The main functions of geotextiles are:
1. Reinforcement: Geotextiles can stabilize and limit the displacement of civil engineering structures over long periods of use. They can also help transfer or distribute localized stresses in the soil over a larger area, increasing the frictional resistance between the soil and the geotextile.
2. Mechanical: The fabric layer acts as a buffer and protective layer between the initial support and the geomembrane panels, adapting to deformations in the tunnel lining caused by load distribution and temperature changes. Chemical: Geotextiles should not react chemically with groundwater, waterproof membranes, or corrosive mixtures, and must not pollute groundwater. Hydraulic: Geotextiles provide planar drainage, directing infiltrated water to side ditches and discharging it from the tunnel through the main drainage channel.
