How to Choose Non Woven Geotextile Fabric?
Jul. 14, 2025
Nonwoven Geotextile Fabric: Ultimate Helpful Guide
Levi Reeves - Feb 28,
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Nonwoven Geotextile Fabric: Ultimate Helpful Guide
Nonwoven geotextile fabric is a strong, durable, non-biodegradable, and synthetic material used for landscaping, engineering, and drainage applications. They are made from thermally bonded polypropylene or polyester fibers that are needle punched in a random pattern to create a resilient fabric that has a felt-like look and feel. Non-woven geotextiles are made to act as a barrier between the soil and things like water, gravel, rocks, or sand as well in various applications like rip-rap, french drains, and drain fields. These fabrics enable greater drainage than woven fabrics, making them an ideal material for areas with excessive moisture or flooding.
Landscaping and engineering projects can benefit in many ways from using non-woven geotextile fabric. Non-woven geotextiles can be used to strengthen roads, driveways, and paths by adding strength and stability under asphalt layers and concrete paving stones. This keeps sinkholes from forming when heavy vehicles drive over soft soils without a protective layer.
Quick Summary
What is it?
Non-woven geotextile fabric is a felt like fabric that provides strength with high drainage rates.
Why use it?
Can provide drainge support, separation, stabilization, and filtering for a number of applications.
Where is it used?
Nonwoven fabrics are often used as a layer in road pavement projects, in french drains, drain fields, under rip rap and more.
Reinforcement
Finally non-woven geotextiles offer excellent reinforcement properties when placed under pavements or roads during construction projects. Non-woven fabrics distribute point loads evenly instead of concentrating pressure on one point--this helps increase the lifespan of pavements by preventing cracking and potholes from developing prematurely due to uneven weight distribution caused by shifting soils beneath pavement surfaces. Woven geotextile fabrics are also a viable option for use in road construction.
Other Benefits
In addition non-woven geotextile provides protection from frost heaves during cold weather conditions and prevents rutting due to heavy load traffic on pavements because it absorbs some of the shock load between two layers when compaction takes place in soils underneath roadways or parking lots surfaces without compromising strength or stability throughout the entire area being reinforced over time.
How to tell if a Geotextile Fabric is Nonwoven?
The following techniques can be used to determine whether a geotextile filter fabric is non woven:
The threads in nonwoven geotextiles are randomly entangled and oriented, giving them a fuzzy or felt-like texture. As a result, they feel soft and flexible, like a thick fabric or carpet. Contrarily, woven geotextiles have fibers that are uniformly distributed throughout and are tightly woven in a regular pattern.
Without the use of weaving or knitting, synthetic fibers are frequently felted or glued together to make nonwoven geotextile fabric. Check for perforations. They lack the repeating pattern of holes or perforations that define woven or knitted textiles as a result. The surface of a nonwoven geotextile does not have a uniform grid of holes or gaps.
Watch the thickness and weight: Nonwoven geotextile fabric frequently weighs more and is thicker than woven geotextiles with comparable strength and filtering properties. Nonwoven geotextile can have a structure that is denser and more compact than a woven fabric of the same weight or thickness. This is due to the random alignment and entanglement of the fibers in it. To see if nonwoven geotextiles can store soil particles and other fine materials while still allowing water to pass through, test their water permeability.
To test the water permeability of a geotextile filter fabric, pour some water across the surface and watch it seep through. Geotextiles consisting of nonwoven materials must allow water to pass through them relatively quickly with little to no significant pooling or runoff.
Non Woven Geotextile Fabric Applications
Road Construction
Road construction projects benefit from the use of nonwoven geotextile fabric, acting as a separator to keep soil layers distinct and filtered drainage channels clear. Not only does it enhance performance and durability but reinforcement with this type of material also increases strength for stable traveling conditions.
Erosion Control
Nonwoven geotextile fabric is a powerful tool to protect soil from erosion. With its ability to bind together and retain soil particles while allowing water flow, it can be used in various applications such as shoreline stabilization and slope protection perfect for keeping vulnerable areas safe against erosion damage.
What do the Different Fabric Weights Mean?
Lightweight
Lightweight nonwoven geotextile fabric is the perfect fabric choice for projects requiring high filtration capabilities without needing to provide extra reinforcement. Featuring an ounce weight of less than 5 oz per square yard, these fabrics offer a reliable and cost effective solution while ensuring efficient implementation of desired goals.
Medium Weight
Non-woven geotextile fabrics of medium weight offer a practical solution for applications where support and reinforcement is needed in moderate levels. Commonly found with an ounce weight between 5 - 8 oz per square yard, they are often used in road construction projects, erosion control endeavors and landfill operations.
Heavyweight
For heavy duty projects requiring increased protection and stability, heavyweight non-woven geotextiles are the ideal choice. With their ounce weight greater than 8 oz./sq yd., these fabrics offer superior reinforcement for applications such as retaining walls, embankments or subgrade stabilization.
Considerations
When considering the best fabric ounce weight for a particular application, many factors should be taken into account. Requirements such as function of geotextile fabric, soil type and environmental conditions of project area must all be weighed against each other to make an informed decision. Lighter fabrics tend to offer more cost-efficiency and ease during installation; however, they may not always hold up under heavier traffic or loads. Heavier options can provide improved strength at greater expense in challenging projects – selecting the right choice will depend on individual needs and requirements being met accordingly.
How is Nonwoven Geotextile Fabric Made?
Non-woven geotextile fabrics are manufactured through a process known as needle punching.
In this process, barbed needles are used to interlock the fibers of a geotextile material, such as polypropylene. The needles function as tiny hooks that latch onto and connect the fibers of the geotextile fabric. For construction projects requiring stable ground coverings, erosion control, and drainage systems, this process provides superior strength and durability and drainage.
To prepare for the punching process, the fabric is first laid out in large sheets. It is then passed through a series of rotating metal plates with hundreds of barbed needles protruding at regular intervals. The needles penetrate and interlock the sheet's fibers as it passes between these plates, forming a strong bond. Different types of geotextiles require different needle-punching densities, which means that some will require more or fewer barbed needles during production.
The punch-needling process gives non-woven geotextile fabrics high tensile strength and durability while remaining flexible enough to be used in a variety of applications. The fabric can also be cut into to suit the needs of various construction projects.
Are you interested in learning more about Building Non Woven Fabric? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!
Grab Tensile Strength
Tensile strength is a crucial characteristic for non-woven geotextile fabrics, denoting the maximum force the fabric can withstand without tearing or breaking. The tensile strength of a particular fabric varies by how it is made. These fabrics' tensile strength is evaluated using standard testing methods. The outcomes of these tests can vary, but many non-woven geotextile fabrics have tensile strengths of several hundred pounds per foot or more.
CBR Puncture
The ability of nonwoven geotextiles to withstand puncture is a crucial feature. These fabrics are frequently used as a barrier layer to protect underlying layers from sharp or abrasive objects. Puncture resistance is typically measured using standard industry methods. The puncture resistance of non-woven geotextile fabrics can range from a few hundred to several thousand pounds per foot.
Nonwoven Geotextile Fabric Functions
Non-woven geotextile fabric is a versatile tool employed in many situations to filter soil, water and other materials. Its microscopic pores facilitate the passage of liquids while blocking sediment from escaping drainage pipes - ensuring that these systems are kept clear and functional over time.
Non-woven geotextile fabric offers a reliable solution to stabilized soil structures, such as roadways. By creating an insulating layer between the subgrade and base of any construction project, this resilient material can help ensure load distribution is uniform so that no sinking or shifting will occur - thus preserving its structural integrity for many years down the line.
Non-woven geotextile fabric is a valuable material that can be used to promote advantageous drainage in multiple scenarios. From landscaping and hardscaping, it's permeability efficiently prevents pooling of water on the surface while directing excess amounts away from the area into suitable collection systems such as pipes or other appropriate draining structures.
Non-woven geotextile fabric has become a trusted separating agent in many construction applications. Its strong and robust fibers provide the perfect barrier to prevent soil, aggregate, or other materials from mixing together - ensuring that the structural integrity of any build remains intact regardless of shifting or settling conditions.
Woven vs Non-woven Geotextile Fabric: What to Choose?
When you’re working on a new construction or landscaping project, picking the right geotextile fabric can have a huge impact on its long-term stability. Both woven vs non-woven geotextile fabrics have their own unique set of benefits and limitations. That’s why it’s essential that you choose the fabric that aligns with your ultimate goals.
Here’s what you need to know about woven vs non-woven geotextile fabric so that you can be prepared for your next undertaking.
What Is Woven Geotextile Fabric?
Woven geotextiles are manufactured using individual threads of fabric that have been tightly wound together, creating an ultra-durable finished project. This makes them a great choice for separation and reinforcement projects that require heavy-duty tensile strength.
In most cases, woven geotextile fabric is made using either fibrillated yarn, slit films, or other construction-grade fibers. This extreme durability prevents erosion and punctures to the fabric surface but also limits filtration. That’s why woven geotextile is not recommended for projects that require permeability, such as drainage projects.
Recommended applications for woven geotextile fabric…
- Beneath driveways and parking areas
- Road constructions, both temporary and long-term
- High-load capacity areas
What Is Non-Woven Geotextile Fabric?
Alternatively, non-woven geotextile fabric is made using a combination of short and long threads that are forged together through needle punching. This practice leaves room for water and other natural elements to be filtered out through the fabric, which is why non-woven geotextile fabric is the top choice for construction projects that require filtration and drainage systems.
Just like woven geotextile fabric, non-woven fabric can also support a heavy load capacity. Sometimes, additional heat will be applied to the fabric to increase its overall strength. Non-woven geotextile fabric is often made using synthetic fibers like polyester or polypropylene.
Recommended applications for non-woven geotextile fabric…
- Covering or wrapping french drains
- Separation filtration for construction and landscaping projects
- Gravel driveways
- Road construction in wet climates
Choosing Between Woven vs Non-Woven Geotextile Fabric
As you can see, these two types of geotextiles are both great options for a variety of construction projects. But before you decide which fabric is right for you, take the time to evaluate the needs of your project and determine which features will benefit you the most.
Woven Geotextile Fabric:
- Ideal for heavy load capacity
- Puncture and erosion-resistant
- Durable for long-term reinforcement
- Not considered permeable for filtration
Non-Woven Geotextile Fabric:
- High flow-through rate for filtration and drainage
- Can have increased strength for heavy loads
- Helps prevent erosion and slopping
- May not be puncture-proof for long-term use
Where To Find The Best Geotextile Fabrics?
No matter what type of project you’re working on, Performance Footing is here to help.
As a leading supplier of both woven and non-woven geotextile fabrics, our team is ready to assist you with picking the right material for construction projects of every scale.
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