Mangaluru: Researchers at the National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK), Surathkal, in collaboration with the National Jute Board (NJB) and Birla Jute Mills, have developed an industrially manufactured jute geocell designed as a sustainable alternative to conventional polymer-based geocells widely used in infrastructure projects.

The newly developed product targets applications such as ground improvement, road construction, slope stabilisation and erosion control—areas where geocells play a critical role in enhancing soil performance. Geocells are three-dimensional cellular confinement systems that improve the strength and stability of soil by restricting the lateral movement of infill material. This confinement increases shear resistance, distributes applied loads more evenly and reduces settlement under both static and dynamic loading conditions.

Addressing sustainability challenges in infrastructure

In India’s rapidly expanding infrastructure sector, geocells are extensively used to manage weak subgrades, challenging terrain, rural road networks and hill slopes. At present, most commercially available geocells are manufactured from high-density polyethylene (HDPE) or polypropylene. While these polymer-based products are valued for their durability and strength, they have drawn criticism for several reasons.

Researchers note that polymer geocells are relatively expensive, depend on petroleum-based raw materials and contribute to carbon emissions during production. In addition, their long-term environmental impact is a growing concern, particularly due to persistent plastic waste and the potential generation of microplastics over time.

The NITK-led initiative seeks to address these challenges by replacing synthetic polymers with jute, a renewable and biodegradable natural fibre. India is the world’s largest producer of jute, making it an abundant and locally available resource with significant potential for sustainable engineering applications.

Project collaboration and funding

The project is funded by the National Jute Board under the ministry of textiles and has been executed at NITK Surathkal in collaboration with Birla Jute Mills. According to the research team, the partnership between academia, government and industry was critical in translating laboratory research into a product suitable for industrial-scale manufacturing.

Sreevalsa Kolathayar, associate professor in the department of civil engineering and professor in charge of Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) as well as principal investigator for the Capacity Building for Design and Entrepreneurship (CBDE) initiative, explained that the project was designed to balance affordability with environmental sustainability.

“Our objective was to develop a geocell product that is not only technically sound but also economically viable and environmentally responsible,” Kolathayar said. “Jute offers a unique opportunity because it is renewable, biodegradable and produced in large quantities within the country.”

Overcoming limitations of earlier jute geocells

While jute geotextiles are already well established in civil engineering applications such as erosion control and slope protection, jute-based cellular confinement systems have seen limited adoption in the past. Researchers attribute this to manufacturing constraints rather than material limitations.

Earlier versions of jute geocells were often hand-stitched, resulting in inconsistent quality, limited scalability and high labour costs. These factors made it difficult for jute geocells to compete with mass-produced polymer alternatives.

To overcome these challenges, the current project focused on developing a standardised, mechanised manufacturing process that could be implemented using existing jute mill infrastructure. The research team fabricated jute geocells by cutting jute fabric into uniform strips and assembling them into a honeycomb configuration through mechanised stitching.

This approach significantly improved repeatability and production efficiency while reducing reliance on manual labour. According to the researchers, the mechanised process is compatible with current industrial setups, making large-scale adoption feasible without major capital investment.

Laboratory testing and performance evaluation

The jute geocells underwent extensive laboratory characterisation to assess their engineering properties and performance. Tests included tensile strength measurement, seam strength evaluation and surface roughness analysis using a 3D surface profilometer. Creep behaviour was also studied to understand the long-term deformation characteristics of the material under sustained loads.

Engineering performance was evaluated through model plate load tests, with jute geocells installed at varying embedment depths within soil beds. The results were then compared with both unreinforced soil and soil reinforced with conventional polymeric geocells.

According to the study, the jute geocell demonstrated an ultimate tensile strength of approximately 15.7 kN/m. Researchers noted that this value is comparable to, and in some cases higher than, the tensile strength of commonly used HDPE geocells.

One of the most notable findings was related to surface roughness. Measurements showed that the surface roughness of the jute geocell was more than 10 times higher than that of polymer-based geocells. This enhanced roughness improves soil–reinforcement interaction and confinement efficiency, eliminating the need for perforations or chemical surface treatments typically required for polymer products.

Improved bearing capacity and cost advantages

In plate load testing, soil reinforced with jute geocells exhibited up to a 120% increase in bearing capacity compared with unreinforced soil. The tests also recorded a significant reduction in settlement, indicating improved load distribution and structural stability.

Beyond technical performance, the study highlights substantial economic benefits. The mechanised manufacturing approach reduced production costs by nearly 80%, positioning jute geocells as a low-cost alternative suitable for resource-constrained infrastructure projects, particularly in rural and remote areas.

Conclusion

The development of an industrially manufactured jute geocell marks a significant step towards greener and more affordable infrastructure solutions in India. By combining local materials, existing manufacturing infrastructure and robust engineering performance, the NITK-led project demonstrates how sustainability and scalability can be achieved together. As infrastructure demands continue to grow, such innovations could play an important role in reducing environmental impact while meeting engineering requirements.