Geotextiles are used in road construction, drainage and soil reinforcement and come in two basic forms, woven and non woven. It’s extremely handy that you are able to discern one from the other, so that you may choose the proper sort of geotextile from stock for your undertakings.
Woven geotextiles
Woven geotextiles are formed by “weaving” or under-lacing yarns or threads in a pattern, normally a right angle, to one another. This of course is achievable through the type of loom which “weaves” along the same productive process as making fabric out of yarn, whereby it appears to be strong. This producing process of woven geotextiles gives them great tensile strength and also means that they are spin resistant to physical stress, due to the fact that they are “woven” makes them extremely tough and strong with extreme good load bearing uses, and resistant also to UV degradation in difficult environment. However since this limit the uncontrolled passage of water through a woven material, it is readily usable in the filtering and flowing of liquids. Common uses for woven geotextiles are in reinforcement and stabilization of roads and supply of additional sub-grade support.Erosion Control:They aid in preventing the loss of soil from surfaces ambient to the action of high water flow thus giving a further base of soil for planting or building purposes. Separation Layers:Woven fabric types are employed as a separation layer to prevent two different soil types from mixing and to keep them apart overcoming the tendency for the soil to cause “clay pumping” (the action forcing clay into the surfacing layer).Non-woven geotextiles: a short overview
These are made by some form of bonding together of the fibres by, for example, some mechanical, thermal or chemical process. Connected with this is the fact that because they are not woven, there are many features which they have in common with none other of the foregoing, which will be listed below.
General properties of non-woven geotextiles
High permeability: All some form of so-called “high permeability” to drainage water is attained.
Cushioning effect: Protects any surface which is subjected to an impact or blows from workers that are engaged in building trenches
Flexibility. By virtue of being much less in weight than woven of equal surface area.
Functions of non-woven geotextiles
Separation and cushioning. Found use in various projects where separation is necessary, such as road construction or retaining walls. Landscaping purposes for prevention of soils from mixing and cushioning.
Erosion control. As with the woven type, so here, also assisting in the control of earth, and the controlling of surface water runoff.
Differences between woven & non-woven geotextiles
Having seen the various applications of each, let us quickly compare between them.Manufacturing Process
Woven Geotextiles: The fibres for these are created by weaving i.e., by using the method of putting and interlacing threads in a prescribed manner.
Non-woven Geotextiles: Fibres are bonded using different methods like needle punching, heat bonding or using a chemical process.
Strength and Durability
Woven Geotextiles: They possess high tensile strength and durability to application imposed upon them, therefore adequate for many heavy application like soil reinforcement.
Non-woven Geotextiles: Even though they don’t manifest as high tensile strength as woven geotextiles, they have fairly good puncture resistance and cushioning properties.
Permeability
Woven Geotextiles: These being allow for a flow of water. They are hence used in same way for filtration, or drainage.
Non-woven Geotextiles: These allow of free movement of water, far more than the previous and are better suited for such application where far higher flow or water is needed, like in usually found in drainage.
Flexibility
Woven Geotextiles: These being stiffer, are hence less flexible so difficult to handle especially working in tightly or irregularly shaped space.
Non-woven Geotextiles: The flexibility enable them easier to work, so suitable in relevant project.
Application
Woven Geotextiles: Generally used for purposes of reinforcement, or separation in road construction, erosion control, soil stabilisation etc.
Non-woven Geotextiles: These more often are used for filtration, and drainage purposes, Also for cushioning but equally that of erosion control and separation.
Choosing Geotextile for Your Application
Decisions which type of geotextile is required are best dependant on considerations bearing on your project. So here are a few to consider:
Application: What are your application needs? Or if simply reflecting the earlier section some being requirements of your choice of geotextile? What about: earth retention, soil stabilisation or reinforcement? In this case, clearly only woven units should be used, but if simply of requiring only filtration etc, then which? The non-woven of course.
Environmental Conditions: What about the environmental factors? Like exposure to UV light, beeding resistant to weather and fluctuations in temperatures, fluctuating levels ofmoisture..which of the two geotextiles stands a better chance of ‘standing the test’?
Cost: Cost? While the woven tends to be the expensive side, then the non-woven becomes favourable in cost especially for applications of higherpermeability or in the way of cushioning.
Conclusion
To round up then, simply that “woven and non-woven geotextiles” offer opportunity to choose based on what you project calls for. So essentially, when strength is required, a heavier and duty or has on the way, then woven is more favourable, but when of quite the opposite, suited due ‘tempering’ of flexible feel, then of course, the nonwoven.