Geotextile

thumb|A selection of woven and non-woven geotextile samples

thumb|upright=1.1|Geotextile sandbags can be 20 m long, such as those used for the artificial reef at [[Narrow Neck, Queensland. He used different styles of woven monofilament fabrics, all characterized by a relatively high percentage open area (varying from 6 to 30%). He discussed the need for both adequate permeability and soil retention, along with adequate fabric strength and proper elongation and tone setting for geotextile use in filtration situations.

Applications

thumb|upright=1.1|A [[silt fence on a construction site.]]

Geotextiles and related products have many applications and currently support many civil engineering applications including roads, airfields, railroads, embankments, retaining structures, reservoirs, canals, dams, bank protection, coastal engineering and construction site silt fences or to form a geotextile tube. Geotextiles can also serve as components of other geosynthetics such as the reinforcing material in a bituminous geomembrane. Usually geotextiles are placed at the tension surface to strengthen the soil. Geotextiles are also used for sand dune armoring to protect upland coastal property from storm surge, wave action and flooding. A large sand-filled container (SFC) within the dune system prevents storm erosion from proceeding beyond the SFC. Using a sloped unit rather than a single tube eliminates damaging scour.

thumb|upright=1.1|Geotextile sandbags protected the historic house Kliffende on [[Sylt island against storms, which eroded the cliffs left and right from the sandbag barrier.]]

Erosion control manuals comment on the effectiveness of sloped, stepped shapes in mitigating shoreline erosion damage from storms. Geotextile sand-filled units provide a "soft" armoring solution for upland property protection. Geotextiles are used as matting to stabilize flow in stream channels and swales.

Geotextiles can improve soil strength at a lower cost than conventional soil nailing. In addition, geotextiles allow planting on steep slopes, further securing the slope.

Geotextiles have been used to protect the fossil hominid footprints of Laetoli in Tanzania from erosion, rain, and tree roots.

In building demolition, geotextile fabrics in combination with steel wire fencing can contain explosive debris.

Coir (coconut fiber) geotextiles are popular for erosion control, slope stabilization and bioengineering, due to the fabric's substantial mechanical strength.

Global warming

Glacial retreat

Geotextiles with reflective properties are often used in protecting the melting glaciers. In north Italy, they use Geotextiles to cover the glaciers for protection from the Sun. The reflective properties of the geotextile reflect the sun away from the melting glacier in order to slow the process. However, this process has proven to be more expensive than effective.

Design methods

thumb|Nonwoven geotextile bags are much more robust than woven bags of the same thickness.

thumb|Geocomposite drain consisting of needle-punched nonwoven filter and carrier geotextiles of [[polypropylene staple fibers each having a mass per area of 200 g/m<sup>2</sup>.

Applications

Global warming

Glacial retreat

Design methods

See also

References

Further reading

External links