
237Textiles in Civil Engineering
© 2008 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
The control of water is critical to the performance of buildings, pavements,
embankments, retaining walls, and other structures. Drains are used to relieve
hydrostatic pressure against underground and retaining walls, slabs, and
underground tanks and to prevent loss of soil strength and stability in slopes,
embankments, and beneath pavements. Geotextiles retain the surrounding
soil while readily accepting water from the soil and removing it from the
area. Railway tracks serve as a stable guideway to trains with appropriate
vertical and horizontal alignment. Geotextiles are used ...