Erosion Protection
When used in seawall construction, geotextiles are placed between the seawall and the water to help prevent erosion and scouring at the base of the structure. This can help prolong the life of the wall and geotextiles are often used in combination with rip-rap (also known as armour stone) to provide an additional layer of protection to the structure.
One of the main advantages of using geotextiles in combination with rip-rap is that it creates a more stable and durable coastal protection structure. The geotextile provides a layer of protection against erosion by holding the soil in place, whilst the rip-rap provides a layer of protection against wave action and storm surges. Additionally, the combination of the two materials can help to dissipate wave energy, thereby protecting the beach, its sand dunes and nearby properties.
Geotextiles for Coastal and Marine Applications
Coastal geotextiles are specially engineered to provide exceptional performance in separation, filtration, and protection – whilst maintaining reduced thickness compared to traditional geotextiles. These geotextiles offer benefits in coastal protection beneath concrete defences, and can also be used for the protection of impermeable membranes.
Coastal geotextiles are designed to be used as filtration and separation layers in hydraulic defence structures. Placed onto lower permeability beach materials they prevent the migration of fine particles, while permitting the free passage of water. This creates a stable and consistent bedding layer, often replacing the need for more layers of armour stone and generating significant cost savings.
The geotextile range is often used as a cost-effective alternative to traditional lining layers and provides benefits for toe design applications and has been designed to resist damage during construction loading, with high strength and elongation properties that prevent tearing or puncture.
Filtration & Separation
The inclusion of an appropriately sized and weighted geotextile at the interface with the beach will retain fine particles and preclude them from being washed away, whilst permitting the free movement of water.
In a geotechnical application, a filtration system must function throughout its complete deign life without clogging, and unlike other filter applications the system cannot be easily replaced.
Rather than stopping all particles within the filter, the correct geotextile pore size is selected that allows some smaller particles to pass through. The structure is then stabilised, with larger particles held in place. Once in contact, the larger particles restrict movement of the remaining smaller particles and stabilise the entire soil layer.
