Applying geotextiles to coastal revetments

The application of geotextiles in breakwater and revetment design raises the issue of the appropriate soil/geotextile and geotextile/geotextile friction angles that should be adopted for stability analysis. A considerable amount of data, much derived from the design of landfills, has been published on this subject. Other data are provided by geotextile manufacturers. Much of the data refer to a variety of woven fabrics, but data exist also for non-woven needle punched geotextiles that are used in coastal engineering structures. This paper reviews the local practice and literature and proposes appropriate values for soil/geotextile and geotextile/geotextile friction angles that may be considered for the preliminary design of coastal revetment structures utilising geotextiles.