Proper installation of geotextile fabric with gravel, soil, or other earthen material as a topcoat is best accomplished when the soil at the site is dry. The following is a series of tips to ensure proper site preparation, geotextile fabric installation, and cover material application at the site. The first step, however, is to select the proper geotextile fabric for the application.

(1).Clear the area of any sharp objects, stumps, and debris.
Grade the existing soil surface to provide adequate, but not excessive, surface drainage.
(2).Unroll the geotextile fabric over the application area. On a windy day, the fabric will need to be secured with pins, sod, stones, etc.
(3).Place the gravel on the fabric. It is best to back dump when unloading and spreading the gravel on the fabric with a truck. Then complete the final spreading and smoothing with earthmoving equipment like a dozer, front-end loader, skid loader, or scraper.
(4).Care should be taken when backfilling and compacting the gravel. Geotextile fabric is tough, so it can be driven on. However, truck tires may pull the fabric, causing it to wrinkle. This condition may affect the proper installation and performance of the system since less area may actually be covered by the fabric.
(5).If it is necessary to overlap the fabric in order to cover a larger area, a minimum of a one foot overlap is required for proper use. In order to ensure a minimum of one foot of overlay after the placement of the gravel or other topcoat, it is recommended that the fabric be laid out with a two-foot overlap before placing the gravel on the fabric. Once placed, the gravel should be spread in the same direction as the geotextile fabric overlap to avoid separation between the two pieces of fabric. Staples are available to help hold the fabric in place.
(6).Compact the gravel using earthmoving equipment, a tractor, or farm trucks.

3.How Geotextile Fabric Works?

Geotextile fabric applications are designed to keep soil and gravel (or other earthen materials) separate. By keeping the soil and gravel separated, the fabric improves the stability, load bearing capacity, and drainage of the site.

A geotextile fabric installed as a layer between gravel and soil layers forms a barrier against the movement or intermixing of the soil and gravel . In applications where gravel is placed on top of a soil layer, as in conventional driveways, farm roads, or graveled areas, the separation provided by the fabric helps the gravel maintain its position and design load bearing capacity throughout its life.