What is "geotextile"

n. Any strong, permeable fabric used in earthwork for any of a number of purposes, including separation of soil layers, filtering, reinforcing, erosion protection and protection of drainage pipes from clogging.

Geotextiles are permeable fabrics which, when used in association with soil, have the ability to separate, filter, reinforce, protect, or drain. Typically made from polypropylene or polyester, geotextile fabrics come in three basic forms: woven (resembling mail bag sacking), needle punched (resembling felt), or heat bonded (resembling ironed felt).

Geotextile composites have been introduced and products such as geogrids and meshes have been developed. Overall, these materials are referred to as geosynthetics and each configuration—- geonets, geogrids, geotubes (such as TITANTubes) and others—-can yield benefits in geotechnical and environmental engineering design.