Woven vs Nonwoven Geotextile Fabric

Essentially, woven geotextile is made by weaving individual yarns on a loom to create a uniform length. Different materials such as slit films, fibrillated yarn, and monofilaments can be used, but the weaving technique is constant regardless of the material used.

This ensures that the woven geotextile fabric is strong, making it an excellent choice for applications like road constructions, beneath driveways, residential streets, and highways. Woven geotextiles are not as permeable with a few exceptions, so they are not the best choice for drainage projects. Instead, they are excellent for long-term separation and reinforcement applications, and they resist corrosion.

What Is Nonwoven Geotextile Fabric?
Nonwoven geotextiles are manufactured by binding short and long fibers together through needle punching or other alternative methods. Usually, heat treatment is applied to ensure the geotextile’s strength is improved.

Nonwoven geotextiles are usually made using synthetic materials such as polyester or polypropylene and they are permeable. They are best used in projects that require protection, filtration, separation, and drainage. However, they are not as strong as woven geotextiles.

Major Differences Between Woven and Nonwoven Geotextiles
Woven and nonwoven geotextiles have significant differences, especially in their applications and how they are manufactured. The kind of project you are working on will determine the geotextile fabrics that will best suit you. Listed below are the major difference between woven and nonwoven geotextiles:

Woven geotextiles are an excellent choice for reinforcement and stabilization applications, while nonwoven geotextiles are great for filtration, separation, and drainage applications.

Woven geotextiles have a high load capacity and tensile strength and are often used in road construction, while nonwoven geotextiles are usually measured by weight.
Woven geotextiles with a few exceptions are semi impermeable, and their flow-through rate is low, while nonwoven geotextiles are permeable, and their flow-through rate is high.
Both woven and nonwoven geotextiles can be made from polyester or polypropylene yarns or fibers.

Applications for Nonwoven Geotextiles

Nonwoven geotextiles are the best solution when you need permeability and soil separation. They are also the perfect solution if you are working on a project that requires drainage. While it may not be as strong as a woven geotextile, it is an excellent choice for specific projects. Therefore, when working on a project, you should know what geotextile will suit the project.

Listed below are some applications of nonwoven geotextile:

Beneath rock riprap revetment
Wrapping French drains
Used with alternative sub-surface drainage solutions
For projects that require soil separation and permeability
Applications for Woven Geotextiles
There are several applications where woven geotextiles can be applied. As stated, you should ensure that you are using suitable material for your project. When you correctly specify and install woven geotextiles, they extend your project's life, reduce the long-term maintenance costs, and deliver improved performance.