LAUSR

Biodegradable jute geotextiles are an effective reinforcing material for unpaved roads, but its serviceability is limited because of faster microbial degradation. Different methods are in use to improve the serviceability of jute geotextiles. In this paper, influence of chemical treatment (transesterification and bitumen coating), road design and rainfall intensity on the time dependent serviceability of jute geotextiles has been studied. Chemically treated jute geotextiles, were laid in unpaved road designs with and without sand layer, for 30, 60 and 90 days’ duration, and subjected to simulated rainfall intensities of 50 and 100 mm/h. With increase in time of usage, tensile strength and puncture resistance decrease due to microbial attack, and pore size decreases due to clogging of soil in jute geotextiles. Chemical treatment was observed to have greater influence on the serviceability, followed by the presence of sand layer in road design and the rainfall intensity. Further, overall performance of bitumen coated jute geotextiles was observed to be better than transesterified jute geotextile, due to its hydrophobic nature.