Nonwoven geotextile in Malaysia.
Infraconcrete Construction Sdn Bhd supplies and installs nonwoven geotextile across Malaysia. Needle-punched polypropylene (PP), mass 100 to 800 gsm. Four functions: filtration (allow water through while retaining fines), drainage (in-plane water flow), separation (under light load), protection (cushion above geomembrane). Sole STRATA Geosystems Asia distributor through Starwall Sdn Bhd plus CIDB G7 installation crew. Klang Valley stockyard with same-day pickup, nationwide delivery to all 13 states plus Labuan. AASHTO M288 and BS EN 13249-13257 compliant.
Random fibres bonded into a felt-like fabric.
Nonwoven geotextile is a permeable textile fabric made from randomly oriented polymer fibres bonded together by needle-punching, thermal bonding, or chemical bonding. The most common Malaysian nonwoven is needle-punched polypropylene (PP): continuous filaments laid down in a random web, then barbed needles repeatedly punched through the web to physically entangle the fibres into a felt-like structure with thousands of mechanical bond points per square centimetre. The resulting fabric has high elongation, good in-plane drainage capacity, and excellent filtration properties.
Contrasts with woven geotextile (yarns interlaced on a loom). Function-first selection: nonwoven for filtration, drainage, protection, light separation; woven for reinforcement, heavy separation, structural applications.
Filter, drain, separate, protect.
1. Filtration
Allow water through while retaining the protected soil. Driver properties: AOS (ASTM D4751, sized to soil grading), permittivity (ASTM D4491, at least one order of magnitude faster than protected soil hydraulic conductivity), gradient ratio (ASTM D5101, less than 3 over design life). Applications: french drain wrap, behind retaining wall back drain, horizontal drain collector filter, leachate collection in landfill cells.
2. Drainage
In-plane water flow within the fabric thickness. Driver property: transmissivity (ASTM D4716) for thick nonwoven or geocomposite. Most nonwoven thicknesses (1.5-3 mm) provide moderate drainage; for heavy drainage demand, geocomposite (thick polymer core wrapped in nonwoven) is preferred. Applications: chimney drains, behind basement walls, sub-pavement drainage.
3. Separation
Keep two soil layers from intermixing. Driver properties: mass per unit area (200-400 gsm typical), CBR puncture (D6241), grab tensile (D4632), trapezoidal tear (D4533). Applications: under light-traffic roads and working platforms where filtration is also needed (woven slit-film cheaper if filtration not needed).
4. Protection
Cushion layer above geomembrane to prevent puncture from angular gravel or stone above. Driver property: high mass per unit area (400-800 gsm). Applications: landfill basal liner protection, pond liner protection, secondary containment cushion, drainage gravel above geomembrane.
Properties by mass per unit area.
| Property | Test Standard | 150 gsm | 200 gsm | 300 gsm | 400 gsm | 600 gsm | 800 gsm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mass per unit area (nominal) | ASTM D5261 | 150 | 200 | 300 | 400 | 600 | 800 |
| Thickness (under 2 kPa) | ASTM D5199 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 3.2 | 4.5 | 5.8 |
| Grab tensile | ASTM D4632 | 700 | 900 | 1,200 | 1,500 | 2,200 | 2,800 |
| Grab elongation | ASTM D4632 | 50-90 | 50-90 | 50-90 | 50-90 | 50-90 | 50-90 |
| Trapezoidal tear | ASTM D4533 | 280 | 350 | 450 | 600 | 850 | 1,100 |
| CBR puncture | ASTM D6241 | 1,400 | 1,800 | 2,400 | 3,000 | 4,400 | 5,600 |
| Apparent opening size (O95) | ASTM D4751 | 0.15 | 0.13 | 0.10 | 0.09 | 0.075 | 0.075 |
| Permittivity | ASTM D4491 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 0.7 |
| Water flow rate | ASTM D4491 | 5,500 | 4,500 | 3,500 | 2,800 | 2,200 | 1,800 |
| UV resistance (500 hr) | ASTM D4355 | greater than 70% | greater than 70% | greater than 70% | greater than 70% | greater than 70% | greater than 70% |
Units: gsm = g/m², tensile in N, tear in N, puncture in N, AOS in mm, permittivity in 1/s, flow rate in L/min/m². Indicative manufacturer-typical values for needle-punched PP. Project-specific MARV per spec.
Per m² pricing by mass.
| Mass (gsm) | Indicative price per m² | Typical applications |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | RM 1.50-2.50 | Light filtration, weed barrier |
| 150 | RM 1.80-3.50 | French drain wrap, light back drain |
| 200 | RM 2.50-4.50 | Standard separation, retaining wall back drain |
| 300 | RM 3.50-6.50 | Heavy filtration, rip-rap underlay |
| 400 | RM 4.50-8.00 | Filtration under gabion mattress, river training |
| 500 | RM 5.50-9.50 | Coastal works, heavy filtration |
| 600 | RM 6.50-11.00 | Landfill protection cushion, severe service |
| 800 | RM 9.00-15.00 | Heavy geomembrane protection, premium cushion |
Pricing basis: Supply-only, ex Klang Valley, 2026 indicative. Excludes GST, delivery beyond Klang Valley, contingency. Manufacturer certificate per shipment via Starwall.
Where nonwoven geotextile actually goes.
1. French drain wrap
Nonwoven PP 150-200 gsm wrapped around perforated UPVC or HDPE pipe drain. AOS sized to soil grading (typical 0.15 mm for most Malaysian residual soils). Filter sock for fines retention. Linear application, fast installation.
2. Behind retaining walls
Nonwoven PP 200-300 gsm between drainage gravel and retained soil. Prevents fines migration into the drainage layer. AOS sized to retained soil grading. Pairs with weep holes or perforated pipe drain at wall base.
3. Under rip-rap and gabion mattress
Nonwoven PP 300-400 gsm between rock armour and underlying soil. Prevents wave or flow action from washing fines out from under the armour. Common on coastal protection, river training (JPS / DID), bridge scour countermeasures.
4. Sub-pavement separation
Nonwoven PP 200-300 gsm between subbase aggregate and weak subgrade where both separation and filtration are needed. For pure separation under heavy load with no filtration concern, slit-film woven PP is cheaper.
5. Geomembrane protection cushion
Heavy nonwoven PP 400-800 gsm above HDPE geomembrane in landfill basal liner systems, pond liner systems, secondary containment. Protects geomembrane from puncture by angular gravel above. GRI-GT12 specification.
6. Leachate collection
Nonwoven PP 300-400 gsm above geomembrane plus drainage layer in landfill cells per DOE Garis Panduan. Acts as filter between drainage aggregate and the waste mass above. Resistance to chemical attack from leachate verified per ASTM D5322.
What nonwoven geotextile is tested to.
| Standard | What it covers |
|---|---|
| ASTM D4491 / BS EN ISO 11058 | Permittivity (water flow normal to plane) - primary filtration parameter |
| ASTM D4751 / BS EN ISO 12956 | Apparent opening size (O95) - filtration retention parameter |
| ASTM D6241 / BS EN ISO 12236 | CBR puncture - installation survival |
| ASTM D4533 | Trapezoidal tear strength |
| ASTM D4632 | Grab tensile and elongation |
| ASTM D5261 / BS EN ISO 9864 | Mass per unit area |
| ASTM D5199 / BS EN ISO 9863 | Thickness under 2 kPa |
| ASTM D5101 | Gradient ratio (filter compatibility with project soil) |
| ASTM D4355 | UV resistance after 500 hr xenon-arc |
| ASTM D4716 | In-plane transmissivity (drainage capacity) |
| AASHTO M288 | US highway specification, separation classes 1/2/3, filtration class |
| BS EN 13249-13257 | European application-specific specification series |
| FHWA-NHI-07-092 | Geosynthetic design and construction guidelines including filter design |
| JKR-SPJ Section 7 | Malaysian federal works alignment |
| GRI-GT12 | Geomembrane protection nonwoven specification |
Buyers and consultants usually ask:
What gsm do I need for X application? +
Lead time for common SKUs? +
Filter compatibility check on Malaysian residual soils? +
Do you supply for DOE landfill projects? +
Where this connects.
Geotextile hub →
Full geotextile reference.
Woven geotextile →
Companion product family: reinforcement, heavy separation.
Woven vs nonwoven compared →
Function-first selection logic, common misuse, decision matrix.
Geotextile for drainage →
Drainage trench wrap, french drain, behind walls.
Geotextile supplier →
Sole STRATA distributor (Starwall).
Geotextile design guide →
Filter criteria, separation, drainage design.
Geocomposite wall drain →
When in-plane drainage demand exceeds nonwoven capacity.
Glossary →
AOS, permittivity, gradient ratio defined.
Need nonwoven geotextile?
Send the application, AOS or protected soil grading, area in m squared, and delivery point. Same-day quote.