Geotextile tubes - Case histories and lessons learned

Very large geotextile tubes filled with dredged material have regained popularity in the past few years because of their simple placement and construction, cost effectiveness and minimum impact on the environment. These tubes are hydraulically filled with various types of dredged materials. Containment of dredged material in geotextile tubes filled in place has helped solve several difficult construction problems. Dike construction using long, sometimes continuous, tubes in wetlands, subdivision and perimeter dikes in dredged material disposal areas, under water stability berms, containment of contaminated materials, island construction, barrier island breach repair and structural scour protection are examples of projects that have been completed using geotextile tube systems. This paper recaps 30+ years of experience using geotextile tubes of various forms in various applications. Brief summaries including important project details, of documented large tube projects constructed this decade are given to demonstrate the current practices using these systems. Additionally, construction techniques are be reviewed based on "lessons learned.".