The Kuber Tila project, located in Ram Mandir, Ayodhya is a small hillock within the temple grounds. It underpins the Ram Van Gaman path – symbolising the journey of Lord Ram from Ayodhya to Lanka. Kuber Tila, also known as Kuber Teela, is a revered location believed to be the birthplace of Lord Kuber, the Hindu deity associated with wealth and prosperity.
In Hindu mythology, Kubera is revered as the god of wealth and prosperity. Depicted with various attributes like a mace or club as his weapon and adorned with jewels, Kubera is associated with treasures, guardianship, and fertility aspects across different religious beliefs such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.
The beautification efforts at Kuber Tila highlight its role as a cultural and religious landmark within the Ram Janmabhoomi complex. This sacred site holds immense religious significance for Hindus, who visit it to pay homage to Lord Kuber and seek blessings for wealth, success, and prosperity in their lives.
The engineering team identified the need for slope retention. The need of the project was soil stabilisation, as well as construction choices that would not clash with the beauty of the premises, and be complementary to the nature of the design aesthetics. Through the use of its trademarked StrataGridTM, StrataWeb® and StrataDrain products, and geoengineering principles, Strata Geosystems, in partnership with TCE, have transformed the area into a symbol of eco-friendliness and responsible engineering. Situated on 2.7 acres of land, this project combines innovation and engineering expertise to create a harmonious coexistence of infrastructure and nature. The slope retention project is proudly zero concrete and zero steel, unlike typical projects of similar nature.
Traditional methods for adapting steep slopes would typically rely on large quantities of steel and concrete, which have a significant environmental impact. The Kuber Tila project, instead, takes a different approach. The slope which is 12 metres in height uses 3 different geosynthetic products, which match the strength of steel and concrete. Geosynthetics are polymers with different applications in construction used to stabilise terrain, using permeable structures.
It employs the use of geogrids, geocells and geotextiles to minimise the use of regular materials and instead incorporates sustainable alternatives. As a leading manufacturer of geosynthetic products, Strata Geosystems, works with firms to deploy its state of the art materials across projects of varied scale, and applications. One of the key innovations used in the project is the utilisation of StrataWeb® geocells made of high-density polyethylene. These cells are stacked and connected to create a framework that stabilises the soil and prevents landslides and erosion.
Between the cells, vegetative growth is allowed, further enhancing the overall strength of the structure. By using these geo cells, the project significantly reduces its carbon footprint and conserves natural resources. Instead of relying on carbon intensive methods, geosynthetics are seeing wide adoption as a means to provide stability and safety to structures.
The requirement was to provide soil stabilisation, alongside fascia/slope strengthening, and draining for water. To address these project needs, three innovative geosynthetic products have been employed: StrataGrid™, StrataWeb®, and StrataDrain™. Each of these products were chosen to achieve specific objectives and create a comprehensive solution.
StrataGrid™ Geogrids is used as the primary reinforcement for stabilising the soil. StrataGrid™ acts like a super-strong fabric, providing long-lasting support to the soil with its special coating that lasts over 100 years. StrataGrid™ offers exceptional tensile strength and a high molecular weight, enabling it to provide both vertical and horizontal soil reinforcement.
In addition to reducing reliance on traditional materials, the Kuber Tila project promotes sustainability and reduces the carbon footprint in several ways. The growth of foliage within the geocells and on the Strataweb fabric promotes biodiversity and reduces the urban heat island effect. Vegetation acts as a natural carbon sink, offsetting the emissions generated by construction activities. The project’s sustainable construction practices also minimises soil erosion, protecting the local ecosystem and preventing sedimentation in nearby water bodies. Over the course of a few years, the project will be a carbon negative site, through a wide variety of trees which are meant to be planted such as Mesua Ferrea, Nyctanthes arbor-tristis(Harsingar), Butea monsperma (Dhak) in a long list of curated plants and trees. The Kuber Tila project not only promotes sustainability but also serves as a model for future construction projects. While Strata Geosystems is a global leader in geosynthetics, the use of StrataGrid™, StrataWeb® geocells and StrataDrain™ in a way that integrates nature with man made construction is the hallmark of its design engineering values.
By showcasing the power of innovative geo engineering techniques, the project demonstrates that large-scale construction can be carried out while minimising environmental impact. The success of this project emphasises the importance of collaboration between engineering and sustainability experts and sets a precedent for interdisciplinary collaboration in future sustainable construction initiatives.
The Kuber Tila project at the Ayodhya Ram Mandir showcases the potential of sustainable construction practices. Through its innovative use of geocells, geo-textiles, and geogrids, the project pioneers a narrative of responsible engineering. Its commitment to reducing the carbon footprint, promoting biodiversity, and prioritising the health of the environment makes it a model for future sustainable construction projects.
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Director, President – Glen Raven Technical Fabrics
Strata/Glen Raven tenure: 10 years/28 years
Total industry experience: 35 years
MBA – Wake Forest University
Directs the strategic direction of Glen Raven’s automotive, protective apparel, military, geogrid, outdoor and logistic businesses.
Director, General Manager, Strata Inc.
Strata/Strata Inc. tenure: 3 years/14 years
Total industry experience: 25 years
MBA – Georgia State University
Led the integration of Strata Inc. business operations into the headquarters of GRTF and transition from USA based to India based manufacturing.
Director
Strata tenure: 17 years
Total industry experience: 47 years
CA – ICA
Played a key role in the establishment of Strata’s India operations. Provides vision for product innovation and leveraging new technology trends.
Global Technical Sales Director
Strata tenure: 7 years
Total industry experience: 32 years
Civil & Geotechnical Engineer (First class)
Provides highly technical and innovative civil engineering solutions in India and around the world. Responsible for the design and execution of large-scale geotechnical projects around the world including Australia, Asia, Europe, Africa, Middle East, and South America.
CTO – Chief Technology Officer
Strata tenure: 9 years
Total industry experience: 48 years
BTech (Hons), MTech (Civil) Both IIT Bombay, DMS (Bombay University), FIE, FIGS, Chartered Engineer
Streamlines the designs of Geosynthetics and has brought innovation in geogrid and geocell design application.
COO – Projects and Sales
Strata tenure: 13 years
Total industry experience: 24 years
MBA – University of Gujarat
Leads the monetization of products and solutions while ensuring highest execution quality and project profitability.
COO – Technical Textiles
Strata tenure: 13 years
Total industry experience: 33 years
BE (Mechanical) – Nagpur University
Drives excellence in process design, product features and cost effectiveness in production.
CFO – Chief Financial Officer
Strata tenure: 8 years
Total industry experience: 35 years
CA – ICA, ICWA – ICWAI
Leads the finance, accounting, taxation, commercial, legal and IT functions and assisting on all strategic and operational matters.
CDO – Chief Development Officer
Strata tenure: 10 years
Total industry experience: 13 years
MBA – ISB, Hyderabad
Leads diversification of the product portfolio, monetizing the new products and ensuring successful sustained financial growth of the company top line.
CEO – Chief Executive Officer
Strata tenure: 14 years
Total industry experience: 42 years
B Tech (Chemical) – IIT Delhi
Leads day-to-day business operations of the company with focus on capacity expansion, product and process improvement.
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