Geotextiles are a permeable fabrics that are made from polypropylene or polyester for soil surfaces. Commonly used in the civil engineering industry, it falls under the category of geosynthetic materials.
When in contact with soil surfaces, geotextiles have four basic functions: filtration, separation, drainage and reinforcement. While they are a cost effective and good solution for soil functions, a disadvantage would be its vulnerability to sediment blockage due to its porous nature.
Some common civil engineering applications include:
Improvement of unpaved and paved roads in airport runways
Landfills and stone base courses
Under urban areas like parking lots, curbs and sidewalks
Sand dune armouring to protect coastal properties
Because of the diverse applications, they possess the following properties: thickness, permeability, durability, strength and roughness.
Depending on the function, there are three basic types of geotextiles: open mesh, warp-knitted structure, or closed fabric surface.
