Introduction

BTRA is recognized (based on earlier experience, expertise and facility) as a Centre of Excellence for Geotech by the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India.

BTRA setup a new Geotech Laboratory with all testing facilities to test Geotextiles, Geomembranes, Geocomposites, Gabions, Geosynthetic Clay Liner, Geogrids, Prefabricated Vertical Drain etc. Also, BTRA is strengthening its information resources on Geotech by procuring various books and international test methods such as ASTM, INDA, EDANA, ISO, etc.

This laboratory is accredited as per the following:

ISO/IEC-17025:2017

GAI-LAP Accreditation of Geosynthetics Institute, USA

Geotech Laboratory is now accredited by Geosynthetics Institute (GSI), Folsom, Pensylvania, USA under the GAI-LAP Accreditation Programme for the following 24 tests of geosynthetics products.

It is pertinent to mention that BTRA is the first institute in India and probably only the third institute outside USA to get this coveted accreditation. What this means to the geosynthetics producers and users is that they can get the products tested in BTRA with utmost confidence that the accuracy of the results are as good as any other GAI-LAP accredited laboratories. They can get the tests done in India, thus saving time and money without compromising on the quality of the results.

ASTM D1004 – Test Method for Initial Tear Resistance of Plastic Film & Sheeting
ASTM D1238 – Test Method for Flow Rates of Thermoplastics by Extrusion Plastometer ( Melt Flow Index )
ASTM D1603 – Test Method for Carbon Black in Olefin Plastics
ASTM D1693 – Environmental Stress-Cracking of Ethylene Plastics
ASTM D1777 – Test Method for Measuring Thickness of Textile Materials
ASTM D3776 – Test Method for Mass Per Unit Area (Weight) or Woven Fabric
ASTM D4491 – Determination of water permeability of Geotextiles by permittivity method
ASTM D4533 – Test Method for Trapezoid Tear Resistance of Geotextile
ASTM D4595 / ISO10319 – Tensile Properties of Geotextiles by the Wide-Width Strip Method
ASTM D4632 – Grab Breaking Load and Elongation of Geotextiles
ASTM D4751 – Apparent opening size of Geotextiles
ASTM D4833 – Index Puncture Resistance of Geotextiles, Geomembranes and Related Products
ASTM D4884 / ISO10321 – Test Method for Seam Strength of Sewn Geotextiles
ASTM D4885 – Test Method for Determining Performance Tensile Strength of Geomembranes Using Wide Strip Testing
ASTM D5034 / ISO13934 – Breaking Strength and Elongation of Textile Fabrics (Grab Method)
ASTM D5035 – Breaking Strength and Elongation of Textile Fabrics (Strip Method)
ASTM D5199 – Nominal Thickness of Geotextiles and Geomembranes
ASTM D5261 / ISO9864 – Test Method for Measuring Mass per Unit Area of Geotextiles
ASTM D5323 – 2% Secant Modulus for Polyethylene Geomembranes
ASTM D6241 / ISO 12236 – Test Method for the Static Puncture Strength of Geotextiles and Geotextile Related Products Using a 50-mm Probe
ASTM D6637 – Test Method for Determining Tensile Properties of Geogrids by the Single or Multi-Rib Tensile Method
ASTM D6693 – Tensile Properties of Nonreinforced Polyethylene and Nonreinforced Flexible Polypropylene Geomembranes
ASTM D6767 – Pore Size Characteristics of Geotextiles by Capillary Flow Test
ISO 13433 – Dynamic perforation (Cone Drop) Test

Soil Mechanics & Asphalt Testing Laboratory optimising testing parameters is also set up in BTRA. Outside testing is started for certain test parameters. For details click here.

It has also added Nonwovens Pilot Plant [Hydroentanglment by Fleissner], many other testing equipments and strengthened information resource centre on Geotech.