Constructing new marine settlements
Home / Construction Scheme of Geotextile Tubes for Submarine Cable and Pipeline Projects
Project Background And Objectives
With the large-scale construction of submarine cables and pipelines, ensuring stability, protection and long-term operation in complex marine environments has become a critical technical challenge. Geotextile tubes, due to their high strength, resistance to corrosion, salinity and aging, are widely used for covering and protecting submarine cables and pipelines.
This construction scheme aims to install sand-filled geotextile tubes above the trenches containing submarine cables or pipelines, forming a stable protective structure to prevent damage caused by anchors, fishing nets and scouring currents, ensuring long-term safety.
Construction Conditions
The construction area must allow for the entry and anchoring of construction vessels.
Subsea trenches must be dredged in advance to ensure smooth laying of cables and pipelines.
Water depth: 5–50m.
Environmental conditions: current velocity < 1.0 m/s, wave height < 1.5m, visibility ≥ 2m.
Construction period should avoid typhoon and storm seasons.
Deployment And Preparations
Construction Vessels:
Sand transport ships, open bottom barges, geotextile bag barge, crane ships and pipe laying ships.
Equipment: Sand transport ships, sand blowing pumps, sand blowing pipes, lifting equipment and diving monitoring equipment.
Materials: high-strength anti-aging PET/PP woven geotextile tubes, tensile strength ≥100–200kN/m.
Surveying And Positioning: GPS and sonar systems to ensure accurate placement.
Safety: prepare diver operation safety plans and emergency equipment.
Construction Process
STEP 01
Cable/Pipeline Laying:
Place cables or pipelines into the dredged trench.
STEP 02
Geotextile Tube Placement:
Use an open-bottom barge to place geotube bags at fixed points above the cables/pipelines.STEP 03
Sand Filling:
The sea sand from the sand transport ship is pumped into the geotube bags on the open bottom barge to ensure that they are full and have a stable shape.STEP 04
Stacking And Covering:
Stack tubes in layers as per design to form an integrated protective cover.STEP 05
Inspection And Reinforcement:
Divers and sonar inspect placement and filling; deficiencies are corrected.
Quality Control
- Geotube bags are subject to random inspection of fabric mechanical properties and salt-alkali resistance when they arrive at site.
- Strict control of sand filling compaction to avoid bulging or rupture.
- Underwater positioning accuracy within ±0.5m.
- Sonar scanning after each section to ensure full coverage.
Safety And Environmental Protection
- Strict compliance with diver safety protocols and underwater communication.
- Construction vessels must follow anti-collision regulations and set up warning zones.
- Marine sand extraction and placement controlled to minimize ecological impact.
- Emergency plans in place; suspend work during adverse weather.
Geotextile Tubes: Structural Safety & Durability Challenges
Pain Point 01
Rapid Material Aging Shortens Project Lifespan
Customer Concern:
Traditional geotextile tubes degrade quickly under UV exposure and seawater erosion, leading to strength loss, cracks and breakage within a year. This results in sand leakage, embankment failure and high repair costs.
Solution:
Use UV-resistant, high-strength geotextile tubes (tensile strength 35–250 KN/m, elongation >23%). With special treatment, the tubes can withstand natural exposure for 3 years in any marine environment, reducing embankment repair costs from the source.
Pain Point 02
Weak Seam Strength Causes Tube Rupture
Customer Concern:
Conventional tubes are stitched with portable sewing machines, with seam strength ≤30% of base fabric. When filled with sand, seawater pressure often tears the seams, especially in ports with large tidal differences.
Solution:
Adopt industrial four-line parallel stitching, ensuring seam strength ≥70% of base fabric. With trapezoidal staggered stacking, overall shear resistance improves by 40%, preventing chain reactions from local damage.Constructing new marine settlements
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