Enhancing Railway Infrastructure with Geotextiles in UP State

On a railway upgrade in Uttar Pradesh, Ocean supplied two geosynthetics that worked together in the track bed: Ocean Non-Woven Geotextile P-30 and PP Geogrid 30 KN. More than 300,000 square metres of the two products were laid along the route.

Project overview

The railway authorities in UP set out to strengthen existing tracks: raise load-bearing capacity, cut maintenance and extend track life across varied weather. The work ran over long stretches carrying heavy train traffic.

The challenge

The main problem was the formation soil. The line crossed open plains and wetter, softer ground. Where subgrade soil is soft and wet, repeated train loads pump fine soil up into the ballast and blanket layers, the ballast fouls and drains poorly, and the track settles unevenly. Existing soil reinforcement methods were not holding, and track deformation and maintenance were frequent.

Ocean Non Woven Geotextile P-30

The non-woven geotextile went in at the formation level, between subgrade and the granular layers above, for three functions:

• Separation: keeps subgrade soil and granular layers apart, so the blanket and ballast stay clean and load spreads evenly, reducing differential settlement.
• Filtration: lets water pass out of the subgrade while holding soil particles back, so fines do not migrate upward.
• Drainage: carries water away within the fabric plane, helping the formation stay drier.

A non-woven geotextile adds some strength to the track bed, but its main contribution is keeping the layers clean and drained; the structural reinforcement came from the geogrid.

PP Geogrid 30 KN

Alongside the geotextile, PP Geogrid 30 KN was used to reinforce critical sections, including embankments where soil needed to be held against lateral movement. Granular material locks into the grid apertures, and the grid holds it from spreading sideways under each passing axle, which stiffens the layer and spreads load over a wider area of subgrade.

• Tensile strength: 30 kN/m, for reinforcement under heavy loads.
• Less maintenance: by spreading loads, the grid reduces track deformation and the tamping and repairs that follow.
• Easy installation: lightweight rolls are quick to lay.

See Ocean’s polypropylene geogrid range for grades and properties.

Results

With more than 300,000 sq m of geotextile and geogrid laid, the project reported:

• Stability: the two layers together stabilised the track bed and reduced settlement and deformation.
• Drainage: filtration kept water moving out of the formation and reduced waterlogging.
• Durability: reinforced sections held up under heavy traffic.
• Cost: fewer maintenance interventions over the life of the track.

About Ocean Non Wovens

Ocean Non Wovens supplies geotextiles, geogrids and geocomposites for railway formation, embankment and drainage work. For questions about products for railway projects, contact the team or see more case studies.