A geotextile fabric is one that is designed to be in direct contact with the earth in order to fulfill a specific purpose. These materials are not made from natural materials but are man made. These materials have many different uses, some of which are mentioned in this article.
There are many different varieties of this product. It is manufactured by a weaving process, by felting the fibers, or it may even be knitted. The weight varies from being very heavy to something that resembles mesh. Each kind has holes to allow water to pass through. Both the pore size and the weight of the material depend on which application the material is going to be used for. The synthetic material means that it doesn\’t degrade under normal conditions, which is a benefit for a permanent installation.
This product may be used to keep layers of soil separate. A road needs a stable foundation that is undermined when the gravel foundation mixes with the underlying soil as the vehicles pass over. A heavy layer of this material keeps the gravel from being pressed down into the soil. The foundation is more secure, and the roadway is thus less likely to crack.
Water drainage is another way that this material might be used. A drainage field and channel is constructed with the fabric that gathers water from an area and diverts it away from a problem area without eroding the slope. Construction creates a lot of loose soil and erosion can be a problem. This kind of drainage can help both temporarily during construction and permanently in order to protect the structure from excess rainwater.
Erosion control at the edges of bodies of water is another function for these types of products. The material is applied on the bank and covered with rocks. This keeps the water\’s action from washing away the fine soil underneath, thus maintaining the shape of the bank.
There are lots of different types of geotextile fabric, and each application has a particular kind of fabric that will do the job well. The last 20 years has seen a great increase in their use. Besides the ones mentioned in this article, these materials have many other interesting uses.
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