
manufacturer's installation guide and the drawings.
After cellular sections are secured to the slope, the cells shall be filled with the specified
materials ensuring that no damage is caused to the cells. Filling of cells shall be done from
the toe of slope to crest of slope.
The fill shall be overfilled between 25 mm to 50 mm and material shall be SUitably tamped to
leave soil flush with top edge of cell walls.
Once the soil filling is completed, tUrfing/seeding shall be done as recommended.
The geocell protection work shall be measured as finished work in square meters as per
planned dimensions with no allowance for overlapping at joints, anchoring at toe and crest of
the slope. It shall also include the fixing and anchoring of cells in the ground with accessories
as per manufacturer's recommendation or as specified in the design and drawings.
The above also includes turfing, seeding and all other incidental items to cover the work of
vegetation on slopes, unless otherwise specified in the contract The quantities of cellular
313
system for erosion control as shown on the drawings may be increased or decreased at the
direction of the Engineer based on construction procedure and actual site conditions that
occur during construction of the project. Such variations in quantity will not be considered as
alterations in the details of construction or a change in the character of the work.
705.5 Rate
The contract unit rate for goecell protection system shall payment in full be in full for furnishing
and installing the specified materials in accordance with the contract documents
fixing and anchoring of cells in the ground as per manufacturer's recommendations, filling
of cells with specified materials, seeding and all other incidentals including all other items to
complete the work as per these specifications.
706 GEOSYNTHETIC MAT
706.1 Scope
The work covers the use of geosynthetic mats for control of erosion of slopes including
supplying and laying the mat, spreading soil and seeding to promote the design of vecetation
as per design, drawing and these specifications.
706.2 Material and Strength Requirements
Geosynthetic mat shall be a three-dimensional structure consisting of UV stabilized non-

degradable polypropylene, polyethylene, nylon or similar polymer fibres that are extruded
heat bonded at the contact points to provide a dimensionally stable matrix for soil
protection. A tension element, i.e., a reinforcing element like geogrid or steel wire mesh
be included along with the three dimensional polymeric mats to provide strength
erosive forces, if specified in the contract
The tensile strength requirements for non reinforced and reinforced three
geosynthetics mat shall meet the minimum requirement as specified in Table 700-13
Table 700-14 respectively.
706.3 Installation
Prior to laying of geosynthetics mat on the slope, the surface shall be properly nr",n",r",rl
cleaned and dressed to the specified lines and levels as shown on the drawings. Specified
trench keys along the crest and at the bottom of slope area shall be provided to fix
geosynthetics mat in the ground. In case the soil is not fertile, it shall be mixed with suitable
amount of fertilizer or seeds.
314
Section 700
Table 700-13: Tensile Strength Requirement for Normal (Non-Reinforced)

Three Dimensional Geosynthetlc Mat for Erosion Control Application
(less Severe Environmental Condition)
Property Test Method Units Minimum

Average Roll
Value
ro""il", strength requirement (For slopes less ASTM D 5035 kN/m 2
60°)
Wtraviolet stability at 500h, Retained strength ASTM D 4355 % 80
centage with respect to original strength
lckness ASTM D6525 mm 6.5
ass per unit area ASTM D 3776 gm/m 2 250
Table 700-14 : Tensile Strength Requirement for Reinforced Three Dimensional

Geosynthetic Mat for Erosion Control Application
(Severe Environmental Conditions)
Property Test Method Units Minimum Average

Roll Value
TAn",I", strength For Slopes up to 60° ASTM D 5035 kN/m 10
For Slopes up to 80° 35
Ultraviolet stability at 500h, Retained ASTM D4355 % 80
strength percentage with respect to
original strength
Thickness ASTM D 6525 mm 12
2
Mass per unit area of the composite ASTM D 3776 gm/m 500
work of laying the mat shall begin at the top of the slope providing anchor blankets in a
mm deep and 300 mm wide trench and anchoring with staples/pins. The mat shall then
unrolled down the slope in the machine direction. The blanket shall not be stretched but
have full contact with the soil. The blanket shall be anchored using staples or stakes.
I::d(leS of adjacent parallel rolls shall be overlapped by approximately 100 mm to 120 mm
anchored with staples at 600 mm to 800 mm spacing depending on the slope. When
have to be spliced, the upper blanket end shall be placed over lower blanket end
style) with 300 mm overlap and anchoring with two staggered rows of staples at
mm spacing.
minimum cover of soil shall be spread followed by spreading the seeds and fertiliser.
the absence of rain, blankets shall be regularly watered for viable growth till vegetation
sustains on its own.
damage due to heavy downpour is noticed, suitable corrective measures shall be taken
immediately.
315
Section 700
Gully formations, if any, shall be suitably corrected depending upon the site condition.
The treated area shall be protected from the movement of cattle (goat, sheep & cow). Gr:~7irln
shall be avoided till the vegetation sustains on its own
The geosynthetic mat shall be measured in square metre as per planned dimensions with
allowance for overlapping at joints, anchoring at toe and crest of the slope.
706.5 Rate
The contract unit rate for geosynthetic mat for erosion control shall be in full compensation
furnishing and installing the specified materials and growth of vegetative cover in accordance
with the contract documents including site preparation, and for furnishing all labour,
equipment and incidentals to complete the work as per these Specifications.
701 NATURAL GEOTEXTILE
707.1 Scope
The work covers the use of natural geotextiles for control of erosion of slopes
supplying and laying the mat spreading soil and seeding to promote the growth of veoetatlon
as per design, drawing and these specifications.
Natural Geotextile shall be used to control surface erosion of top cover soil on cut or
slopes and to facilitate vegetation to grow.
101.2 Strength Requirements
The natural fibre geotexliles made of Jute shall meet the minimum requirement as stated
in IS:14715 - Woven Jute Geotextiles - Specification. However for coir fibre geotextile,
shall meet the requirements as specified in Table 700-15, when used for erosion nontrot
measures.
Table 700-15: Typical Specifications of Natural Geotextile (MARV") using Coir
Type of Weight Width Thickness Tenstle Elongation Water Porometry

Price (gsm) (em) (mm) Strength at Break Holding (°95),
(KN/m) ('Yo) Capacity Micron
MD CD ('Yo)
Open Mesh 300 120 4.0 5 2.5 20
fabric
Nonwoven 450 150 4.0 7.5 2.5 30 80 75
Fabric
• Minimum average roll value
316
Section 700
Installation
to laying of natural geotextiles on the slope, the surface shall be properly prepared,
dA:~nF,rl and dressed to the specified lines and levels as shown on the drawings. Specified
II"A"r.n keys along the crest and at the bottom of slope area shall be provided to fix the natural
qec)leJ<:tiIe in the ground. In case the soil is not fertile, it shall be mixed with suitable amount
fAriili7!~r or seeds.
work of laying the mat shall begin at the top of the slope providing anchor blankets in a
mm deep and 300 mm wide trench and anchoring with staples/pins. The mat shall then
unrolled down slope in the machine direction. The blanket shall not be stretched but shall
full contact with the soil. The blanket shall be anchored using staples or stakes. Edges
adjacent parallel rolls shall be overlapped by approximately 100-120 mm and anchored
staples at 600-800 mm spacing depending on the slope. When blankets have to be
souced, the upper blanket end shall be placed over lower blanket end (shingle style) with
mm overlap and anchoring with two staggered rows of staples at 300 mm spacing.
minimum cover of soil shall be spread followed by spreading the seeds and fertilizer. A slow
release supplementary fertilizer may be applied to speed up the growth of the vegetation.
In the absence of rain, blankets shall be regularly watered for viable growth till vegetation
sustains on its own.
If any damage due to heavy downpour is noticed, suitable corrective measures shall be taken
immediately.
Gully formations, if any, shall be suitably corrected depending upon the site conditions.
The treated area shall be protected from the movement of cattle (goat, sheep & cow). Grazing
shall be avoided till the vegetation sustains on its own.
The natural geotextile shall be measured in square metres as per planned dimensions with
no allowance for overlapping at joints, anchoring at toe and crest of the slope.
707.5 Rate
The contract unit rate for natural geotextile mat for erosion control shall be in full compensation
for furnishing and installing the specified materials and growth of vegetative cover in
accordance with the contract documents including site preparation, and for furnishing all
labour, tools, equipment and incidentals to complete the work as per these Specifications.
317
Section 700
708 PAVING FABRICS/GLASS GRIDS
708.1 Scope
This work shall consist of laying geosynthetic materials either non-woven paving fabric
fibre glass coated grid over existing bituminous surface, including preparation of
and joining, stitching or overlapping of geosynthetic fabric etc., as part of highway n::.'""rn",nf
strengthening in layers as shown on drawings or as directed by the Engineer.
708.2 Material Requirements
708.2.1 Paving Fabrics
The paving fabric will be a non-woven heat set material consisting of at least 85 nA,'r.AI1T
by weight of polyolefins, polyesters or polyamldes, The paving fabric shall be resistant
chemical attack, rot and mildew and shall have no tears or defects which will adversely
its physical properties. The fabric shall be specifically designed for pavement applicatlons
and be heat bonded only on one side to reduce bleed-through of tack coat during installatiori
The fabric shall meet the physical requirements given in Table 700-16.
Table 700-16 : Physical requirements for Paving Fabrics (Minimum Average Roll Value)
Property Units Standard Requirements Test Method

Grab Tensile Strength N 450 ASTM 04632
Elongation % ;:: 50 ASTM 04632
Mass Per Unit Area gm/m 2 140 ASTM 0 3776
Asphalt Retention Kg/10 sq.m 10' ASTM 06140
Melting Point °C 150 ASTM 0276
Surface Texture Heat bonded on One side Visual Inspection
only
Note: • the product asphalt retention property must meet MARV provided by the
708.2.2 Glass Grids
These will be either a composite glass fibre reinforced geogrid with continuous filament
woven Geotexlile chemically or mechanically bonded to the grid; or bituminous coated
fiber geogrid with or without adhesive on one side of the grid. The physical and mA,r.h~
properties of glass grid fabric shall conform to the requirements given in Table 700-17.
318
Section 700
Table 700-17: Properties of Glass Fibre Grids
Property Units Requirement

Tensile Strength in Both Median and Cross-Machine Direction
Tensile kN/m ASTM 06637 50 1000 200
Strength
fdA, Elongation % >4 >4 >4
iat break
Minimum Mesh mm 25 x 25 12.5x 12.5 12.5 x 12.5
Size
Melting Point °C ASTM 0276 > 250 > 250 > 250
Asphalt Reinforcing Geogrids
shall be made of high modulus polyester yarns with low creep properties. The grid
be connected to low weight non-woven polypropylene fabric. The composite shall have
bitumen finish. The properties shall conform to the requirements given in Table 700-18.
Table 700-18: Properties of Asphalt Reinforcement Geogrids
Property Units Test Method Requirement

Tensile strength in both MD and CD,
Not less than
Tensile strength kN/m ISO-10319 25 50 100
% Elongation at break % ISO-10319 12.5% 12.5% 12.5%
Mesh Size 35x 35 35 x 35 35x 35
20 x20 20 x20 20x20
Melting Point °C > 190 > 190 > 190
Installation
108.3.1 Weather limitations
The air and pavement temperatures shall be at least 10°C for placement of hot bitumen and
at least 16°C for placement of asphalt emulsion. The asphalt tack coat or Glass grid shall not
be placed when weather conditions are not suitable.
108.3.2 Surface Preparation
The pavement surface shall be dry and cleaned of all dirt and oil to the satisfaction of the
Engineer. Cracks wider than 3 mm shall be cleaned and filled with suitable bituminous material
319
Section 700
approved by the Engineer. Potholes and locally failed and cracked pavement sections
be repaired as directed by the Engineer. If the existing pavement is rough or has been mill",rI
a levelling course shall be provided prior to installation of the Glass grid.
708.3.3 Tack Coat
The tack coat used to impregnate the fabric and bond the fabric to the pavement shall
paving grade Bitumen ofVG-10. Glass fiber grids with adhesive on one side may not requit~
a tack coat.
The tack coat shall be applied using a calibrated distributor spray bar. Hand spraying;
squeegee and brush application may be used only in locations where the distributor trucK
cannot reach. The tack coat shall be uniformly applied at a rate to bond the nonwoven scrim
to the existing pavement surface. The tack coat application rate shall be 1 Kg per square
metre or as specified in the contract. When using emulsions, the application rate must be
increased as directed by the Engineer to take into account the water content in the emulsiors
The temperature of the tack coat shall be sufficiently high to permit a uniform spray. BitumElI"l
shall be sprayed at temperatures between 143°C and 163°C. For emulsions, the distributqt
tank temperatures shall be maintained between 55°C and 71°C. The target width of the tacK
coat application shall be equal to the Glass grid width plus 100-150 mm. The tack coat shall
be applied only as far in advance of Glass grid installation as is appropriate to ensure a tacky
surface at the time of Glass grid placement. Traffic shall not be allowed on the tack coat.
Excess tack coat shall be cleaned from the pavement.
708.3.4 Paving Fabric Placement
The paving fabric shall be placed onto the tack coat using mechanical or manual lay down
equipment capable of providing a smooth installation with a minimum amount of wrinkling or
folding. The paving fabric shall be placed before to the tack coat cools and loses tackiness.
After laying the paving fabric, some loose bituminous premix material shall be sprinkled
on it in the wheel path of the paver and the tipper to ensure that the fabric is not picked up
between the wheels. Paving fabric shall not be installed in areas where the bituminous overlay
tapers to a thickness of less than 40 mm. Excess paving fabric which extends beyond the
edge of existing pavement or areas of tack coat application shall be trimmed and removed.
When bitumen emulsions are used, the emulsion shall be allowed to cure properly such that
no water/moisture remains prior to placing the paving fabric. Wrinkles or folds in excess
of 25 mm shall be single-lapped in the direction of the paving operation. Brooming andl
or pneumatic rolling will be required to maximize paving fabric contact with the pavement
surface. Additional hand-placed tack coat may be required at laps and repairs as determined
by the Engineer to satisfy bitumen retention of the lapped paving fabric. All areas where
paving fabrics have been placed shall be paved the same day. No traffic except necessary
construction equipment will be allowed to drive on the paving fabric. Turning of the paver
and other vehicles shall be done gradually and kept to a minimum to avoid movement and
320
f;losynthetics Section 700
damage to the paving fabric. Abrupt starts and stops shall also be avoided. Damaged fabric
shall be removed and replaced with the same type of fabric. Overlaps shall be shingle-
Ia.pped in the direction of paving. Additional tack coat shall be placed between the overlap to
tisfy saturation requirements of the fabric. Overlap shall be sufficient to ensure full closure
the joint but not exceed 150 mm. Transverse joints shall be overlapped in the direction
the pavement by 100 to 150 mm or as per the manufacturer's recommendations or as
",,,tAr! by the Engineer. Longitudinal joints shall be overlapped by 20-30 mm or as per the
recommendations or as directed by the engineer. The overlay operations
be completed at the earliest after laying the fabric.
Glass Grid Placement
glass grid shall be placed on the surface provided by the tack coat using mechanical
manual lay down equipment capable of providing a smooth installation with a minimum
of wrinkling or folding. On curves, the Glass grid must be cut and realigned to match
curvature.
GlclSS grid shall not be installed in areas where the bituminous overlay tapers to a compacted
of less than 40 mm. When emulsions are used, the emulsion shall be allowed to
thir'kn,,,,,,,
cure properly such that no water/moisture remains prior to placing the glass grid. Wrinkles
severe enough to cause folds shall be slit and laid flat. Brooming and/or rubber-tire rolling will
be required to maximize glass grid contact with the pavement surface. Additional hand-placed
tack coat may be required at overlaps and repairs as required by the Engineer. Turning and
braking of the paver and other vehicles shall be done gradually and kept to a minimum to
avoid movement and damage to the glass grid. Damaged composite shall be removed and
replaced with the same type of composite and a tack coat.
All areas where glass grid has been placed shall be paved the same day. No traffic except
necessary construction traffic shall be allowed to drive on the glass grid.
Overlaps shall be shingle - lapped in the direction of paving. Additional tack coat shall be
placed between the overlap to satisfy saturation requirements of the fabric. Overlap shall be
sufficient to ensure full closure of the joint but not exceeding 150 mm.
708.3.6 Overlay Placement
Bituminous overlay construction shall closely follow the placement of paving fabric or glass-
grid. Excess tack coat that bleeds through the paving fabric or glass grid shall be removed by
broadcasting hot mix or sand on the glass grid. Excess sand or hot mix shall be removed before
beginning the paving operation. In the event of rainfall prior to the placement of the asphalt
overlay, the fabric must be allowed to dry completely before the overlay is placed. Overlay
asphalt thickness shall meet the requirements of the contract drawings and documents. The
minimum compacted thickness of the first lift of overlay asphalt concrete shall not be less
than 40 mm.
321
Section 700
708.4 Measurement
The paving fabricl glass fibre geogrid shall be measured in Square metres of paved
covered by the fabric/ glass fibre geogrid.
708.5 Rate
The contract unit rate shall be for the accepted quantities of paving fabric. The rate
be full compensation for the work performed and furnishing, preparing, hauling and nl",r.in,,'
materials including all labour, material, freight, tools, equipment and incidentals to r: mnnlt>to
the work as per contract.
322
3100
REINFORCED SOIL
Reinforced Soil 8ection 3100
3101 SCOPE
The work covers construction of reinforced soil structures together with the construction of
earthwork in layers, assembly and placing of reinforcing elements and facia elements during
the construction process and all associated works.
The work shall include the design and construction of the reinforced soil structure and ground
improvement measures required, if any.
The reinforced soil retaining structures can be used as, (i) Reinforced soil retaining wall,
(ii) Reinforced soil abutment, (iii) Reinforced soil slope
Reinforced soil structures with slope face angles steeper than 70° are categorized as reinforced
soil walls and those with slope face angle less than 70° are considered as reinforced soil
slopes.
3102 DESIGN
Guidelines for design are given in Annexure-f.
3103 REINFORCING ELEMENT
3103.1 The reinforcing element shall be metallic in the form of strips (aluminum alloy
strip, copper strip, carbon steel strip, galvanised steel strip, stainless steel strip, ladder) or
mats of metal (steel grids, woven and welded steel wire meshes) or synthetic (PET, HOPE,
PVA, PP) reinforcement in the form of grid or strip or strap or combination of metallic or
synthetic or any other proprietary material which may be approved by the Engineer and
shown on the drawings
3103.2 Aluminum alloy strip shall comply with B8:1470 quality 5454 in the H 24
condition.
3103.3 Copper strip shall comply with B8:2870 quality C 101 or C 102 in the y, H
condition and shall have 0.2 percent proof stress of not less than 180 N/mm2 •
3103.4 Carbon steel strip shall comply with B8 EN 10025 or 18:2062 and have a
silicon content of not more than 0.55 percent. The fabricated element shall be galvanized in
accordance with 18:4759 and 18:2629 and the minimum zinc coating weight shall not be less
than 1000gm/sq.m
The steel strips with minimum bearing and shear strength of 490N/mm 2 shall comply with
the requirements of B8 EN 10025, Grade 8 355 JR, or 18:2062 grade Fe 490, except the
elongation (on base metal) for which minimum 22 percent is acceptable.
801
Section 31 00 Reinforced Soil
The panel lugs shall be manufactured from hot-rolled steel strips with the same steel quality
and grades as specified above, except that the minimum zinc coating weight not less than
600 gm/sq.m.
All permanent metallic connectors (exposed to soil), tie strips and lugs shall be hot dip
galvanized. Nuts/ bolts (fasteners) shall be galvanized as per requirements of IS: 1367-
Part 3. Nuts/ bolts (fasteners) shall be of grade 10.9.
For all metallic components, where holes or penetrations are made through the reinforcing
elements to accommodate connection such as bolts, pins, or other, the cross section thickness
and/or width of metallic component shall be increased to account for section loss caused by
the hole or penetration.
3103.5 Stainless steel strip shall comply with 8S: 1449 (Part 2) quality 315 S 31 or
3/6 S 33 except that the material shall be cold rolled to provide a 0.2 percent proof stress of
not less than 400 N/mm2and the tensile strength shall not be less than 540 N/mm2 .
3103.6 All metallic components buried in soil shall be of electrolytically compatible

materials.
3103.7 Geotextiie, Geogrids and other Geosynthetic Materials used as

Reinforcing Elements
3103.7.1 Geotextile
High strength high tenacity geotextile fabrics used as reinforcement in the construction
of reinforced slopes or in the base of reinforced soil structure as reinforcement, shall be
considered as reinforcing element and shall satisfy all the requirements stipulated for
geosynthetic reinforcing elements, in Clause 3103.7.2.
Geotextile fabric used for separation, filtration and/ or drainage shall satisfy the requirements
given in relevant Clauses of Section 700 Geosynthetics.
3103.7.2 Geogrids
The manufacturer of geogrids, geotextiles, geostrips, polymeric strips or straps, polymeric

ties or any other geosynthetic material, including any proprietary geosynthetic material, for
use as reinforcing element shall fulfill the following requirements:
a) Shall have ISO ( ISO-9001) or CE Certification for manufacturing

process and quality control, and
b) The product shall have certification for use as soil reinforcing material
from an agency accredited for certifying geosynthetic reinforcement
products.
802
Reinforced Soil Section 3100
c) The manufacturer shall provide test reports from an independent

laboratory with valid accreditation, for all the tests needed to establish
all the reduction factors listed below
RFCR - Reduction factor for creep.
RF'D - Reduction factor for installation damage
RFw - Reduction factor for weathering
RFcH - Reduction factor for chemical/ environmental effects.
fs Factor for the extrapolation of data
All the above factors shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of ISO/TR 20432-
"Guide to the determination of long-term strength of geosynthetics for soil reinforcement"
Project Specific Tests/Data
Test for the ultimate tensile strength shall be carried out on a random sample for each grade
of reinforcement as per ISO-10319. The test results shall be accompanied by stress-strain
curves showing strength at 2% and 5% strain and strain/elongation at failure.
The manufacturer shall also provide the results of ultimate tensile strength for each lot and
all grades of reinforcement proposed for use in the project
Annual Average Daily Temperatures (AADT)/design temperature of the project site shall be
worked out and values of reduction factor for creep RFCR and for RFCH shall be provided as
per procedures given in ISOITR-20432.
Tests shall be carried out to provide values of
i) Pull-out coefficient as per ASTM D 6706 "Standard Test Method for

Measuring Geosynthetic Pullout Resistance in Soil" and
ii) Coefficient of interaction between reinforced fill soil and geogrids
as per ASTM D 5321-"Standard Test method for Determining
the Coefficient of Soil and Geosynthetic or Geosynthetic and
Geosynthetic Friction by the Direct Shear method" or as per
IS: 13326: Part 1-1992 "Method ofteslfor the evaluation of interface
friction between geosynthetics and soil: Part 1 Modified direct shear
technique" for all types of geogrids.
One set of project specific tests shall be conducted at third party accredited laboratory or at
a reputed institute.
Each roll shall have at least one identification label with roll number and product type.
803
Section 3100 Reinforced Soil
3104 EARTH Fill
The fill material in the reinforced soil zone shall have drained or effective angle of friction not
less than 30°, measured in accordance with IS:2720 (Part 13), by conducting a drained direct
shear test. In case the fill material has 25 percent or more particles of 4.75 mm or larger,
drained shear test using large shear box may be conducted (IS:2720:Part 39:Section 1). The
gradation of fill soil shall be as per following limits.
Sieve Size Percentage Passing

75mm 100%
425 micron 0-60%
75 micron less than 15
PI:56
Materials with more than 15 percent passing 75 micron sieve, but less than 10 percent of
particles smaller than 15 microns are acceptable provided PI is less than 6 and angle of
friction is not less than 30°.
Fly ash may be used as fill material in reinforced soil walls provided its angle of internal friction
is not less than 300 and PI is less than 6. Gradation requirements need not be completely
satisfied. Reference may be made to IRC Guide lines on Use of Flyash in Road Embankments
(IRC:SP-58). Fly ash shall also satisfy requirements concerning pH and environmental
conditions of the fill vis-a-vis the reinforcement type as specified in Clause 3014.1.
The fill material used in the reinforced soil zone shall be free from organic or other deleterious
materials and shall not react adversely (chemically, electrically or biologically) with the
reinforcement material and/or facia material.
Properties of fill soil in the reinforced zone, unreinforced zone (or retained/back fill) soil and
the foundation soil shall be determined accurately during the construction phase, as per
quality assurance plans and directions of Engineer so as to ensure that these are the same
as those considered in the design phase.
The fill soil in the unreinforced zone shall conform to the requirements specified in the
design.
3104.1 Environmental Conditions of Fill
3104.1.1 Steel Reinforcement
Where galvanized steel reinforcement is used, the fill material shall be free draining granular
material and shall meet the following requirements as per Table 3100.1.
804
Table 3100.1 : Recommended Limits of Electrochemical Properties for Reinforced

Fills with Steel Reinforcement
Property Criteria Test Method

Resistivity > 3000 ohm-em AASHTO T-288
pH > 5 and < 10 AASHTO T-289
Chlorides < 100 PPM ASTM D 4327
Sulphates < 200 PPM ASTM D4327
3104.1.2 Geosynthetic Reinforcement
Where geosynthetic reinforcement is used for reinforcing elements manufactured from

polyester yarn, pH value of the fill material shall be between 3 and 9, and for reinforcing
elements manufactured from PVA, PP and HDPE, the pH value shall be greater than 3.
3105 FACIA MATERIAL
3105.1 The facing system shall be one of the following
a) Precast reinforced concrete panels

b) Precast concrete blocks and precast concrete hollow blocks.
c) Gabion facing
d) Wrap around facing using geosynthetics
e) Metallic facing, prefabricated in different shapes including welded wire
grid and woven steel wire mesh
f) Other proprietary and proven systems
Facing shall be sufficiently flexible to withstand any deformation of the fill and foundations.
The facia units to be adopted in the project shall be shown in the drawings and shall be
approved by the Engineer.
3105.1.1 Precast Reinforced Concrete Panels
The minimum thickness of precast concrete panels shall be 180 mm including facing textures,
logos and embellishments. The grade of concrete shall be minimum M35. The concrete shall
conform to the requirements of Section 1700 of these Specifications.
Facia panel systems shall have provision of both horizontal and vertical gaps to prevent
concrete to concrete contact. The horizontal gap between the facing elements shall be
maintained by provision of Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM) pad. Bedding
805
Section 31 00 Reinforced Soil
material shall consist of either cement mortar or a durable gasket seating such as resin
bonded cork, bitumen bonded cork or EPDM.
The joints between the panels shall be covered from inside with non-woven geotextile strips
glued to the facing element ensuring full coverage of joints. Synthetic glue shall be used for
this purpose. The width of the geotextile strip shall not be less than 100 mm.
3105.1.2 Precast Concrete Blocks/Segmental Blocks/Modular Blocks
Precast concrete blocks are dry cast and shall be manufactured from fully automatic block
making machines. The minimum grade of concrete shall be M 35 for all kinds of modular
blocks. In case of hollow blocks, the hollow area shall not exceed 40 percent of the cross
sectional area of the block. The outer side of the block shall have minimum thickness of
100 mm.
3105.1.3 Gablon Facia
Where gabion facia is used, it shall conform to the provisions of BS 8006-1:2010 and
EN 14475 and made of mechanically fabricated and selvedged double twisted hexagonal
mesh. Wire used for the double twisted mesh shall be hot dip galvanized as per IS:4826 -
heavily coated and soft type, with wire and mesh properties in accordance with EN-10223
with minimum Zn or Zn + alloy coating as per EN-10244 and 0.5 mm thick PVC coating as per
EN-10245 and ISO-527.
3105.1.4 Wrap Around Facing using Geosynthetics
Where geosynthetics, including geogrids are used as wrap around facia, these shall form a
part of the reinforcing element. The wrap around shall have adequate length to resist pull out
and the wrap around length shall be calculated on the basis of safety in pull out. Wrap around
facia shall be protected by suitable means, against adverse effects of natural forces.
3105.1.5 Metallic Facing, Prefabricated in Different Shapes Including Welded

Wire Grid, Steel Sheet and Woven Steel Wire Mesh
Where steel sheet and steel grids facings are used for facing, steel for steel sheet shall be as
per BS:1449-Part 1 and steel grids shall conform to BS:4482, BS:4483 and BS:4489.
Where mechanically woven steel wire mesh in wrap around form is used for facing, the
steel wire mesh (IS:4826, IS:280, IS:13360, EN:10218, EN:10223, EN:14475) shall be with
mechanical selvedging and bottom panel shall continue as an integrated tail mesh.
Where welded steal wire mesh units in wrap around form (EN:10079, EN:10080, and
EN:ISO 1461, EN:14475) are used as facing, the bottom panel shall continue as an integrated
tail mesh.
806
3105.2 Facia type adopted shall be given in the design and shown with complete
details in the drawings, The system supplier shall provide any test data to satisfy the Engineer
regarding the properties and suitability of the facia system adopted, if so required,
Where facia such as wrap around or gabion or welded wire and woven steel wire mesh
facings have been used and where climate conditions are appropriate, a green finish shall
be provided where specified,
3105.3 Connection between the Facia and Reinforcement
Connection between the facia panels and the reinforcing element shall be by using either
nut or bolt, HDPE inserts with bodkin joint, hollow embedded devices, polymeric/steel strips/
rods/pipes, fibre glass dowels or any other material shown in the drawings, The connection
between the panel and the reinforcement shall provide for 100 percent of the long term
design strength of the reinforcing element in continuity,
In case of modular block facia and other type of facia such as gabion facia, where the
reinforcement is held by friction between the facia block and the reinforcement, the connection
strength shall be determined as per ASTM D 6638 "Standard Method of Test for Determining
Connection Strength between Geosynthetic Reinforcement and Segmental Concrete
Units,"
The available connection strength shall satisfy the design requirements and shall not be less
than the maximum possible tensile force that the reinforcement layer under consideration
may be subjected to,
3106 CONSTRUCTION DETAilS
3106.1 Depth of Foundation
A strip footing, minimum 350 mm wide and 150 mm thick in M15 grade plain concrete, shall
be provided at founding level to receive the facia or the bottom most reinforcement.
The depth of embedment below the finished ground level at the foot of the wall shall not be
less than 1000 mm, In case rock is met above founding level, the depth of embedment shall
be adjusted as per ground conditions,
3106.2 laying of Reinforcement
The reinforcing elements shall be placed at right angles to the face of the wall or design axis,
with greater cross-sectional dimension in the horizontal plane and the length shall be as
shown in the drawings, Reinforcing elements such as geogrids, shall be stretched and held
807
taut by driving nails or pegs at the farther end.
3106.3 facing Batter
It may be necessary to set facing unit at an additional batter than as provided in the drawings
since there is a tendency for initially positioned units of facia to lean outward as the fill
material is placed and compacted. Care and caution shall be taken to accommodate this
phenomenon. At the end of the construction, the face may have a slight residual inward
batter.
3106.4 Drainage
Drainage bay shall be provided as shown in the drawings. The width of the drainage bay shall
be 600 mm behind the facing element.
The drainage material shall conform to the specifications of the filter media as per
Clause 2504.2.2 of these Specifications.
3106.5 laying and Compaction
The reinforcing elements shall be laid free from all kinks, damage and displacement during
placing, spreading, leveling and compaction of the fill. The programme of filling shall be such
that no construction plant moves directly on the reinforcement.
All construction plant having a mass exceeding 1500 kg shall be kept at least 2.0 m away
from the face of slope or wall.
In the area up to 2.0 m from the face of slope or wall, the following compaction plant shall be
used:
i) Vibratory roller having a weight per metre width not exceeding 1300 kg
with total weight not exceeding 1500 kg
ii) Vibratory plate compactor of maximum weight 1000 kg
iii) Vibro tamper having a weight not exceeding 75 kg
Before allowing the movement of vehicles over the reinforcement, a minimum compacted
thickness of 150 mm shall be provided over the reinforcement and the speed of the vehicles
shall be restricted to 10 km/hr.
During construction of reinforced fill, the retained material beyond the reinforcement at the
rear of the structure shall be maintained at the same level as reinforced fill.
808
Fill shall not be placed on surface that contains mud, organic soil or area that have not met
compaction requirement.
The thickness of compacted layer shall not be more than 200 mm, compacted to 97 percent
of maximum laboratory density measured as per IS:2720 (Part 8).
3106.6 Construction and Serviceability Tolerances
The construction tolerances shall be as per the following:
Casting of pre-cast RCC panels: All elements shall be manufactured within the following
tolerances:
All dimensions within:!: 5 mm

Evenness of the front face: ± 5 mm over 1500 mm
Difference between lengths of two diagonals: 5 mm max.
Thickness: + 5 mm (-) 0 mm
Table 3100.2: Tolerances for Faces of Retaining Walls and Abutments
Tolerance
± 50 mm - metallic reinforcement
Location of plane of structure ± 75 mm - synthetic reinforcement
Bulging (Vertical) and Bowing (Horizontal) ± 20 mm in 4.5 m template (Metallic)
± 30 mm in 4.5 m template (Synthetic)
Steps at joints ± 10mm
Dimensional Tolerances for Modular Blocks
Dimensions of modular concrete blocks shall not differ more than ± 2.5 mm for length and
width and ± 1.5 mm in height.
Minimum Vertical Movement Capacities of Facing Systems
Minimum vertical movement capacities required for facing systems to cope with vertical
internal settlement of reinforced fill shall be as below:
809
Table 3100.3: Minimum Vertical Movement Capacities of Facing Systems
Structural Form Minimum Vertical Movement Capacity of System

Discrete panels Joint closure of 1 in 150 relative to panel height
Full heightpanels Vertical movement capacity of connections 1 in 150
relative to panel height
Semi-elliptical facings Vertical distortion of 1 in 150 relative to panel height
Geotextile/ Geogrid wrap-around facings No specific limit except for appearance or serviceability
considerations
3106.7 Capping Beam, Crash Barrier and Friction Slab
Capping beam, crash barrier and friction slab shall be provided as per the design and
drawings.
3107 REINFORCED SOIL SLOPES
This section deals with construction of reinforced soil structures that have a slope face angle
0
flatter than 70 •
3107.1 Reinforcing Elements
Any type of material used as reinforcing element for the construction of a reinforced soil
slope shall meet all the requirements provided in the Clause 3103. Any Geosynthetic material
used as reinforced element of the construction of a reinforced soil slope shall meet all the
requirement in Clause 3103.7.
3107.2 Fill Material
The fill material used as the reinforcing fill in the reinforced soil slope shall meet all the
requirements for fill material specified in Clause 3104. However the friction angle of the fill
material in this case shall not be less than 28 0 •
3107.3 Facia for Reinforced Soil Slope
Facia of reinforced soil slope shall be one of the following types
a) Wrap around facing using geosynthetics

b) Gabion facing
c) Metallic facing, prefabricated in different shapes including welded wire
grid and woven steel wire mesh.
810
d) Precast reinforced concrete panels

e) Precast concrete blocks and precast concrete hollow blocks.
The specifications for the materials used for above facing types shall be as provided in
Clause 3105.1.
3107.3.1 Wrap Around Facia using Prefabricated Geosynthetlc Bags
Where specified wrap around facia using prefabricated geosynthetic bags shall be used in
the construction of reinforced soil slopes for slope angles less than 45°. Such type of facia
shall conform to the provisions in EN:14475.
3107.4 Connection between the Facia and Reinforcement
Connection between facia and reinforcement in the reinforced soil slope shall satisfy the
design requirements.
3107.5 Facia type adopted shall be given in the design and shown with complete
details in the drawings. The system supplier shall provide any test data to satisfy the Engineer
regarding the properties and suitability of the facia system adopted, if so required by the
Engineer.
Where facia such as wrap around or gabion or welded wire and woven steel wire mesh
facings have been used and where climate conditions are appropriate, a green finish shall
be provided where specified.
3107.6 laying and Compaction
laying of the reinforcement in the reinforced soil slope and the compaction of the fill shall
conform to the provisions of Clause 3106.5.
3108 SYSTEM RESPONSIBiLITY, PERFORMANCE BOND
3108.1 System Responsibility
If specified in the contract, the system supplier shall provide performance bond in conformance
with the contract requirements. The performance bond shall be valid for atleast 20 years.
811
3109 MEASUREMENT FOR PAYMENT
3109.1 Reinforced Soil Wall
The measurement for payment for reinforced soil wall shall be in square metres of finished
work of each face and shall be measured in the plane of final inclination specified in the
drawings. The measurement of length shall be the finished work along the length of the road.
The measurement of height along the slope shall be done from the top level of the footing on
which the facia element is placed to the top of the capping beam.
Measurement for friction slab and crash barrier shall be in linear metres.
3109.2 Reinforced Soil Slope
The measurement for payment for reinforced soil slope shall be in square metres of finished
work of each face and shall be measured in the plane of final inclination specified in the
drawings. The measurement of length shall be the finished work along the length of the road.
The measurement of height along the slope shall be done from the top of the leveling pad,
where provided, to the top of the embankment. Where leveling pad is not provided, the height
shall be measured, in the final plane of inclination specified in the drawings, from the bottom
of the slope face.
3110 RATES
The rate shall include cost of material, labour, plant, royalties, handling, storage and
transportation expenses, cost of bed block, leveling pad, facia elements, capping beam,
connectors, reinforcing elements, scaffolding, supply of the specified filter media material,
supply of soil fill for the reinforced as well as unreinforced zone of the quality specified in the
contract, placing, spreading and compaction through mechanical means.
The rate shall include full compensation for design, drawings and testing of materials.
The rate shall include the cost of investigations, design and construction of ground improvement
measures.
The payment for friction slab and crash barrier shall be made separately.
812
ANNEXURE TO SECTION 3100
Ai DESIGN AND DRAWINGS
A1-1.1 Where the contract provides for the design of reinforced soil structure, the
same shall be carried out in accordance with the following standards as applicable
1,1,1 BS:8006-1-2010 "Code of Practice for Strengthened/Reinforced Soils
and other Fills"
1,1.2AFNOR NF-P94-270-"Geotechnical Design - Retaining Structures-
Reinforced and Soil Nailing Structures".
1,1.3FHWA-NHI-10-024 and FHWA-NHI-10-025 -"Design and Construction
of Mechanically Stabilized Earth Walls and Reinforced Soil Slopes"
A1-1.2 The long term allowable design strength (T,,) of the geosynthetic
reinforcement is defined by the following relationship
Where,
TUftis the ultimate tensile strength (also called characteristic or short term
strength)
RFcR- Reduction factor for creep.
RF'D - Reduction factor for installation damage
RFw - Reduction factor for weathering
RFcH- Reduction factor for chemical/ environmental effects.
fs Factor for the extrapolation of data
The cumulative reduction factor obtained as RF c~ RF w is also referred to as reduction factor

for durability.
The value of RFCR and RFCH corresponding to the Average Annual Daily Temperature (AADT)/
design temperature of the project area shall be used in the design.
The stresses calculated for any reinforcement layer as per the design method adopted
shall be compared with the long term allowable design strength (T,,) to check for adequacy.
Connection strength and Pullout safety shall also be checked.
A1-1.3 The design shall conform to loadings of IRC:6 or as per contract. Earthquake
loadings shall be considered as per IS:1893-Part 1-2002. Checks shall be made for seismic
conditions also as per provisions of documents listed in 1.1.2 or 1.1.3 as applicable.
A1-1.4 The allowable bearing capacity of the ground shall be checked as a part of
the design process and for ensuring the safety of the structure. Where necessary, measures
813
to improve the bearing capacity shall be worked out and included in the design, based on
adequate subsurface investigation and testing.
The design for ground improvement shall be in accordance with the relevant IS/IRC
guidelines.
A1-1.5 Where modular block walls are used in zones with seismic intensity of greater
than zone 3, connection strength shall be reduced to 80 % of its static values as per FHWA
NHI-10-024 guidelines Clause No 4.4.8.a. Further, the blocks above the uppermost layer of
soil reinforcement must be secured against toppling under all seismic events.
A1-1.6 Crash Barrier: Horizontal impact load of 29 kN/m shall be considered

in the design of crash barrier, which load shall be resisted by the upper two layers of the
reinforcement over the full length.
A1-1.7 Where the height of reinforced soil wall exceeds 10 m, the designer may
consider providing a berm. The minimum width of such berm shall be 1.5 m.
A1-1.8 Drawings showing layout of the reinforcing elements in the cross section
shall be provided for every 1 m change of height or such height where change in the layout
of reinforcements occurs. Complete plan and profile drawings shall also be provided.
A 1-1.9 Design and drawings shall be submitted for approval of the Engineer at least
3 weeks before the proposed date of commencement of construction of the reinforced soil
wall/ structure.
Table A1 : Indicative Range of Reduction Factor Values
Polymer Type RFcR RF'D =

RFcH RFw RFD fs
PET 1.36-1.59 1-1.31 1-1.3 1-1.37
PVA 1.42 1.06-1.31 1-1.3 1-1.37
HDPE 2.59-2.63 1.02-1.12 1-1.3 1-1.37
Note:
1. These values are the indicative range for different reduction factors for geogrids
made by using different types of materials and various manufacturers, The value
of reduction factors may differ from product to product. However, actual certified
values shall be used in the design.
2. RF cR and RFcH values mentioned in the above table are for 20oC.
A2 SPACING AND LAYOUT OF REINFORCEMENT IN REINFORCED

SOIL WALLS
A2-1.1 The spacing of reinforcement shall be established based on the design

principles and standards as per provisions of Clause A1. However, in the actual layout of
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reinforcing elements, the following shall be adhered to as provided in the guidelines of FHWA
NHI-10-025.
i) To provide a coherent reinforced soil mass, the vertical spacing of primary

reinforcement shall not exceed 800 mm, in all types of reinforcement.
ii) For walls constructed with modular blocks and deriving their connection
capacity by friction, and also for any other facia configurations, where
connection capacity is by friction, the maximum vertical spacing
of reinforcement shall be two times the block width (measured from
front fact to back face of the block). Further, the maximum spacing of
reinforcing elements shall not exceed 800 mm in all cases.
The maximum height of facing left unreinforced a) above the uppermost
reinforcing layer and b) below the lowest reinforcing layer, shall not exceed the
width of the block (measured from the front face to back face of the block.)
iii) In case modularblocks are used for facia, no more than one intervening block
shall be left without having primary reinforcement.
iv) In case of wraparound facings for walls, the maximum spacing of reinforcing
elements shall not exceed 500 mm, to protect against bulging.
v) Where panels are used, the maximum spacing of reinforcement shall not
exceed 800 mm. The spacing of nearest reinforcing element shall be such
that maximum height of facing above uppermost reinforcement layer and
below the lower most reinforcement layer does not exceed 400 mm.
Vi) Reinforcement spacings worked out from the design procedures shall be
configured to fit the above parameters.
A2-1.2 Where as the role of the primary reinforcement is to carry the tensile forces
in the reinforced fill, secondary reinforcement may be required to protect the slope face
from local sloughing and instability depending upon the facia configuration adopted. Where
secondary reinforcement is used, stability of the area near the slope face shall be checked
separately.
Where metallic type facia elements are used, the lower part of the facia element may be
extended into the fill to serve as a secondary reinforcement. In other types of facia, geogrids
may also be used as a secondary reinforcement. The length of the secondary reinforcement
shall be adequate to provide local stability in the vicinity of the slope face.
A3 REINFORCED SOil SLOPES
A3-1.1 Reinforced Soil Slopes
Reinforced soil slopes are used in a wide variety of situations, such as
a) Construction of new embankments

b) Widening of existing slopes.
c) To construct a reinforced slope above a reinforced soil wail.
815
Reinforced slopes with face angle between 70° and 45° are classified as steep slopes and
those with face angle flatter than or equal to 45° are classified as shallow slopes.
Design: The design and spacing of reinforcement shall be established based on the design
principles of Clause A1 and per the provisions in standards 8S:8006-1-201 0, FHWA-NHI-10-
024 and FHWA-NHI-10-025. The design is mainly based on rotational stability analysis.
Steep slopes require a suitable facing to hold the reinforcement in-place as well as to protect
the slope from local instability adjacent to the face. In the case of flatter slopes also, facing
may be called for. Depending upon the properties of the fill and local climatic conditions of
the area, suitable slope protection measures need to be adopted.
Where wrap around facia, gabion facia, woven and welded wire mesh facia are used suitable
batter needs to be given. This batter may also be achieved by means of providing stepped
offsets in placing the facia elements.
A3-1.2 Facia
Facing shall enable the construction within specified tolerances of vertical and horizontal
alignment and it should perform over the design life. The facing system should be able
to meet the functional requirements such as rigidity, flexibility, aesthetics, environmental
considerations etc. depending on location, purpose and use of structure.
For reinforced soil slopes of permanent nature, the durability of basic material for facing shall
be ensured. A suitable filter should be provided behind the woven or welded steel wire mesh
elements when they are provided in wrap around form. For steeper slopes in high rainfall
intensity and/or high seismicity areas, combination of woven and welded steel wire mesh
elements with additional stiffening elements and filter cloth shall be used to achieve flexibility,
erosion prevention and stiffness requirements.
Where geosynthetics are used as facing for permanent reinforced slope structures, outer
facia elements are required to be protected against UV degradation from sunlight. When
vegetation is used as the facia cover, the face should provide a suitable medium like colr or
jute for the establishment and continued growth of vegetation. For a vegetated face, several
interrelated aspects need to be considered, including the climate, water requirements of plants
and water availability, site location aspect, altitude, amount and frequency of precipitation,
exposure, form of facing and erosion resistance capability to ensure permanent vegetative
covering throughout the design life. If the characteristics of back fill soil are not adequate to
support vegetation, suitable top soil material may be placed at the front face separated from
the fill by an appropriate separator.
The contractor shall provide facing for the reinforced soil slope as approved by the designer
and shown in the drawing plan.
816
ANNEXURE TO SECTION 3100
LIST OF CODES USED IN THE TEXT
S.No Code Description

1) 8S:8006-1 :2010 Code of practice for strengthened/reinforced soils and
other fills
2) FHWA-NHI-10-024-Vol Design and Construction of Mechanically Stabilized Earth
1& Vol II Walls and Reinforced Soil Slopes
3) AFNOR NF-P94-270 Geotechnical Design-"Retaining structures-Reinforced and
Soil nailing structures"
4) IS:1893-Part 1:2002 Criteria for Earthquake resistant design of structures-
Part 1: General provisions and buildings
5) IS:13360:Part 3. Plastics - Methods of Testing - Part 3 : Physical and
Dimensional Properties - Section 1
6) IS:280 Specification for Mild steel wire for general engineering
purposes
7) IS:2720 (Part 8) Determination of water content-dry density relation using
heavy compaction
8) IS:2720 (Part 13) Methods of test for soils part 13 : Direct Shear Test
9) IS:2720 : Part 39 : Direct shear test for soils containing gravel, Section 1
Section 1 Laboratory test
10) IS:13326-Part 1 Method of test for the evaluation of interface friction
between geosynthetics and soil: Part 1 modified direct
shear technique" for all types of geogrids
11) IRC:6 Standard specifications and code of practice for road
bridges
12) IRC:SP:58-2001 Guidelines on Use of Flyash in Road Embankments
13) ASTM 974 Standard Specification for Welded Wire Fabric Gabions
and Gabion Mattresses (Metallic-Coated or Poly(Vinyl
Chloride) (PVC) Coating)
14) ASTM 975 Standard Specification for Double-Twisted Hexagonal
Mesh Gabions and Revet Mattresses (Metallic-Coated
Steel Wire or Metallic-Coated Steel Wire With Poly(Vinyl
Chloride) (PVC) Coating)
15) ASTM D 6706 Standard Test Method for Measuring Geosynthetic Pullout
Resistance in soil
817
16) ASTM D 6638 Standard Test Method for Determining Connection Strength
Between Geosynthetic Reinforcement and Segmental
Concrete Units (Modular Concrete Blocks)
17) ASTM D 5321 Standard Test Method for Determining the Coefficient of
Soil and Geosynthetic or Geosynthetic and Geosynthetic
Friction by the Direct Shear method
18) EN 10218 Steel Wire and Wire products- General Part 2- Wire
Dimensions and Tolerances
19) EN 10223 Steel Wire and Wire Products for Fences- Hexagonal Steel
Wire Netting for Engineering Purposes
20) EN 10244 Steel and Wire Products - Non Ferrous Metallic Coating
on Steel Wire
21) EN 10245 Steel and Wire Products - Organic Coatings on Steel
Wire
22) EN 10079 Definition of Steel Products
23) EN 10080 Steel for the Reinforcement of Concrete - Weldable
Reinforcing Steel - General
24) EN 1461 Hot Dip Galvanized Coatings on Fabricated Iron And Steel
Articles- Specifications and Test Methods
25) EN 10025-2 Hot Rolled Products of Structural Steels - Part 2-Technical
Delivery Conditions for Non-Alloy Structural Steels
26) EN-14475 Execution of Special Geotechnical Works- Reinforced Fill
27) BS:1470 Specification for Wrought Aluminium and Aluminium Alloys
for General Engineering Purposes
28) BS:2870 Specification for Rolled Copper and Copper Alloys: Sheet,
Strip and Foil.
29) ISO-10319 Geosynthetics - Wide-Width Tensile Test
30) ISOITR 20432 Guide to the Determination of Long-Term Strength of
Geosynthetics for Soil Reinforcement
31) ASTM D 4327 Standard Test Method for Anions in Water by Chemically
Suppressed Ion Chromatography
32) AASHTO T-288 Standard Method of Test for Determining Minimum
Laboratory Soil Resistivity
33) AASHTO T-289 Standard Method of Test for Determining pH of Soil for Use
in Corrosion Testing
818
3200
SOIL NAILING
Soil Nailing Section 3200
3201 SCOPE
The specifications shall apply to soil nailing works as required to be carried out under the
Contract or as directed by the Engineer.
3202 NAIL INSTALLATION METHODS
3202.1 Generally used soil nail installation techniques in practice are: (i) drilled and
grouted soil nails, and (ii) driven soil nails. Grouted nails are recommended for all types of
soil nail walls applications; and in particular, for walls with vertical height more than 7 m.
Driven nails shall only be used when wall heights are smaller (less than or upto 7.0 m). The
major difference between the two is the pullout resistance of the soil nails and grouted soil
nails are expected to have higher pull out resistance. Pull out test is desirable to check the
values of pullout resistance which is useful in soil nail design.
3202.2 Drilled and grouted soil nails (or simply grouted nails), are approximately
75 mm to 200 mm diameter nail holes drilled in the soil mass to be retained, which shall be
followed by placing of steel reinforcement bars (tendon) and the grouting of the drill hole.
3202.3 Driven soil nails are relatively small in diameter (20 mm to 25 mm) and are
mechanically driven into the ground. They are usually spaced approximately 0.5 m to 1.0 m
apart.
3203 CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS
Following covers the general materials required for the construction of typical soil nailing
structure.
3203.1 Reinforcement Bar (Nail or Tendon)
The reinforcing element (tendon) shall be high strength steel reinforcing bar conforming to
IS:1786 with a characteristic tensile strength of 415 MPa or higher which may be threaded at
one end. Minimum recommended diameter of reinforcement bar (tendon) is 16 mm.
3203.2 Nail head
The nail head shall comprise of following main components: the bearing-plate, hex nut, and
washers; and the headed-stud. The bearing plate with a central hole (with diameter greater
than reinforcement bar) shall be of minimum Fe250 grade steel, typically square in shape
with 200 to 250 mm side dimension and 19 mm thickness. Washers and nuts shall be made
of steel with a grade consistent with that of the nail bar commonly of 415 MPa or higher.
Nuts may be tightened with a hand-wrench. The headed-stud connection may consist of four
headed studs welded near the four corners of the bearing plate to provide anchorage of the
821
Section 3200 Soil Nailing
nail head into the permanent facing. For temporary walls, the bearing plate shall be on the
outside face of the shotcrete facing.
3203.3 Grout
Grout for soil nails is required to fill the annular space between the nail bar and the surrounding
ground, and for shotcreting of the temporary facing. Grout for soil nail walls is commonly a
neat cement grout with the water/cement ratio typically ranging from 0.4 to 0.5. Grout mix shall
be prepared in accordance with 18:9012. Grout shall have a minimum 28 days characteristic
strength of 20 MPa. For filling up nail holes, grout shall be pumped shortly after the nail bar
is placed in the drillhole to reduce the potential for hole squeezing or caving. In solid nail bar
applications, the grout may be injected by tremie methods through a grout pipe, which is
previously inserted to the bottom of the drillhole, until the grout completely fills the drillhole.
3203.4 Centralizers
Centralizers are devices made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or other synthetic materials that
are installed at various locations along the length of each nail bar to ensure that a minimum
thickness of grout completely covers the nail bar. Centralizers shall be installed at regular
intervals, typically not exceeding 2.5 m, along the length of the nail and at a distance of about
0.5 m from each end of the nail.
3204 FACING TYPES
Soil nail walls are generally provided with two types of facings: (a) temporary facing and
(b) permanent facing.
3204.1 Temporary Facing
Temporary facing shall be constructed by providing reinforcement in the form of welded wire
mesh (conforming to 18:1566) throughout the wall face, and by additional bearing plates (see
Clause 3203.2.) and waler bars (rebars of smaller lengths placed in the vicinity of nail head)
at the nail heads; which is, subsequently shotcreted in accordance with 18:9012. Overall
temporary facing thickness shall vary from 75 mm to 200 mm.
3204.2 Permanent Facing
Permanent facing may be constructed as cast-in-place reinforced cement concrete

conforming to 18:456, precast concrete or any suitable material to achieve desired strength
and aesthetics. Reinforcement in the permanent facing may be adopted in the form of welded
wire mesh or reinforcement bars in either direction. Permanent facing shall be connected
to the temporary facing by means of headed-studs (usually four numbers per plate) welded
on the bearing plates installed during construction temporary facing. Minimum thickness of
permanent facing shall not be less than 200 mm.
822
3205 CONSTRUCTION SEQUENCE
3205.1 Typical sequence of construction of a soil nail wall shall be in accordance

with following steps:
Step 1: Excavation of initial cut of 1.0 m to 2.0 m depending upon the capacity of in-
situ soil to stand unsupported for about 12-24 hrs;
Step 2: Drilling hole for nail;
Step 3: Installation of nails followed by grouting and placing of drainage strip;
Step 4: Placing of construction facing and installation of bearing plates;
Step 5: Repetition of process till final level is reached; and
Step 6: Placing of final facing.
3206 GEOTECHNICAL ASPECTS
3206.1 Soil Investigation
For soil nail walls more than 30 m long, exploratory borings should be spaced between 30 to
60 m along the proposed centerline of the wall. For walls less than 30 m long, at least one
boring is necessary along the proposed centerline of the wall. Borings are also necessary
in front and behind the proposed wall. Borings behind the wall should be located within a
distance up to 1 to 1.5 times the height of the wall behind the wall and should be spaced up to
45 m along the wall alignment. Borings in front of the wall should be located within a distance
up to 0.75 times the wall height in front of the wall and should be spaced up to 60 m along
the wall alignment. The depth of borings should extend at least one full wall height below the
bottom of the excavation.
3206.2 Bond Strength
The bond strength is the mobilized shear resistance along the soil-grout interface. The
bond strength adopted for the design of soil nails is commonly based on conservative
estimates obtained from field correlation studies and local experience in similar conditions.
Consequently, some percentage of the soil nails shall be load tested according to standard
procedure (pullout tests) in the field to verify bond strength design.
3206.3 Suitable In-Situ Ground Conditions
Following are the in-situ conditions considered favorable for the prospective use of soil nailing
technique.
a) Soil shall be able to stand unsupported to a depth of about 1 m -

2 m high vertical or nearly vertical cut for 12-24 hours.
823
b) Groundwater table shall be sufficiently below level of the lowermost

soil nail at all cross-sections.
c) Favorable soils: Stiff to hard fine -grained soils, dense to very dense
granular soils with some apparent cohesion, weathered rock with no
weakness planes and glacial soils.
3207 ANALYSIS OF FAILURE MODES
3207.1 Analysis of various failure modes of soil nail structures shall be performed
using allowable stress design methodology in accordance with IRe publication "Interim
Guidelines for Soil Nailing Technique In Highway Engineering Applications" or any
other state-of-art standard for analysis, design and construction of soil nail walls. For rigorous
analyses, use of computational tools based on advanced numerical techniques such as finite
element method, is strongly recommended.
3208 INITIAL DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
3208.1 Wall layout
Establish the layout of the soil nail wall, including: (1) wall height; (2) length of the wall;
(3) backslope; and (4) wall face batter. Wall face batter typically ranges from 0° to 10°. The
evaluation of the wall layout also includes developing longitudinal profile of the wall, locating
wall appurtenances (e.g., traffic barriers, utilities, and drainage systems), and establishing
ROW limitations.
3208.2 Soil Nail Vertical and Horizontal Spacing
Typically, same nail spacing can be adopted in both horizontal Sh and vertical Sv directions.
Nail spacing ranges from 1.25 to 2 m (commonly 1.5 m) for conventional drilled and grouted
soil nails, and as low as 0.4 m for driven nails. As a general rule, soil nail spacing in horizontal
and vertical direction must be such that each nail has an influence area Sh x Sv:S 4m 2 •
3208.3 Soil Nail Pattern on Wall Face
The soil nail pattern on wall face may be adopted as one of the following: (1) square (or
rectangular); (2) staggered in a triangular pattern; and (3) irregular (at limited locations)
depending upon the ease of construction and site-specific constraints.
3208.4 Soil Nail Inclination
Soil nails are typically installed at an inclination ranging from 0 to 30 degrees from horizontal
with a typical inclination of 10-25 degrees.
824
3208.5 Soil Nail length and Distribution
The distribution of soil nail lengths in a soil nail wall can be selected as either uniform (I.e.,
only one nail length is used for the entire wall), or variable, where different nail lengths
may be used for individual soil nail levels within a wall cross section. Uniform nail pattern is
recommended for most applications.
3209 OTHER DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
3209.1 loads and load Combinations
Soil nail walls used on typical highway projects are typically subjected to the following different
loads during their service life: (i) Dead loads DL (e.g., weight of the soil nail wall system,
lateral earth pressure, weight of a nearby above-ground structure); (ii) Live loads LL (e.g.,
traffic loads); (iii) impact loads IL (e.g., vehicle collision on barriers above soil nail wall); and
(iv) earthquake loads EO. Following load combinations are recommended to assess the
most critical loading condition:
(a) DL + LL
(b) DL+LL+IL
(c) DL+ EO
For earthquake loads, allowable stresses shall be increased by 133 percent from the values
obtained with factors of safety for static loads.
3209.2 Permissible Soil Nail Wall Deformations
The maximum permissible lateral deformation at the top of the soil nail walls constructed
in weathered rock and stiff soils is 0.1%H; sandy soils is 0.2%H and for fine-grained soils
is 0.3%H. Under no circumstances maximum permissible lateral deformation shall exceed
0.3%H, where: H is the vertical height of the soil nail wall. Permissible vertical deformation
(I.e., settlement) shall be considered to be same as the permissible horizontal deformation.
3209.3 Drainage Measures
3209.3.1 Short Term Drainage Measures
Surface water and groundwater must be controlled both during and after construction of the
soil nail wall. A surface water interceptor ditch, excavated along the crest of the excavation
and lined with concrete, is a recommended element for controlling surface water flows.
Additionally, if ground water impacts are temporary or localized, suitable dewatering measures
may be taken for lowering the groundwater table:
825
3209.3.2 Long Term Drainage Measures
Long term drainage shall be provided by means of the drainage system comprising of:
(i) vertical geo-composite drain strips placed suitably along the face of wall; (ii) weep holes
in the form of perforated PVC pipes of typical diameter as 50-100 mm and 300- 600 mm
length, placed through the face at the location of expected localised seepage; (iii) provision of
horizontal or slightly inclined drain pipes of typical diameter 50 mm installed at the locations
where it is necessary to control the groundwater pressures imposed on the retained soil
mass; (iv) installation of permanent interception ditch behind the wall at its crest to prevent
surface water runoff from infiltrating behind the wall or flowing over the wall edge;
(v) provision of a vegetative protective cap/cover to reduce or prevent water infiltration into
the soil.
3209.4 Corrosion Protection
Corrosion potential of the soil must be evaluated for all permanent soil nail walls and, in some
cases, for temporary walls.
Corrosion protection measures: (a) Specify a minimum grout cover of 25 mm between

the reinforcement nail bar and the soil; (b) recommend epoxy coating of minimum thi,-lm,,,,,,,
0.4 mm on the nail bars shall be applied by the manufacturer prior to shipment of nails to
construction site, which is, subsequently to be encased in grout cover; and (c) adopt
site-specific suitable corrosion protection measures.
3210 FIELD PULLOUT TESTING
3210.1 Field pullout testing of soil nails shall be conducted (a) to verify that the
design loads can be carried without excessive movements and with an adequate safety
factor for the service life of the structure, and (b) to verify the adequacy of the contractor's
drilling, installation, and grouting operations prior to and during construction of production soil
nails.
3210.2 Types of Field Pullout Tests
Depending upon the type of test being performed, the maximum test load, the load in",rArr'Ant"
and the time that each load increment is held shall be determined. To prevent r.h<lnr.,~,:;
of explosive failure of the steel, in no case, the soil nail tendon be stressed to more
80 percent of.its minimum ultimate tensile strength for grade Fe415 steel, or more
90 percent of the minimum yield strength for grade Fe500 steel.
826
3210.2.1 Verification Test
A verification test on soil nail is performed: (a) to determine the ultimate bond capacity (if
carried to pullout failure); (b) verify the design bond factor of safety, and (c) to determine the
soil nail load at which excessive creep occurs. Verification tests are generally conducted on
non-production "sacrificial" nails as a first order of work prior to construction.
3210.2.2 Proof Test
A proof test is typically performed on a specified number of the total number of production
soil nails installed. Typically, successful proof tests shall be performed on 5 percent of the
production nails in each row or a minimum of 1 test per row. Proof tests provide information
necessary to evaluate the ability of production soil nails to safely withstand design loads
without excessive structural movement or long-term creep over the structure's service life.
3210.2.3 Creep Test
Creep tests are generally performed as part of a verification or proof test to ensure that nail
design loads can be safely carried throughout the structure service life.
3211 MEASUREMENT FOR PAYMENT
Measurements for earthwork shall conform to IS:1200(Part I), concrete work shall conform
to IS:1200(Part II) and steelworks shall conform to IS:1200(Part VIII). Measurement of facia
shall be in sq. metres.
3212 RATES
Rates for labour, machinery and various structural components shall conform to the local
schedule of rates in practice.
3213 REFERENCES
IS:1200(Part 1)-1992 Method of Measurement of Building and Civil Engineering Works -

EARTHWORK (Fourth Revision).
IS:1200(Part 11)-1974 Method Of Measurement of Building and Civil Engineering Works -

CONCRETE WORKS (Third Revision).
IS:1200(Part VIII)-1993 Method of Measurement of Building and Civil Engineering Works-

STEELWORK AND IRONWORK (Fourth Revision).
827
IS:1566-1982 Specification for Hard-Drawn Steel Wire Fabric for Concrete Reinforcement
(Second Revision Incorporating Amendments Nos. 1,2 and 3).
IS:1786-1985 Specification for High Strength Deformed Steel Bars and Wires for r.nnf'roto
Reinforcement (Third Revision).
IS:456-2000 Plain and Reinforced Concrete - Code of Practice (Fourth Revision).
Is:9012-1978 Recommended Practice for Shotcreting (Fourth Reprint).
IRC publication "Interim Guidelines for Soil Nailing Technique in Highway Fnolnaarlnn
Applications" (to be published).
828

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700

GEOSYNTHETICS FOR ROAD AND BRIDGE WORKS

Application and General Requirements

Ge>os'ynthel:ic is a general classification for all synthetic materials used in geotechnical

i) Geotextiles: Any permeable synthetic textile used with foundation,

Geomembranes are made from PVC or polyethylene sheets, which

701.2 Testing, Certification and Acceptance

701.2.1 Geosynthetic Materials Shall be Tested and Certified in the Following

a) The manufacturer shall have ISO or CE certification for manufacturing

701.2.2 Geosynthetics shall be tested in accordance with tests prescribed by BIS. In

Geosynthetic rolls shall be marked with the following information:

701.4 Packing, Storage and Handling

701.4.2 If the outer layer of the geosynthetic is damaged, or exposed to

702 GEOTEXTllES FOR DRAINAGE, SEPARATION AND

702.2.1 Strength Requirement

Table 700-1 : Minimum Geotextlle Strength Property Requirements

Installation Type strength Property Requirement (MARV)

Installation condition Strength property requirement (MARV)

702.2.2 Ultraviolet Stability Requirements

Table 700-2 : Requirements for Ultra Violet Stability

S.No Properties of Fabric Requirements (Retained Strength)

702.2.3 Hydraulic Requirements for Various Applications

702.2.3.1 Subsurface Drainage

Table 700-3 : Geotextile Requirements for Subsurface Drainage

In-situ Passing 0.075 mm Permittivity, per sec, as Maximum Apparent

S. No. Geotextile Property Requirement

S. No. Geotextile Property Requirement

Table 700-6 : Geotextile Requirements for Erosion Control

In-situ Soil Passing Permittivity, per sec Maximum Apparent Opening

702.3.2 Subsurface Drainage

Construction shall conform to Clause 309.3 of the specifications.

702.3.4 Filter layer Under Stone Pitching for Erosion Control

702.4 Measurement for Payment

703.2.2 Sub-base Reinforcement

703.2.3 Erosion Control

Property Test Method Unit Requirement

703.2.4 Reinforced Soil Slopes and Walls

The strength and other requirements shall be as per Section 3100.

703.3 Installation and Construction Operations

703.3.1 Sub-base Reinforcement

No vehicle shall be allowed on geogrid unless it is covered by at least 150 mm thick

703.3.2 Erosion Control

Reinforced Slopes and Walls

Measurement for Payment

geogrid shall be measured in square metres as per planned dimensions with no

shall be made of light weight, three dimensional high compressive strength

Table 700-9 : Geotextile Requirements for Fin Drains

Table 700-10 : Properties for Fin Drain Core

Property Test Method Units Minimum Average

704.2.2 Prefabricated Vertical Drains (PVDs)/Band Drains

Table 700-11 : Properties for Prefabricated Vertical Drains/Band Drains

8.No Property Test Method Value

5.1'110 Property Test Method Value

704.3.1 Fin Drains

704.3.2 Prefabricated Vertical Drains (PVD)

704.4 Measurement for Payment

Measurement for Fin drain shall be in running metre of its length.

Measurement for payment for PVOs shall be as per Clause 314.2.3.

70S GEOCEll FOR SLOPE PROTECTION

705.2.1 Strength and Other Requirements of Geocell

705.3 Installation and Construction Operations

Table 700·12: Requirements of Geocell for Slope Protection