INTRODUCTION
According to the historical record, it is believed that
the first applications of geotextiles were woven industrial fabrics used in
1950’s. One of the earliest documented cases was a waterfront structure built
in Florida in
1958. Then, the first non woven geotextile was developed in 1968 by the Rhone
Poulence company in France.
It was a comparatively thick needle-punched polyester, which was used in dam
construction in France
during 1970.Geotextile
Geotextiles are permeable fabrics which, when used in association with soil, have the ability to separate, filter, reinforce, protect, or drain. Typically made from polypropylene or polyester, geotextile fabrics come in three basic forms: woven (resembling mail bag sacking), needle punched (resembling felt), or heat bonded (resembling ironed felt).
Geotextile composites have been introduced and products such as geogrids and meshes have been developed. Overall, these materials are referred to as geosynthetics and each configuration :: geonets, geogrids, geotubes (such as TITANTubes) and others—-can yield benefits in geotechnical and environmental engineering design.
Geotextiles were originally intended to be an alternative to granular soil filters. The original, and still sometimes used, term for geotextiles is filter fabrics.
Work originally began in the 1950s with R.J. Barrett using geotextiles
behind precast concrete seawalls, under precast concrete erosion control blocks, beneath large stone riprap, and in other erosion control situations.
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
set the tone for geotextile use in filtration situations.Applications
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 geotube. 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.
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.