Geotextile tubes and beneficial reuse of dredged soil: applications near ports and harbours

Geotextile tubes can offer a sustainable solution for beneficial reuse of dredged soil near ports and harbours. Dredging and subsequent handling of dredged materials is one of the main challenges that may adversely impact the efficient port operation. Additional challenges facing some ports are related to the availability of land. If large quantities of dredged soil are stored on site, land availability can further decrease. Geotextile tubes have already been used in various applications in and around ports and harbours. However, there are several untapped opportunities with geotextile tubes as a sustainable means of beneficially reusing dredged soils to positively impact port operations. This paper summarises properties and considerations related to dredged materials and geotextile tubes. The key features of projects conducted are presented to exemplify the potential of including geotextile tubes in various applications. The applications include dewatering, lightweight backfill over compressible soil, contaminated sediment handling, shallow and stacked geotextile tube walls, engineering with nature by way of vegetation establishment and land creation or land use. The case studies examined demonstrate the technical, environmental and economic advantages that geotextile tube applications can offer for beneficial reuse of dredged soil near ports and harbours.