Geotextiles were first used in the 1950s as woven industrial fabrics for waterfront structures. The first nonwoven geotextile was developed in 1968. Geotextiles are permeable technical textiles designed for use in soil and civil engineering projects for separation, filtration, reinforcement, protection, or drainage. They are most commonly made from polypropylene or polyester in various woven and nonwoven configurations. Geotextiles serve functions like separation, filtration, drainage, and reinforcement and are used in applications such as railways, erosion control, airports, ground development, and more. They provide strength and stability while allowing for water flow.

1. 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
nonwoven geotextile was developed in 1968 by the Rhone
Poulence company in France. It was comparatively thick
needle-punched polyester, which was used in dam
construction in France during 1970
 In fact, the geotextile is one of the members of the
geosynthetic family

2. What is geotextile?
*Geotextile : A permeable geosynthetic comprised
solely of textiles. Geotextiles are used with foundation,
soil, rock, earth, or any other geotechnical
engineering-related material as an integral part of a
human-made product structure, or system.
*Geotextiles are technical textiles designed for use in
association with soil and for various civil engineering
purposes serving the need for separation, filtration,
reinforcement, protecting or drainage.

3. THE TYPES OF GEOTEXTILE
*In general, the vast majority of geotextiles are made from
polypropylene or polyester formed into fabrics as follows:
 Woven monofilament
 Woven multifilament
 Woven slit-film monofilament
 Woven slit-film multifilament
 Nonwoven continuous filament heat bonded
 Nonwoven continuous filament needle-punched
 Nonwoven staple needle-punched
 Nonwoven resin bonded
 Other woven and nonwoven combinations
 Knitted

4. Fig: Non-woven geotextile fabrics. Fig: Woven geotextile fabrics

5. RAW MATERIAL OF GEOTEXTILE:
The four main polymer families most widely used as the raw material for
geotextiles are:
1. Polyester
2. Polyamide
3. Polypropylene
4. Polyethylene
The oldest of these is polyethylene, which was discovered in 1931 in
the research laboratories of the ICI. Another group of polymers with
a long production history is the polyamide family, the first of which
was discovered in 1935.The next oldest of the four main polymer
families relevant to geotextile manufacture is polyester which was
first announced in 1941.The most recent polymer family relevant to
geotextiles to be developed was polypropylene, which was
discovered in 1954.

6. THE BASIC PROPERTIES OF GEOTEXTILE:
The properties of polymer material are affected by its
average molecular weight (MW) and its statistical
distribution. Increasing the average MW results in
increasing:
 • Tensile strength
 • Elongation
 • Impact strength
 • Stress crack resistance
 • Heat resistance

7. WORLD CONSUMPTION OF GEOTEXTILES
Source: Geosynthetics – David Cook (2003), Freedonia Group (2009)

8. FUNCTIONS OF GEOTEXTILES
 Separation
 Filtration
 Drainage
 Reinforcements
 Protection

9. Separation:
Geotextiles function to prevent mutual mixing between 2
layers of soil having different particle sizes or different
properties.
Fig: Separation.

10. Drainage:
The function of drainage is to gather water, which is
not required functionally by the structure, such as
rainwater or surplus water in the soil, and discharge it
Fig: Drainage.

11. Filtration:
Filtration involves the establishment of a stable interface
between the drain and the surrounding soil. In all soils
water flow will induce the movement of fine particles.
Fig : Filtration.

12. Reinforcement:
Due to their high soil fabric friction coefficient and high
tensile strength, heavy grades of geotextiles are used to
reinforce earth structures allowing the use of local fill
material.
Fig : Reinforcement.

13. Protection:
Erosion of earth embankments by wave action, currents
and repeated drawdown is a constant problem requiring
the use of non-erodable protection in the form of rock
beaching or mattress structures.
Fig: Protection.

14. TYPES OF GEOTEXTILE
 Woven
 Non-woven
 Knitted

15. Woven Fabrics: Large numbers of geosynthetics are of
woven type, which can be sub-divided into several
categories based upon their method of manufacture.
These were the first to be developed from the synthetic
fibers. As their name implies, they are manufactured by
adopting techniques which are similar to weaving usual
clothing textiles
Woven fabric

16. Non-woven: Non-woven geo-synthetics can be
manufactured from either short staple fibre or continuous
filament yarn. The fibers can be bonded together by
adopting thermal, chemical or mechanical techniques or
a combination of techniques. The type of fibre (staple or
continuous) used has very little effect on the properties
of the non – woven geo synthetics.
Nonwoven

17. Knitted Fabrics: Knitted geosynthetics are
manufactured using another process which is adopted
from the clothing textiles industry, namely that of
knitting. In this process interlocking a series of loops
of yarn together is made. An example of a knitted
fabric is illustrated in figure. Only a very few knitted
types are produced.
Knitted fabric

18. Properties of Geotextile:
The physical properties:
The thickness and mass weight must meet the needs of the project
and have an even thickness.
The mechanical properties:
Geotextile requires a certain tensile strength, elastic modulus and
impact resistance, tear resistance and resistance to creep
In the hydraulic properties:
Geotextile structure having a suitable pore size and excellent
permeability, in order to ensure water can pass without making sand
loss;
Durability:
Geotextile need to have ability of anti-acid and other chemicals, heat
resistant and anti-UV properties.

19. Advantages of Geotextiles:
1. Strength-for-strength, they are lighter than woven
geotextiles using the same yarn. This makes for easier
handling and laying on site; thus transport and labor
costs are less in real terms.
2. Knitted geotextiles have exceptional tear strength.
Additional strength can be designed and built-in to
the weft direction such that a bi-axial high tensile,
high strength warp/weft geotextile becomes a reality;
e.g.500kNm warp and 500k Nm weft.
3. Knitted geotextiles can incorporate an additional
fabric to form a true composite geotextile, the fabric
being simply knitted-in.

20. Applications-Geotextile:
Geotextile-Railways:
In Railway tracks the use of high strength woven geotextiles
increases the periods between track maintenance. They are
placed between the existing formation and the ballast layer to
prevent the sub-grade from pumping in to the ballast layer,
thereby maintaining structural integrity

21. Geotextile-Erosion Control:
Geotextiles prevent the erosion of soil on the slopes and
hilly areas. Nonwoven Geotextile will give effective
drainage for water flow and on other side it will prevent the
soil particle from washing out.

22. Geotextile-Airport Runways:
High tensile Geotextile woven fabrics are used in runways
for reinforcement. Non woven Geotextiles are used for
drainage blankets and for filtration purpose.

23. Geotextile-Ground Development:
Geotextiles are used in all types of sports field, golf
courses, reservoirs tunnels, petro-stations, Industrial
Buildings etc.

24. Conclusion:
 Geotextiles are an efficient effective and
economic method of solving most of the
geotechnical problems in rods.
 The design engineer should be well aware of
the possible problems and should use this
relatively new tool for solving them.
 For this he/she should understand properties
and capabilities of the geotextile material.

25. Thank You