Geotextile tubes defend the dunes at Dawlish Warren in Devon, England.
Geotextile tubes at Twin Lakes Beach, Manitoba.
Geotextile tubes being filled with sand.
Amphibious dredge boat collecting sediment by using a cutting head, transporting it to geotubes

A geotextile tube is a large, tube-shaped bag made of porous, weather-resistant geotextile and filled with a sand slurry, to form an artificial coastal structure such as a breakwaters, dune or levee. Geotextile tubes are a component of the living shorelines approach to coastal management. They are aligned with the shoreline to weaken wave energy and protect against coastal erosion. The tubes facilitate oyster reef development and create areas to dispose of new dredge material. Geotextile tubes are also installed for land reclamation and temporarily installed during the dewatering phase of a dredging operation.

One of the most recognized brands of geotextile tube is GEOTUBE®, which was first used for hydraulic engineering in the 1950s. This application used specially engineered textiles to contain sandfill for use as structural erosion control units. GEOTUBE® is a registered trademark of Nicolon Corporation, which is owned by Solmax.

If a geotextile tube is exposed to the elements, it can be vulnerable to bursting.

Notable installations

See also