Origins and Materials from Coconut Coir Geotextiles
Coir geotextile is a natural and porous textile material that improves soil properties. It can separate, filter, strengthen, protect and drain when combined with soil. Coconut Geotextile is ideal for many infrastructure works such as roads, ports, dams, drainage structures, and other civil projects.
Coir geotextiles are very useful for soil stabilization at a relatively low cost compared to other soil stabilization methods. In addition, the forms have good strength so that the soil does not hang easily. Coir geotextile is an alternative solution to prevent erosion/degradation of soil quality on a large scale.
Coconut geotextile is made from coconut coir and processed by crushing in a coconut flaking machine. The coir is cut into small pieces and then sifted with a coir sieve to obtain individual fibers. This fiber is then spun on a spinning machine with a diameter size that can be adjusted as needed.
Categories of Coconut Coir Geotextile
Coconut coir geotextile is made from coconut fiber that has undergone various processes. Coir fiber geotextile is a natural product and is easy to degrade and environmentally friendly. According to the manufacturing method, they are divided into 2 categories:
Woven coconut geotextile
Non-Woven Coir Geotextile
1. Woven Coir Geotextiles
This form is the simplest model. Coir fiber is traditionally made by hand using the 2-roll weaving technique. This model is mostly used for controlling soil erosion. These changes are made depending on the rainfall intensity, the type of soil, and the slope of the surface. Per variant can be determined by weight per m2 and yarn type.
2. Non-woven Coir Geotextile
One type of coir geotextile is often referred to as coir filter fabric. Manufactured from the same materials as non-woven coir geotextile in sheet form instead of weaving. Coir fibers are pressed and heated with a certain glue.
Generally, both types of coir geotextiles perform the same function. Their use relies on the kind of soil and the arrangement’s purpose.
Uses and Functions of Coconut Coir Geotextiles
Three discrete functions determine the performance of coir geotextile in any application:
1. Filters
Coir geotextile has high permeability properties, so that it can empty water via coco geotextile. The water discharge will carry away soil particles, so the geotextile coir works as a filter or filter through which water can still flow. Still, soil particles do not infiltrate the geotextile coir material.
2. Separator
Coir geotextiles prevent the soft ground from mixing with the ground surface, such as in road construction on a soft basis. Often the soft cover rises up. The role of the geotextile coir is to prevent mud from rising onto the pavement.
Firstly, the advantage of coir geotextile is that it has good stretchability and can withstand the resulting frictional force, so it is very suitable for separating soft soil and the pavement above it.
3. Sealing
A layer of non-woven coconut coir geotextiles is impregnated between the current and new asphalt layers. The geotextile absorbs the asphalt to form a waterproofing membrane, minimizing the vertical flow of water into the pavement structure.
Maybe you like to read the following article Road Paving Using Coconut Coir Geotextiles in Roads