How does woven geotextile improve the anti-scouring ability of dam projects?
Publish Time: 2025-03-04
Dam projects play a vital role in water conservancy protection, but they are easily damaged by scouring and even structural instability due to long-term effects of floods, wind and waves, and water erosion. Woven geotextile, as a high-strength and durable geotechnical material, plays an important role in the anti-scouring protection of dams.1. Basic characteristics of woven geotextileWoven geotextile is made of high-strength synthetic fibers (such as polypropylene, polyester or nylon) through a weaving process and has the following characteristics:High tensile strength: enhances the overall stability of the dam surface and helps resist water flow impact.Excellent durability: can withstand water erosion, ultraviolet radiation and chemical corrosion for a long time.Good water permeability: allows water to penetrate while preventing soil particles from being lost, reducing water damage to the dam.Strong flexibility and adaptability: can be laid according to different terrain and hydrological conditions, with a wide range of adaptability.2. The principle of woven geotextile to improve the anti-scouring ability of damsReduce soil loss: Under the action of water flow, the surface soil of the dam is easily scoured, and woven geotextile can form a protective layer to prevent the loss of fine particles, thereby reducing erosion.The filtering effect of woven geotextile can effectively maintain the stability of the soil structure, while allowing water to drain, preventing water accumulation inside the dam from causing soil loosening.Enhance structural stability: By laying woven geotextile on the surface or inside the dam, a reinforcement layer can be formed to improve the shear resistance of the dam soil, making it more stable and resistant to water scouring.In soft soil foundations or areas prone to landslides, woven geotextile can also be used in conjunction with other reinforcement materials (such as geogrids, gabions, etc.) to enhance overall stability.Disperse water flow impact: Dams directly exposed to water flow are susceptible to strong hydrodynamic impact, leading to local erosion, and laying woven geotextile can disperse water flow energy and reduce the direct scouring of water flow on the dam.Through proper design, woven geotextile can also guide the direction of water flow, make it evenly distributed, avoid the formation of strong local vortices, and thus reduce erosion.Reduce dam seepage damage: The seepage water flow may cause the soil particles of the dam to loosen or even collapse, while the high permeability of woven geotextile can effectively remove the seepage water, reduce the internal water pressure of the dam, and prevent the internal scouring phenomenon (piping).Laying woven geotextile on the back slope of the dam can reduce seepage damage and improve the long-term stability of the dam.3. Application of woven geotextile in dam anti-scouringSlope protection and anti-scouring: Lay woven geotextile on the water-facing slope of the dam and cover it with gravel or vegetation to form a stable protective layer to prevent water from directly scouring the surface of the dam.Reinforcement and reinforcement: When filling the dam, lay woven geotextile between different soil layers to form a composite reinforced structure to improve the overall stability and reduce the risk of local settlement and cracking.Combined with ecological slope protection: The method of combining plant roots with woven geotextile can not only improve the anti-scouring ability, but also enhance the ecological restoration ability of the dam, achieving the dual effects of environmental protection and engineering stability.Combined with gabion protection: In areas with rapid water flow, woven geotextile can be laid at the bottom or inside of the gabion to enhance the stability of the gabion, prevent sediment loss, and improve the anti-scouring effect.4. Actual case analysisIn a large river management project, the engineering team adopted the woven geotextile + gravel slope protection solution on the water-facing side of the dam, which effectively reduced the bank scouring during floods, reduced maintenance costs, and extended the service life of the dam. Similarly, in coastal protection projects, the sinking and drainage protection system combined with woven geotextile successfully slowed down tidal erosion and protected the stability of coastal dams.Woven geotextile greatly improves the anti-scouring ability of dam projects by reducing soil loss, enhancing structural stability, dispersing water flow impact, and reducing penetration damage. Combined with reasonable design and construction methods, woven geotextile can effectively extend the service life of dams and improve the safety of water conservancy projects. It is an important solution for modern dam anti-scour protection.
