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Geotextile Bag Site Preparation

Picture of Chad Schipman Chad Schipman : Thu, May 01, 2025 @ 16:05 PM

dredging lagoon maintenance dredging Geotube
Geotextile Bag Site Preparation
 

Step 1:

  • Choose level ground with no sharp objects or debris that may puncture the liner or geotextile bag.
  • The ground must be leveled from side to side. The end-to-end grade must not exceed 0.5%, sloped toward the water containment pit.
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Step 2:

  • Build a containment wall around the perimeter of the geotextile bag laydown area. The containment wall will capture the clean water that filters through the geotextile bag mesh.
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Step 3:

  • Dig a clean water containment pit on the lower end of the laydown area.
  • Using a smaller pump, relocate this excess water back into the pond or an acceptable disposal site.
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Step 4:

  • Place an impermeable liner over the entire laydown area including the clean water containment pit.
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Step 5:

  • It is recommended to use a drainage media under the geotextile bags to aid in the free-flow of water expelled from the bags to the water containment pit.
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Step 6:

  • Lay out the geotextile bags on top of the drainage media and pit liner. Use the handles sewn into the bags to align them properly.
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Step 7:

  • If using a polymer injected into the slurry hose to bind solids together and separate water, be sure to place the pump and meter far enough upstream of the geotextile bags to ensure proper mixing of the polymer and slurry before entering the geotextile bags.
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Step 8:

  • Add an inline mixing manifold to the bag feed line.
  • The manifold should consist of an injection port, mixing elbow and a sample port.
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Step 9:

  • Use a flexible hose to connect to the fill ports on top of the geotextile bag.
  • A simple pinch valve is helpful to control the flow of slurry.
  • Alternating the discharge between multiple geotextile bags helps to streamline the de-watering process by allowing the first geotextile bag to decant while continuing to fill another geotextile bag.
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Step 10:

  • The deployment and filling of geotextile bag units are crucial stages that impact the overall efficiency of the dewatering process. Proper handling and positioning of the tubes as well as the adherence to maximum fill heights, based on tube specifications and slurry type, is imperative to avoid operational failures and ensure the longevity of the dewatering system.
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Step 11:

  • Once the geotextile bags are full and have been allowed to dry out properly, cut open the top of the bag and remove the dried sludge for disposal.
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