Water retention characterization of non-woven geotextiles: An application for wicking materials

¹ Department of Civil Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
² Titan Environmental Containment Ltd., Iles des Chenes, MB, Canada

¹ Corresponding author: jana.jarjour@mail.mcgill.ca

Abstract

Non-woven geotextiles are commonly used in soil embankments for separation, filtration, and drainage purposes. While these conventional geotextiles can effectively drain gravitational water from saturated embankments, they often struggle to drain capillary water when the embankments are unsaturated—a typical state during their service life. This inefficiency can lead to water accumulation, potentially resulting in moisture-induced damage. To overcome this, a new geotextile, termed "wicking non-woven geotextile," has been introduced. This material is engineered to drain capillary water from unsaturated embankments more effectively. This paper aims to offer a thorough review of the unsaturated behavior of geotextiles, discussing characterization methods and experimental techniques. Furthermore, we will present the results of a capillary rise test, which will help determine the geotextile-water retention curves (GWRC) for a wicking geogrid composite