Geotextiles and Their Uses in Civil Construction
Geotextiles are permeable synthetic textile materials that are used in civil construction projects to enhance soil stability, provide erosion control or aid in drainage. Geotextiles are available in various weave types and polymers and can be manufactured to fit a specific purpose in your project.
Woven
Woven geotextiles are created by blending and weaving fibres together on a loom to create one uniform length. They are very strong making them an excellent option for car parks and road constructions but also remarkably well equipped to handle ground stabilisation problems.
Woven
Woven geotextile fabrics are constructed with polypropylene/PP or polyester/PE flat yarns that are woven together with different weaving equipment and processes to produce a fabric shape. The resulting materials have strong tensile strength in both vertical/MD and horizontal/CD directions. They are typically used in separation and filtering applications, but they can also be found beneath rock riprap revetments.
The six primary functions of geotextiles are filtration, drainage, separation, reinforcement, protection and waterproofing. The choice of fabric for a particular construction project depends on which of these functions is Geotextile the most important, as well as the construction site requirements and specifications.
For example, woven geotextiles are often used to protect roadway construction projects by keeping soil from mixing with asphalt and concrete, protecting the subgrade and base layers from erosion, and providing drainage and strength. They are particularly good for use around railroad crossings and in embankment applications because they help reduce vibration, noise and damage to the underlying soil from traffic and railroad operations. Woven geotextiles are also useful for stabilization and erosion control on slopes. They are especially effective in keeping mud from building up during construction and after rain events.
Woven geotextiles can be purchased by the roll in widths and lengths that vary depending on the application. The most common size is 10 feet wide by 100 yards long, but smaller and larger sizes are available. The grab tensile strength, trapezoidal tear strength and CBR puncture resistance of the woven filter fabric are the main specifications that customers need to know when selecting the appropriate material for a specific project. In addition, the permeability (water permittivity) and pore size of the material (Apparent Opening Size or AOS) are important to consider as these two characteristics determine how fast or slow the fabric drains and how much water is allowed to pass through it.
Because woven geotextiles are so good at separating the subgrade from the pavement, they can save valuable time and money on road construction projects. By preventing the mixture of soils, they keep the construction process on schedule and ensure that the project is finished by its intended date. They are a great choice for construction sites because they also prevent the erosion of the subsurface that could occur in the staging areas and foundations of buildings and pads. They can even be used to help stabilize soil in preparation for excavations or building pad construction.
The only downside to the woven fabric gabion manufacturer is that it is less porous than non-woven and therefore slower to drain. However, this is not necessarily a negative because many civil engineering projects require drainage to take place at a slow rate in order to avoid surface flooding or saturation.
Non-woven, or spunbond, geotextiles are constructed by bonding instead of weaving. The fibers of the synthetic non-woven fabric are either long filament or short staple, and they can be bonded using heat, chemical, or mechanical methods. The most common method is needle punching, but thermal, resin, or spray-on bonding techniques can be utilized as well.
