A geotube is a large tubular container made of geotextile that is filled with sand, soil or sludge, used to build and protect banks, dikes and dams and to dewater dredged material.
The tube is delivered flat and positioned on site, then hydraulically filled with a sand or slurry mixture pumped in through filling ports. The permeable geotextile retains the solid particles while allowing water to drain out, leaving a firm, stable, elongated body.
How it works
- The empty tube is laid out in its final position.
- A sand or sediment slurry is pumped inside.
- Water escapes through the fabric while solids stay behind.
- The tube consolidates into a solid, load-bearing element.
Application
Geotubes are used in coastal, river and dredging projects.
- Bank and shoreline protection: forming stable, erosion-resistant edges.
- Dikes and dams: building or reinforcing water-retaining structures.
- Breakwaters and groynes: creating wave-reducing barriers.
- Dewatering: containing and draining dredged sludge for volume reduction.
Because they are filled with locally available material, geotubes offer an efficient and often cost-effective alternative to rock or concrete structures.
Related terms
- geotextile
- bank protection
- dike
- hydraulic engineering
- drainage
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