10 Things to Consider When Buying Non Woven Geotextile Fabric

12 May.,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.

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.

For more information, please visit Glory Tang New Material.

Nonwoven Geotextile FAQs and Answers - Water Pollution Solutions

Nonwoven Geotextile Questions

Do you want to learn more about geotextile fabrics? Find answers to your questions  about the differences between woven and non woven geotextile fabrics and about nonwoven permeable geotextile fabrics here. Learn more about nonwoven filter fabric functions, differences between woven geotextile vs nonwoven, and more info about relevant uses of nonwoven geo fabric. Geotextile fabrics are available by the roll or pallet. We provide top quality geotextile fabrics and customer service, as well as on-time delivery.

Have questions about Non Woven Geotextile? Keep on reading, Contact Us or Call us for more information at 1-863-261-.


1. What is geotextile fabric?

Geotextiles are flexible fabrics, normally made from polypropylene based materials for durability. Depending on the style and type, they have different degrees of of transmissivity and permittivity (how quickly water passes through the fabric). filter fabrics for drainage. and for permanent control and soil stabilization, as well as erosion control.

2. Geotextiles come in woven and nonwoven, how are they different?

Geotextiles are classified as either woven or nonwoven. As the names indicate, the basic difference is how they're manufactured. Nonwoven geotextiles are manufactured with a needle-punch process, using barbed needles to create a felt-like permeable geotextile fabric. Because of the random pattern used in their manufacture, nonwoven geotextiles have greater strength than woven fabric. Woven geotextiles are woven together with industrial looms in a consistently applied pattern. Each type of geotextile has its own benefits and uses. Each one has merit, depending on project requirements for strength, durability, and drainage. For assistance in determining the type of filter fabric you need for your drainage requirements of your project, contact us.

3. How can you tell if the geotextile filter fabric is nonwoven ?

Nonwoven geotextile fabrics are a type of synthetic permeable geotextile fabric created by needle-punching the fibers during manufacture. It is easily recognized by it's felt-like appearance and texture. While it has many uses, non woven geotextiles are most commonly used for filtration drainage or separation in construction and erosion control projects.

4. How is nonwoven geo fabric used?

Since they are permeable, nonwoven geotextiles are often used as filter fabrics for drainage in construction or erosion control projects. Nonwovens function well in separating layers in construction and paving projects, under playgrounds, and more. Another popular use for these geotextiles is overlay for asphalt projects, as it expands the life of pavement. Other geotextile uses include:

  • Asphalt Overlay
  • Subsurface Drainage
  • Landscape Fabric & Weed Barrier
  • Pipe Wrap
  • Rip Rap Underlay
  • Separation
  • French Drains
  • Filter Fabric
  • Geomembrane Cushion

5. Why do the measurements of geotextiles make a difference?

  • Weight: The number of ounces per square yard you are getting This is important for determining which weight you need for your particular job. We have light-weight, medium weight, and heavy weight available.
  • Grab Tensile Strength and Elongation: Indicate the breaking load of the fabric, which makes a difference depending on what your application is.
  • Trapezoidal Tear Strength & CBR Puncture Resistance: Are two different methods of measurements of the strength of the fabric while under tension. You will need to know how much strength you will need for your project or application.
  • Permittivity & Permeability: are both means of measuring the rate of water flow of the through the fabric. so it makes a big impact depending on if you are using it for landscaping, drainage, as underlayment, or as a geo-membrane cushion.
  • AOS (Apparent Opening Size): Fabrics with a higher percentage of open area ,or the size of the weave opening, experience less clogging.

6. What do the different fabric weights mean?

Nonwoven geotextiles are generally categorized as light weight, medium weight, and heavy weight, indicating the thickness of the fabric, strength, and drainage capabilities. For example, light weight nonwoven geotextile fabric is more permeable and has high flow through rates. However, it isn't as rugged as heavier weight fabric. Heavy weight non woven geotextile fabric has a slower drainage rate, but greater strength and provides increased support for soil stabilization.

7. What is lightweight nonwoven fabric and how are they used?

Lightweight non woven permeable geotextile fabrics range from 3 ounces to 5 ounces. They offer high flow through rates, and are best used for projects that need to facilitate a high volume of drainage. An example of our lightest filter fabric is our Mirafi® Mscape. This lightweight landscape fabric is primarily used for soil separation and drainage. Designed for more permeability, it has a higher water flow rate than heavier fabrics. This geo filter fabric is especially successful at inhibiting existing weed growth, and suppressing new weed growth.

Light weight non-woven geotextiles are available in these fabric weights:

  • 3.1 Ounce
  • 3.5 Ounce
  • 4.0 Ounce
  • 4.5 Ounce

8. What are medium weight nonwoven geotextile fabrics and what are their uses?

Medium weight non woven geotextile fabrics range from 6 ounces to 8 ounces. They offer medium flow through rates, and are higher than lightweight fabrics in strength and durability. Mirafi® N-Series one of our mid-weight nonwovens, are used in transportation, building site, and water infrastructure projects for soil separation and drainage. This filter fabric has excellent water flow rates, high soil interaction and durability, allowing superior soil particle retention.  Medium weight nonwoven is the most popularly requested all-purpose options. Use them for filtration, soil stabilization, aggregate separation, and erosion control.

Medium weight non-woven geotextiles are available in these fabric weights:

  • 6 Ounce
  • 8 Ounce

9. What are heavy-weight non-woven geotextiles and when would you use them?

Heavy weight non woven permeable filter fabrics range from 10 ounces to 20 ounces, and offer the maximum amount of strength and soil stabilization. Our Mirafi® S-Series is one of our heaviest filtration fabric. This filter fabric provides exceptional durability and high puncture resistance, permittivity, and transmissivity. The S-Series delivers excellent strength and abrasion resistance, while withstanding installation and application stresses.

Use our heavy weight nonwovens for projects such as: rip rap, high aggregate separation, filtration, permanent erosion control, and road stabilization. Heavy weight non-woven geotextiles are available in these fabric weights:

  • 10 Ounce
  • 12 Ounce
  • 16 Ounce

10. Does non-woven geo react to the pH of the soil around it? Will it degrade if exposed to sunlight?

Yes, we carry rot resistant and UV stabilized geotextile fabrics. Our Mirafi® N-Series is designed for chemical stability in aggressive environments. Be sure to share the requirements of your project or jobsite and the way you plan to use your nonwoven filter fabric. This will help us make sure we provide the right fabric for your specific project.

11. How do nonwoven geotextiles come and are there different ways to order them?

Our nonwoven drainage fabrics typically come in rolls available in either 12.5’ W x 360’ L or 15’ W x 300’ L. Each weight of fabric has different properties, including the choice of roll sizes available. Please check our geotextiles specifications page for the specific fabric that you're considering, or contact us for assistance. Our minimum order is one roll however, you can order as few or as many as you need! Multiple rolls can be connected together during installation to meet the required length and width of your location.


12. Do you sell non woven geotextile fabric rolls in bulk?

Yes! We offer the fabric in bulk, and can work with you for a bulk rate depending on your order quantity. Contact us for details.


Have more questions about Non Woven Geotextile? Find out how we can help you. Call us at 1-863-261- for more information or Contact Us through our webform.