A geotextile is typically defined as any permeable textile material used to increase soil stability, provide erosion control or aid in drainage. More simply put, if it is made of fabric and buried in the ground it is probably a geotextile! Geotextiles have been in use for thousands of years dating back to the Egyptian Pharaohs. These early geotextile applications were basically natural fibers or vegetation mixed directly with soil. Modern geotextiles are usually made from a synthetic polymer such as polypropylene, polyester, polyethylene and polyamides. Geotextiles can be woven, knitted or non-woven. Varying polymers and manufacturing processes result in an array of geotextiles suitable for a variety of civil construction applications.