What are Geotextiles and Fabrics?

Geotextile fabrics and fencing are for a wide application of industries for drainage, erosion, and sediment control.

Geotextiles can usually be categorized into 5 different categories.

They are most often used in airports, roads, canals, construction sites, and other places that need drainage or drainage control from rain, rivers, or an influx of water.

Usually made from polypropylene fibers allowing it to hold up against high flow velocity and long term erosion. Geotextiles help protect the soil, waterways, the environment, and ecosystems alike.

Using geotextile fabrics help stabilize the ground. Lots of modern day infrastructure including buildings, roads, parking lots, and more have incorporated some form of woven geotextile fabric.

One of the most popular forms of of sediment control device is a device known as a silt fence. Often utilized on construction sites to protect nearby environmental features like streams, rivers, lakes, and even the oceans from loose sediment like rocks, soil, and debris from any water runoff.

Made of tightly woven synthetic materials and strongly posted into the ground, silt fences help in trapping soil and even the smallest sediments while still allowing water to pass through.

They act as a barrier, just like any fence would to keep intruders out. The only difference is that in ‘this case’ the intruders are soil/other contaminants.

Silt fences also help with preserving slopes by not allowing the erosion to mess up the foundation of the group/terrain.

These fence can also be arranged in a way to help pool/trap all the sediment in one area for storage.

Sometimes, too much sediment can overrun or overflow, which is why multiple layers of silt fencing needs to be used. If you can, try to avoid long runs of sediment to help prevent overflow. Do this by placing your fencing closer to sediment runoff.