Geotextiles

Geotextiles have been used for thousands of years. Geotextiles were used in roadway construction in the days of the Pharaohs to stabilize roadways and their edges. These early geotextiles were made of natural fibers, fabrics or vegetation mixed with soil to improve road quality, particularly when roads were made on unstable soil. Only recently have geotextiles been used and evaluated for modern road construction. A geotextile is defined as any permeable textile material that is used with foundation, soil, rock, earth, etc. to increase stability and decrease wind and water erosion. A geotextile may be made of synthetic or natural fibers. Modern geotextiles are usually made from a synthetic polymer (such as polypropylene, polyester, polyethylenes and polyamides) or a composite of natural and synthetic material.

Geotextiles can be woven, knitted or non-woven. Different fabric composition and construction are suitable for different applications. The non-woven geotextile is an arrangement of fibers either oriented or randomly patterned in a sheet, resembling felt. These geotextiles provide planar water flow in addition to stabilization of soil. Typical applications include access roads, aggregate drains, asphalt pavement overlays, and erosion control.

Woven geotextile looks like burlap. It is a fabric made of two sets of parallel strands systematically interlaced to form a thin, flat fabric. The strands are of two kinds – slit film which are flat, or monofilaments which are round. The way these two sets of yarns are interlaced determines the weave pattern that in turn determines the best application for that woven fabric. Weave patterns come in a virtually unlimited variety that do affect some properties of the fabric. Woven geotextiles are generally preferred for applications where high strength properties are needed, but where filtration requirements need to be met.

Civil engineers will use their knowledge and training to incorporate the best type of geotextile in the roadway projects. GroGreen can help provide recommendations if a project has not been engineered.