Polyester-PP Woven Geotextile

High tensile PET/PP woven geotextile to AASHTO M288

SIGMA polyester-PP woven geotextile is manufactured from high-tenacity polyester (PET) and polypropylene (PP) yarns woven into a dimensionally stable sheet. As a high tensile woven geotextile this pet pp woven geotextile has high tensile strength and low elongation, so it spreads load and holds its strength under heavy traffic. It is built to the AASHTO M288 standard, which grades a woven geotextile by installation survivability — Class 1 (most severe), Class 2 (default) and Class 3.

Why combine PET and PP yarns

The two polymers are woven together to pair their strengths: high-tenacity polyester carries the tensile load with low elongation and low creep, so the fabric reinforces without stretching, while polypropylene adds chemical resistance and cost efficiency. The result is a polyester polypropylene woven geotextile that combines high tensile strength, corrosion resistance, water permeability and durability in one sheet — and because woven fabric is thin and dense it is easy to store and transport compared with bulky nonwovens of the same strength.

Reinforcement, stabilization and separation

This combination is why the polyester polypropylene woven geotextile is specified for landfill liner reinforcement, embankment over soft soil, reinforced soil slopes, road and railway construction, the foundations of marine structures and port facilities, reservoirs, waste and chemical management and peninsula shoal engineering. High grab, trapezoid tear and CBR puncture strength let it survive rough placement over stone and irregular ground, while the low elongation means the reinforcement mobilises its strength at small strains — keeping pavements and embankments stable over soft subgrades.

Separation and water permeability

Although it is primarily a reinforcement fabric, a woven geotextile also separates the subgrade from the aggregate so the two layers do not intermix under load, and its woven structure remains water-permeable so pore pressure can dissipate. Under AASHTO M288 the separation function carries its own permittivity and apparent opening size requirements, shown in the table above. Note, however, that woven slit-film geotextiles are not permitted for subsurface drainage (filtration) applications, where a needle-punched nonwoven is required instead.

Installation and seams

A pet pp woven geotextile is rolled out over the prepared subgrade with the strong (machine) direction aligned to the main reinforcement load, and adjacent rolls are overlapped — typically 300–600 mm on firm ground and more, or sewn, on soft or wet soil so the fabric stays continuous and load is transferred across the joint. Where the design calls for it, prayer or butterfly sewn seams develop higher joint strength than an overlap. Fill is end-tipped onto the fabric and spread without trafficking it directly, and exposed edges are covered promptly because prolonged UV exposure reduces strength.

Choosing a class and tensile grade

AASHTO M288 specifies a woven geotextile by survivability Class (1, 2 or 3) rather than by weight, and commercial woven grades map onto those classes; high-tensile reinforcement is additionally specified by ultimate wide-width tensile strength (ASTM D4595) in kN/m. See our broader woven geotextile range for PP / PET woven options, our PP geotextile for lighter stabilization grades, and a needle-punched nonwoven geotextile where filtration and drainage are the priority. Tell us the application, subgrade CBR, loads and required tensile and we will recommend the right high tensile woven geotextile.