The Freudenberg Politex Group

Geotextile

rot-proof
resistant to mould, mildew, bacteria and rodents
easy to lay
extremely versatile
resistant to UV rays

Geotextile

METHOD OF APPLICATION
is extremely easy to lay, in all its wide ranging applications: lay the nonwoven sheet
until the area is totally covered.

CORRECT LAYING PROCEDURE FOR DRENOTEX

The geotextile sheets must overlap by at least 20 30 cm longitudinally and 50 cm transversally.

Breathable

Applications - characteristics

INTRODUCTION

The Freudenberg Politex Group

Geotextiles are textile products with a random fibrous structure, which are used in civil and hydraulic engineering
applications.
The following applications illustrate some of the major reasons because geotextiles play a key role today:

for drainage works, for the replacement of precious natural materials that have been removed or lost;
as an alternative to natural fibrous materials (straw, coconut, bundles) that have traditionally been used for
many years due to their resistance to mildew, bacteria and rodents;
they are low cost and easy to lay;
thanks to the flexibility and light weight, they can be used in all critical situations

The following paragraphs give some examples as to where geotextiles perform a fundamental and necessary
function.

INSTABILITY OF SLOPES AND HILLSIDES

Problems associated in both instances are primarily due to the presence of excessive amounts of water that filters
through the layers thus reducing the earths compactness.
Other associated factors linked with the movement of the ground, such as anthropic activities and as well as high
rainfall during certain periods, underline the importance and need for the use of geotextile membranes.
Such factors can cause the progressive erosion of hillsides and slopes and the following reduction of ground cohesion;
in effect the ground begins to deform until it breaks away completely with subsequent slides.
The use of a geotextile provides protection and reinforcement in securing the area and making the ground firm and
compact providing a proper distribution of loads and helping in absorbing ground stresses. It also acts as a filter
preventing the dispersion of loose ground.
To ensure full integrity of the soil system and grant its stability, it is recommended to complete the surface with plants
and green stuff.

COASTLINE AND ARTIFICIAL CHANNELS DEFENCE

In the case of natural and artificial water courses, as well as along coast lines,
the water banks are subject to heavy stresses which can cause instability and
erosion due to water penetration and reflux movement.
In this case the introduction of a reinforcing geotextile structure within the
banks guarantees excellent filtration and mechanical strengthening.
The geotextile applied in conjunction with waterproof materials guarantees
mechanical protection against punching and cracking.

Breathable

Applications - characteristics
SAFETY WITHIN LANDFILLS
To eliminate the risk of water bed and soil contamination or pollution,
landfills must guarantee environmental safety from the very beginning of
their construction.
After excavation, a layer of geotextile protects against cracking the
waterproofing membrane, which is laid in order to prevent penetration of
liquids into the ground.
During the filling processes, further layers of geotextile guarantee additional
anti-pollution and filtration action.

REINFORCEMENT FOR ROAD AND RAILWAY BEDS

The carriageway, as part of the road or motorway, is subject to the highest levels of loads and stresses.
Roads and railways require the following layered structures:

Fig
1.
2.
3.
4.

Breathable

2
3

Breathable

1.
Concrete or bituminous conglomerate
Rolled stabilised mix
Sub-base

Applications - characteristics

Fig
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Breathable

The Freudenberg Politex Group

Breathable

2.
Gravel layer
Layer with different granulometry
Natural ground

1
2
3

The critical point for both systems is the area between the sub-base (natural ground) and the foundation.
Roads and railways are designed to last for many years and the reinforcement of these structures is fundamental need
for preventing sag and instability.
This objective can be reached by interposing, in both cases, a geotextile product with suitable strength (deriving from
and indicated by project calculation) between the sub-base and the foundation, as shown in Fig. 1 and, in the case of
ballasts (Fig. 2), also between gravely layers with different granulometry.

Choosing the right geotextile products

With the creation of a fully-scaled model of a roadway, utilising a granular foundation in yielding clay, it was possible
to study the mechanisms with which geotextile products carry out their reinforcement function when a two-axle truck
travels on the road (load on the rear axle: 9.1 t).
The most interesting data obtained provided the level of deformation generated by the vehicle.
In the section containing the geotextile membrane the deformation was lower and less variable within the entire wheel path.
On the contrary, in the section without geotextile products, the deformations were deeper and more variable.
The technical and economical advantages of a permeable nonwoven positioned between the natural ground and the
foundation materials are therefore unquestionable, however civil engineers very often need to deal with the problem
of selecting the most suitable basic weight of material for a specific application.
In general we can say that, with the same applied load, a low basic weight (200 - 250 g/m2) corresponds to low
ultimate tensile stress and high permeability, while a high basic weight (300 - 400 g/m2) corresponds to higher tensile
strenght and lower permeability.

Breathable

Applications - characteristics

The following scheme illustrates the analytic calculation for selecting which geotextile material should be used in most
cases for road construction.

P
V

Data:
P
VT

load distributed on ground prism, that is load per axle 13 t

length of the axle 220 cm

VH

height of the embankment 62 cm composed of:

Mat 5 cm
Binder 12 cm
Stabilized 45 cm

a = AVH = 30

load pyramidal distribution angle (most difficult case)

yt

weight of the ground prism 1800 kg/m

AH = VH x TG 30 = 35 cm
AB = AH x 2 = 35 x 2 = 70 cm
Basis area = AB x BC = 70 x 220 = 15400 cm2
Total volume of the embankment = (70 x 62/2 x 220) = 477400 cm3 = 0.477 m3
Total weight of the embankment = (1800 x 0.477) = 859 kg
Total load = 13000 + 859 = 13859 kg
Unit weight = Tot. Load/ Basis area = 13859 / 15400 = 0.89 Kg / cm2
Breathable

The choice of geotextile to be located at the base of the embankment can be calculated according to the CBR
puncture values of
.
Breathable

Applications - characteristics

The Freudenberg Politex Group

DRAINAGE SYSTEMS
The problem linked with drainage of meteoric water or water beds during
construction can be solved with collection channels, which capture water and
transfer it (with or without micro-punctured pipes) to disposal points or wells in
order to drain it from the construction.
This system comprises an excavation with variable depths coated with the
geotextile, offering an anti-pollution function, before the introduction of the
draining gravel layer.
In order to guarantee the long term effectiveness of such a system, the geotextile
prevents the soil from clogging the gravel gaps.
The closure of the excavation is carried out by the turning up of the geotextile
and then partially overlapping it before re-filling with earth.

UNDERGROUND GARAGES AND ROOFTOP GARDENS

The scarcity of urban space has led to the design and construction of structures
that exploit underground areas.
At the same time modern buildings are being designed and constructed utilising
innovative solutions whereby the roof of the building is being used as a garden
area.
The inherent problems associated with these constructions are in relation to the
infiltration of the rainwater within the structure, coupled with the disposal of this
water.
Geotextiles are widely applied as a protection element of the waterproof mantle
laid onto the structure, and as anti-contamination and draining layer between
the gravel layer and the soil.

A typical green layered structure would consist of the

following:
6
Breathable

Breathable

3
2
1

Breathable

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

6.
7.

Floor base
Waterproofing material
offering mechanical protection
Drainage gravel layer
with drainage and

anti-contamination function
Ground and turf
Drainage channel (see drainage systems)

Applications - characteristics
SPORTS GROUND
One of the most common applications for geotextiles is the creation of grass sports fields, which require specific characteristics
of the nonwoven material, to maintain the ground in good conditions and efficient.
Geotextiles offer benefits such as:

rot-proof
permeability
resistance to tensile stress and perforation
is used according to the following criteria:

hable

hable

1. Natural ground
2.
3. Draining pipes
4. Granular mix 55 cm divided into:

6
5

15 cm with average 2030 mm

30 cm with average 5070 mm
10 cm with average 2030 mm
(these values correspond to the longitudinal axis of
the field; along its perimeter, due to its inclination, the
granular mix shall be 9095 cm high, and the proportion
between the different layers remains the same)

2
3

5.
6. Playground (15 20 cm)
1

The first geotextile layer in contact with the soil must have specific characteristics in terms of resistance to puncture
and tensile strength, in addition to sufficient drainage.
in contact with the playing surface will perform an anti-contamination and draining function in order to
protect the underlying layer, as well as to act as a natural filter to allow water to permeate through the nonwoven.

Breathable

Technical datasheet
Breathable

eathable

Polyester geotextiles offered by Freudenberg Politex are staple-fibre

(with pre-determined fibre length) and
Breathable
Breathable
spunbonded
FC (with
endless length yarns).
Due to their high resistance they guarantee flexibility, compactness and protection to all structures.
Thanks to their natural composition, without resin or additives,
guaranteed by the
marking and
FC
are 100% environmentally friendly.
The production cycle in itself guarantees environmental protection and high quality.
Breathable

Breathable

FC
U.o.M.
Composition
Cohesion
Certifications

Polyester (PET)
Spunbond

Polyester (PET)
Staple-fibre

Needle punching

Needle punching and thermosetting

NR. 1488 - CDP - 0019

UNI EN ISO 14001

Resistance to UV rays and

chemical agents

excellent

excellent

Rot, mould, bacteria and

rodent resistance

total

total

Specific weight

1,38

1,38

kg/dm3

Humidity regain 20 65% hum.

0,4

0,4

Melting temperature

260

260

Mass per surface unit

UNI EN 965

100

150

200

250

300 130 150 200 300 400 500 600 700 800

g/m2

Tensile strength

UNI EN ISO 10319

7,5

10

15

18

kN/m

Elongation at break

UNI EN ISO 10319

50

CBR puncture test

UNI EN ISO 12236

n. d.

0,9

1,3

4,4

EN 918

n. d.

33

30

28

12

9,5

UNI EN ISO 11058

n. d.

110 100 93

57

37

Permittivity

CNR B.U. 144

n. d.

0,70 0,68 0,62 0,45 0,35 0,24 0,20 0,19 0,18

Porometry

EN ISO 12956

n. d.

Cone drop test

Feb. 2007 edition

Permeability

The Freudenberg Politex Group

5,5

14

18

24

28

32

38

60

86

85

80

75

70

5,8 6,7

kN

6,5 4,6 3,5

mm

24

22

57

55

20

50

17

50

www.freudenbergpolitex.com

mm/s
-1

micron

Supply characteristics

Breathable

Breathable

FC
U.o.M.
Weight

100

150

200

250

300

130

150

200

300

400

500

70

60

600

700

800

g/m2

30

mt

Lenght

100

Height

300

up to 600

cm

from 45 to 50

from 50 to 70

cm

Diameter
Roll weight

30

450

60

Breathable

150

75

90

117

135

100

120

180

168

180

40

144

168

144

kg

SPECIFICATION ITEM

Nonwoven geotextile,
, composed of 100% polyester staple-fibre, subjected to mechanical needle
punching, without the use of adhesives or chemical substances,
marking, with the following characteristics:
(see technical data sheet).

The Freudenberg Politex Group

www.freudenbergpolitex.com