Geotube® Shoreline Systems

Coastal shorelines and inland waterways are increasingly impacted by rising water levels, higher waves and more frequent and intense storms. Many of these areas are experiencing serious erosion that is threatening property, infrastructure and natural environments.

Geotube® geotextile systems have been used for over 50 years in a broad range of challenging applications including:

• Shoreline protection 
• Wetlands restoration 
• Beach nourishment 
• Flood protection 
• Jetties and causeways 
• Underwater structures

In each application, Geotube® Shoreline Systems can provide reliable, durable performance as a permanent or temporary structure. These versatile products can also be installed as stand-alone structures or as a hybrid system. For example, Geotube® containers could be used to form a stable, solid core for sand dunes, where they would be covered with sand and vegetation. Geotube® containers could also be used to stabilize a vulnerable slope and then covered with local stone to provide additional protection or to blend with site aesthetics. 

Watch our case study video. High water, waves and storms washed away much of the vegetation and sand dunes around a home on the shore of Lake Huron. See how our Geotube Shoreline Protection system provides a massive, virtually immovable structure that defends against erosion, enables beach restoration, and over time, can become a natural-looking living barrier.

Once installed, Geotube® Shoreline Systems can provide significant advantages over conventional approaches including:

1) Virtually immovable mass

A single Geotube® container is more than 100 feet long and when filled with sand could weigh up to 150 tons. With that much mass, it becomes extremely difficult for waves, debris and ice to shift the Geotube® container. Containers are typically about seven feet wide or more, which enables a wider protection structure that can be constructed much more quickly and at lower cost than conventional rock, timber or steel barriers.

2) Deflective elliptical shape

As debris or ice advances towards the shoreline, the elliptical shape of the Geotube® containers can deflect the material and force it up and over the structure. Conventional barriers made of materials such as armour stone or timber face the ice head-on and are often dislodged or heaved up.

3) Durable, impact-resistant technology

Geotube® containers are specially designed for shoreline protection and are manufactured using high-strength polypropylene multifilament yarns that meet several ASTM standards for fabric strength, seam strength, UV resistance and puncture resistance. In extremely demanding applications, Geotube® containers can be further protected with a Geotube® Debris Shield, a polyurea coating, or even a conventional barrier such as an armour stone wall.

4) Versatility and customizability

Geotube shoreline systems are available in several configurations and sizes. Each one is designed to provide maximum performance, lifespan and ease of installation. Many can also be custom manufactured to meet site specifications.

5) Fast and easy to install

Geotube containers are filled in-place with a slurry mix of sand and water or locally dredged material. This simple process enables Geotube® containers to be installed much more quickly than conventional approaches such as armour stone or concrete. Once filled and installed, Geotube® containers with crimpled fibers enable soil to become entrapped and help establish vegetation that can further stabilize landscape as part of a “living shoreline” approach.  

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Featured case studies

Read more case studies about Geotube Shoreline Systems. 

Download the Geotube Shoreline Protection brochure.