There are many uses of geotextiles and industrial fabric conversion in civil engineering which ranges from construction to road building. The main purpose is to prevent erosion and to maintain the integrity of engineered earth structures. They are mostly permeable to allow water through and could even be very loosely woven netting. Impermeable plastic or rubber sheeting also falls into this category.
Using synthetic materials as opposed to natural gives them much better durability and they would be used in cases where they would need to be less temporary. Woven material can be made from plastic fibers such as polypropylene or polyethylene. Needle punched and heat bonded varieties look more like felt. Continuous sheets of plastic or rubber will be used for impermeable linings.
The most common use would be to secure loose soil on sandy embankments. This will usually be done by laying it flat against the surface and securing it. Erecting a fence of netting material can also be used to prevent erosion by collecting the soil that is washed away by rain.
This type of method is also used in sand dunes at beaches where they are needed to be kept in place instead of migrating do to wind erosion. Netting tubes can also be filled with sand to create a more sturdy barrier. These can be quite useful for protection against storm surges.
Another use would be to keep layers in place in road building. If the different layers of soil where allowed to mix it could lead to ruts forming where soil shifts under pressure. They can also act as a barrier to tree roots and can be placed under ground to protect structures from roots growing into them.
Permeability is one of the main design attributes of this kind of fabric. In landfill sites they can maintain the structure while still allowing for drainage. In other applications drainage ditches can also be lined so that they do not wash away. If water is meant to be retained such as in dams or reservoirs they can be lined with solid plastic or rubber sheets.
To increase flexibility for the uses of woven polypropylene it would be useful to have narrow strips and these can be cut from standard rolls on a large scale. When very big surfaces need to be covered they can also be sown together. Printing is also possible on many different types of this fabric. Due to the standardization of manufacturing processes they will behave very predictably and designs can be done according to set standards.
