what is geotextile fabric

Geotextile fabric is a permeable fabric that is used in association with soil to separate, filter, reinforce, protect, or drain. It is typically made from polypropylene or polyester and comes in two basic forms: woven and nonwoven. Woven geotextiles are comprised of woven slit film polypropylene materials and are very effective at bridging over wet or inferior soil layers. Non-woven geotextiles, on the other hand, combine the strength of woven fabrics with high permeability, making them a better choice when applications require both separation and filtration. Geotextile fabrics are durable and can soften a fall. They are used in various applications such as beneath driveways, parking lots, residential streets, and highways. Geotextiles are part of a larger category of materials called geosynthetics, which includes geonets, geosynthetic clay liners, geogrids, geotextile tubes, and others.