An Overview of Geotextile- Types and Uses

What is a Geotextile fabric?

Geotextiles or Geotextile membranes porous material are used to reduce soil erosion and stability. They are used for various purposes like agricultural, engineering, construction and mining projects. Earlier, people used natural plant fibres to reinforce the soil, but since the evolution of synthetic polymers, Geotextiles have taken over for this purpose. 

Different types of Geotextiles

Geotextiles come in different variants that suit several purposes. Here are some of the Geotextiles;

• Nonwoven Geotextiles

These geotextile types are mainly used for preventing soil erosion and ensuring the backfill stays in place. The Non-woven geotextile is made with polypropylene or polyester fibres positioned in a patterned way or randomly in the sheet; later, a needle is infiltrated to make the sheet strong and malleable material with amazing stretching capabilities. When it goes through wear and tear, the needle punched helps the Geotextile from delaminating. The nonwoven geotextiles allow water and air to easily pass through as they are permeable to water and air. These geotextiles are water and moisture-resistant, which prevents the growth of mould or fungi within the sheet.

• Woven Textiles

These geotextiles are mainly used in engineering, mining and construction projects. The woven Geotextile is made of polypropylene fibres and has strength on both sides. Due to its sturdiness, the Geotextile has an excellent weight-to-strength ratio. It is highly resistant to heat, dust, soil pollutants and pests. The geotag woven textile is another branch used as a separator and is easy to install for construction, engineering and other industrial applications. These geotextiles increase the lifespan of paved and unpaved areas, ideal for construction, engineering, agricultural and industrial purposes. 

• Geotextile fabric Uses

Geotextile is an excellent choice for construction and engineering purposes. The geotextile fabrics' unique features and functions provide advantages like ease of installation, less material utilized and other economic advantages. They are popularly used for

• Constructions of roads

Usually, the Geotextile is purchased from the geotextile fabric manufacturers to construct roads and highways. It provides tensile strength to the soil, making it super strong. They maintain their permeable properties while performing their separating functions as they are used for dewatering purposes for roadway work.

• Railways Work

The nonwoven and woven geotextiles are used when the ground is unstable. They used to keep the soil separate from the subsoil without disturbing the groundwater movement. The separate layers are closely knitted in the cloth, preventing it from sliding in the other direction due to vibrations from the trains.

• Agricultural Work

The Geotextile is used for soil control. The nonwoven fabrics improve the conditions of the muddy way for cattle and vehicles. 

• Drainage 

Different Geotextile fabric Types filter the soil for similar granular particles to convey the water; this is considered an economical and feasible method compared to traditional methods. They are used for draining the water in dams, reservoirs, draining ditches and other purposes.  

• Filter purpose for waterworks. 

The geotextiles shield rivers and canals from the soil erosion caused by strong currents. They act as a natural filter when they are used between the stones. 

Functions of Geotextile 

• Separation- one of the many Uses of geotextiles is usually used in construction and engineering works for its separation properties, as they prevent mixing two different types of soils. 
• Filtration- They have outstanding filtration properties that offer an adequate water flow with little soil loss. 
• Reinforcement- it offers tensile strength to the soil and lateral constraints.
• Sealing- the Geotextile absorbs the asphalt and becomes a water-resistant membrane that prevents water from entering the pavement structure.   

Shankar Techx is a leading geotextile material manufacturer that offers different types of geotextiles for industrial, engineering, construction and other activities. Contact Shankar Techx for more information. 

Also Check: What Are the Methods to Produce Non Woven Filter Media?