Effects of Permeable Geotextiles of Different Densities on Soil Cracking and Evaporation Behavior

Geotextiles are a commonly used green material which can improve the water holding capacity of soil. However, the effects of density on evaporation and cracking of geotextile–soil composites are still unclear. The results indicate that the addition of geotextiles divides the soil water evaporation into five stages: constant loss stage, rapid deceleration stage, secondary deceleration stage, tertiary deceleration stage, and residual loss stage. When the geotextile density was 0, 200, 400 and 600 g/m2, the deceleration stage accounted for 55.7%, 64.3%, 70.4% and 74.8%, respectively, of the total evaporation time of water in the soil. Compared with soil without geotextiles when the geotextile density was 200, 400 and 600 g/m2, the soil average residual water content rose by 34.8%, 127.1% and 247.0%, respectively. When the geotextile density was 600 g/m2, the crack rate and fractal dimension were reduced by 44.44% and 18.39%, respectively. Geotextiles can provide fiber interleaving points and pore spaces, and high-density geotextiles can effectively prevent the movement of fine particles and form a thicker layer of fine particles to enhance the water retention and crack resistance of the soil, so that the geological environment contributes to sustainable development. The application of geotextile–soil composites can achieve long-term sustainable protection against soil evaporation and cracking.

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