The application of geotextiles has been accepted as a construction material in Civil Engineering works. However, in India, the utility of geotextiles is very limited to particular areas of application in Civil Engineering such as highways, railways and irrigation projects etc. On an experimental basis, these fabrics have been used as an intermediate layer between subgrade and subbase to serve as a separation and drainage layer in a road constructed on soft subgrade soil. The main objective of field trials was to study the need, relevance and the relative efficacy of the use of geotextiles as compared to the use of conventional techniques in the construction and maintenance of road pavements on soft subgrades. The performance and surface characteristics of different test sections were evaluated in terms of riding quality, rut depth and transverse/ longitudinal slope variance. The structural adequacy of different specifications were determined using Benklemen Beam deflection tests. The cost analysis for sections with different specifications is also made. Based on the detailed data analysis, it is concluded that the geotextiles are an effective substitute for conventional blanket courses as a separator with the added benefit that they ensure more effective subsurface drainage of the pavement compared to conventional blanket courses.
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