--- title: "The Role of Geosynthetics in Bharatmala Pariyojana Highway Projects" date: 2026-07-19 author: "Sales Team" url: https://oceangeosynthetics.com/geosynthetics-in-bharatmala-pariyojana/ --- July 19, 2026 | [Geosynthetics](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/category/geosynthetics/) # The Role of Geosynthetics in Bharatmala Pariyojana Highway Projects Most new national [highways](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/suitable_sectors/road-highway/) in India cross ground that cannot carry a heavy pavement on its own: soft deltaic clay, black cotton soil, flood plains and steep hill cuts. [Geosynthetics](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/category/geosynthetics/), the engineered fabrics, grids and cells placed in and under the road, let engineers build on that ground with thinner layers, less imported aggregate and fewer repairs. This article explains where [geogrids](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/products/geogrid-manufacturers/), [geotextiles](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/products/geotextile-manufacturers/) and [geocells](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/products/geocells/) are used on Bharatmala Pariyojana corridors and which standards govern them. ## Table of Contents ## What Is Bharatmala Pariyojana? Bharatmala Pariyojana is the Government of India’s main highway development programme, approved in 2017. Phase I covers about 34,800 kilometres of national highways, and the corridors identified across the full programme add up to about 65,000 kilometres of economic corridors, feeder routes and expressways. Routes were chosen from a study of freight flows between districts, so the programme concentrates on the corridors that carry the most goods instead of widening existing roads across the board. By early 2025, more than 20,378 kilometres had been completed, with construction continuing in every region. At that scale, small savings in how the ground is treated (a thinner granular layer, an embankment that does not need rebuilding after the monsoon) add up across thousands of kilometres. ## Phases and Components at a Glance Bharatmala is organised by corridor type rather than by stage: - **Economic corridors:** the backbone, carrying the heaviest freight. - **Inter-corridor and feeder routes:** links that let goods move between the main corridors. - **National corridor efficiency improvements:** decongesting existing national highways. - **Border and international connectivity roads.** - **Coastal and port connectivity roads.** - **Greenfield expressways.** Every one of these road types crosses difficult ground somewhere, and that is where geosynthetics come into the design. ## Why Geosynthetics Matter for Highway Construction in India Good ground is scarce and good aggregate is expensive in much of India. Large areas sit on weak, compressible or expansive soils. The traditional fix, excavating the poor soil and importing thick granular layers, is slow and costly and means more quarrying and haulage. Geosynthetics reinforce, separate, filter, drain or confine the soil, so a road section can be built with thinner layers and less imported material. Indian practice covers this in detail. IRC:SP:59, “Guidelines for Use of Geosynthetics in Road Pavements and Associated Works” (revised in 2019, including a design method for geosynthetic reinforcement in pavements), IRC:113 for geosynthetic reinforced embankments on soft subsoils, and the MoRTH Specifications for Road and Bridge Works set out where and how these materials are used. Test methods come mainly from ASTM, with design guidance also published by the FHWA, the Geosynthetic Institute (GSI) and the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS). [Soil stabilization](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/solution/soil-stabilisation-pavements/) with geosynthetics is standard practice in Indian road construction. ## Geogrids for Subgrade Stabilization and Base Reinforcement A geogrid is a polymer grid with apertures sized to interlock with aggregate. Placed on the subgrade or within the granular base, it grips the stone and stops it spreading sideways under traffic (lateral restraint). The layer becomes stiffer, spreads wheel loads over a wider area of subgrade and resists rutting. On corridors over weak subgrade, a geogrid improves the working platform over poor ground and can allow a thinner aggregate layer for the same design life; IRC:SP:59 gives the method for accounting for this in pavement design. Over thousands of kilometres, even a modest reduction in imported stone per kilometre cuts quarrying, haulage and cost. Geogrid tensile strength is tested to ASTM D6637, which gives designers a reliable input value. ## Geotextiles for Separation and Filtration A geotextile between the subgrade and the granular layer acts as a separator. It stops soft subgrade soil pumping up into the aggregate and stops the aggregate punching down into the soil. Without it, the two layers mix, the base loses strength and the pavement fails early. The same fabric filters and drains: water passes through while soil particles are held back, which relieves the pore-water pressure that weakens a subgrade and undermines a shoulder. On flood-plain and high-rainfall corridors, this combination of separation and drainage is what keeps the base dry. Woven and non-woven geotextiles are specified by apparent opening size (ASTM D4751), permittivity (ASTM D4491) and tensile strength (grab, ASTM D4632; wide-width, ASTM D4595), with IRC and BIS guidance governing selection. ## Geocells for Slope Protection and Erosion Control Rain and runoff erode unprotected embankment slopes, cut faces and channel banks; the gullies grow until material slumps onto the carriageway. A geocell is a three-dimensional honeycomb of welded HDPE strips. Filled with soil, aggregate or concrete and pinned to the slope, it holds the surface material and vegetation in place and spreads load across a flexible mattress. On highway projects, geocells are used to protect high embankment slopes, to establish vegetation on cut faces and to line channels and drains. Because the filled layer behaves as a semi-rigid mattress, geocells are also used as load-support platforms over very weak ground under the road base. ## Geosynthetic Product Comparison Where each product fits in a highway cross-section, and why an engineer would specify it: | Product | Primary Function | Where Used in a Highway | Key Benefit | Reference Standards | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Geogrid | Reinforcement / lateral restraint | Subgrade and granular base | Higher bearing capacity, reduced aggregate thickness, rut resistance | IRC:SP:59, ASTM D6637 | | Woven Geotextile | Separation and reinforcement | Subgrade / base interface, embankment base | Prevents layer intermixing, adds tensile support | IRC:SP:59, ASTM D4595, D4632 | | Non-woven Geotextile | Filtration and drainage | Drains, shoulders, subsurface drainage | Relieves pore pressure, retains soil, protects layers | ASTM D4751, D4491, D4355 | | Geocell | Confinement | Embankment and cut slopes, weak base | Slope stability, erosion control, load support | IRC:SP:59, ASTM D5397 | | Geocomposite Drain | Drainage | Behind retaining walls, edge drains | Rapid water removal, thinner drainage layers | ASTM D4716 | ## Application Case Studies The ground problems on Bharatmala corridors repeat from state to state, and so do the geosynthetic solutions: - **Soft alluvial or black cotton subgrade:** a geogrid over the prepared subgrade gives a firm working platform and can reduce the depth of imported granular fill. - **Embankments over compressible ground:** high-strength woven geotextiles or geogrids at the embankment base spread the load and control differential settlement, as covered in IRC:113. - **High-rainfall stretches and river crossings:** non-woven geotextile separators and filters keep fines out of the base and keep subsurface drains flowing. - **Tall embankments and cut slopes:** geocell confinement holds topsoil and vegetation on the slope face through the monsoon and reduces erosion repair. Ocean’s own road projects include [Ocean Geocomposite for NHAI in Balaghat, MP](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/road-infrastructure-ocean-710-gsm-nhai-mp/), [PP geogrid on an NHAI project in Raebareli, UP](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/nhai-project-in-up-case-study-on-use-of-ocean-geogrid/) and [HDPE geocell on the Vadodara-KLM Expressway](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/road-durability-boosted-on-vadodara-klm-expressway/). ## Why Ocean Non Wovens for Bharatmala Projects Ocean Non Wovens is an Indian manufacturer and supplier of geogrids, woven and non-woven geotextiles, geocells, HDPE liners and geobags, with materials tested to Indian and international specifications. Ocean Non Wovens supplies highway and expressway construction, embankment and slope stabilisation, drainage and erosion control, as well as defence infrastructure, airports, railways, water resources and industrial projects across India. Contractors and consultants on Bharatmala packages can source the full range of road geosynthetics from one supplier, with technical support to match the product to each ground condition. If your project involves subgrade reinforcement, separation, drainage or slope protection, [talk to Ocean Non Wovens](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/contact/) about the specification. Get Ocean Geosynthetics in your Google feed[![](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/google-g-logo.svg)Add us as a preferred source on Google](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=https://oceangeosynthetics.com/) [![Shoreline Protection & Shoreline Stabilization Techniques shown in the image](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/nrcstn83005_2400-300x200.jpg)](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/shoreline-protection-stabilization-techniques/) [Insights](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/category/insights/) [Shoreline Protection and Stabilisation Techniques](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/shoreline-protection-stabilization-techniques/) Shoreline protection works best when it treats the cause of erosion, not only the retreating edge. A seawall built in front of a beach that… [See More](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/shoreline-protection-stabilization-techniques/) [![Workers laying black biaxial geogrid on compacted soil in Kutch while a loader spreads crushed stone](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/ocean-cpwd-bhuj-geogrid-photo-300x225.webp)](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/cpwd-infrastructure-ocean-geogrid-60-kn/) [Case Studies](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/category/case-studies/) [Case Study: CPWD Project in Bhuj, Gujarat – Strengthening Infrastructure with Ocean Geogrid 60 Kn](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/cpwd-infrastructure-ocean-geogrid-60-kn/) For a Central Public Works Department (CPWD) project in Bhuj, Gujarat, Ocean Non Wovens supplied 17,000 sq m of Ocean Geogrid 60 kN to reinforce… [See More](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/cpwd-infrastructure-ocean-geogrid-60-kn/) [![picture showing slope stabilization](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/slop-300x200.png)](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/geotextiles-for-slope-stabilization/) [Geotextile](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/category/geotextile/), [Insights](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/category/insights/) [Geotextiles for Slope Stabilization](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/geotextiles-for-slope-stabilization/) Natural and human-made forces create a lot of disruption from time-to-time and change the entire earth’s topography. 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