Degradation of a woven polypropylene geotextile in a coastal environment

Geobags have been applied in many coastal protection solutions giving them effective performance against cyclic hydrodynamic loading. However, polymer materials, such as the geotextiles used for geobags production, are susceptible to environmental degradation which is critical for engineering applications. This study aims to investigate the durability of woven polypropylene geotextiles under coastal environmental conditions, considering different exposure surface characteristics, such as varied slope surfaces, type of application surface, and surface color. Exposure panels were constructed, and geotextiles samples were exposed to the coast environment of Natal (Brazil) for period reached 492 days, during which specimens were collected, and geotextile tensile properties have been obtained as a reference of material degradation. Results indicated a strength depletion of 35% by the end of the exposure period. No significant influence of surface inclination on degradation was observed, while surface color emerged as a potentially influential factor. The findings of this study are essential for informing the design and implementation of mitigation strategies in coastal engineering works involving geosynthetics.