Tests and Analytical Model to Predict Geotextile Tube Performance in the Field: A Case Study

Geotextile tubes are used in dewatering applications over many decades for a variety of slurries, sediments, and wastes. With the increased use of geotextile tubes dewatering in recent years, the desire to maximize both the dewatering rate and retention lead to the use of chemical coagulants and flocculants, which has become a standard practice in geotextile dewatering projects. A variety of small-scale, medium-scale, pilot-scale test methods, and models are used to predict geotextile tube dewatering performance in field. In addition, analytical models have been developed using pilot-scale test and pressurized 2-dimensional dewatering test (P2DT) to predict the dewatering behavior in field and in the lab. These analytical models can be used to predict the dewatering behavior under alternative conditions, including the changes in pumping rates, solids concentration of the slurry, number of dewatering cycles, dewatering duration, final solids concentration of filter cake, and in cumulative volume of slurry. Analyzing the alternative dewatering scenarios using analytical models prior to full-scale implementation, without conducting many dewatering performance tests, is a great benefit in terms of time and money. This study focuses on a geotextile dewatering project of a glue industry settling pond, and the material had different geotechnical properties from the traditional dredged sediment. Multiple lab and field tests were conducted in this study and analytical model was used to evaluate the dewatering performance of geotextile demonstration tests (GDT) in the field. It was found that GDT results were close to the P2DT results and the analytical model successfully predicted GDT results.