Geotextiles Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Material (Synthetic [Polypropylene, Polyester, Polyethylene, and Others] and Natural [Jute and Coir]), By Product (Non-Woven, Woven, and Knitted), By Application (Road Construction, Erosion Control, Pavement Repair, Drainage, Railroad, Agriculture, and Others), and Regional Forecast, 2023-2030

The global geotextiles market size was valued at USD 3.18 billion in 2022 and is projected to grow from USD 3.39 billion in 2023 to USD 5.39 billion by 2030, exhibiting a CAGR of 6.8% during the forecast period.

The increasing demand for high-performance and functional textiles in road construction, erosion control, and agriculture applications, coupled with growing development in the construction industry, is a primary factor driving the market growth. These are extensively used to improve the soil over which pipelines, roads, earth retaining structures, and embankments are built.

Countries are vulnerable to climatic change, resulting in several disasters that frequently occur worldwide. Thus, these textiles protect roads, soil, and bridges from natural disasters by retaining walls and embankments. Moreover, they have gained popularity due to their superior benefits, such as mechanical strength and liquid repellency. Due to rapid industrialization, the growing government investments in the construction sector shall augment the industry growth.

COVID-19 IMPACT

Decline in Export and Cancellation of Orders Affected the Coir Industry amid COVID-19

The coronavirus outbreak has halted most of the coir industry businesses due to nationwide lockdown, closure of factories, and cancellation of export orders. According to industry experts, India’s coir and coir product exports were disrupted, as manufacturers in Tamil Nadu export around 90% of their products, mainly in China. Coir products have piled up in units due to a large-scale decline in exports and order cancellations in most European and North American countries.

Coir exporters and manufacturers from Tamil Nadu, India, have insisted the government to support the companies in generating value-added coir products to help them during the pandemic.

LATEST TRENDS

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Deploying Coir in Rural Road Construction to Propel Market Growth  

Geosynthetic materials stabilize soil during the construction of roads and perform functions such as separation, drainage, and reinforcement. However, strict environmental protection and the high cost of geosynthetic materials make it vital to opt for alternate products that are eco-friendly and cost-effective. Natural fibers such as jute and coir are good alternatives to geosynthetic as they are eco-friendly, readily available, and low cost.

Under various programs, substantial planned road construction projects in India require construction on poor-quality soils. The road performance depends on the subgrade soil properties. To improve or recover road performance, coir textile is used as reinforcement. For example, in May 2020, the Central Government of India announced using coir geotextiles for rural roads constructed under the third phase of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY-III). This is likely to boost the coir industry in these challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the PMGSY’s new technology guidelines for rural road construction, about 15% of the road length in each batch will be constructed using the latest technology.

DRIVING FACTORS

Increasing Investments in Construction Projects to Drive Market Growth

The increasing infrastructure spending in different construction projects shall boost the demand for geotextiles. State, local, and federal governments are the key contributors to highway construction funding. Moreover, increasing public-private partnerships (P3s), as they receive money and the government’s approval to build roads and highways, will likely boost the product’s demand.

For instance, according to the U.S. Highway Trust Fund, in 2018, the public sector in the U.S. spent around USD 92.5 billion on highway construction, wherein the road and highway construction sector is likely to grow by around USD 103 billion by 2022. Similarly, the Indian government has allocated USD 13.14 billion under the National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) for FY 2019-25. The road sector is expected to account for 18% of capital expenditure during FY 2019-25. Also, the Indian Jute Mills Association (IJMA), the National Jute Board (NJB), and the Bihar government’s rural work department have endorsed geotextile use in the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), which will be beneficial and cost-effective in road construction. Therefore, increasing investment in construction projects is expected to boost global geotextiles market growth during the forecast period. 

RESTRAINING FACTORS

Fluctuating Prices of Raw Material to Hinder Market Growth

Geotextiles manufactured using natural fibers such as coir and jute and synthetic fibers such as polyester, polyethylene, and polypropylene. Changes in the supply & demand of these raw materials may negatively impact the overall industry outlook. Synthetic fiber materials extracted from crude oil. Thus, the rise in crude oil prices results in a hike in the price of raw materials. Also, polypropylene resin and other plastic resin costs have skyrocketed recently. Therefore, significant fluctuations in the cost of raw materials can restrain market growth.

SEGMENTATION

By Material Analysis

Polypropylene Segment to Dominate as it is Used in Various Construction Activities

Based on material, the market is segmented into synthetic and natural.

Synthetic segment is further segmented into polypropylene, polyester, polyethylene, and others. The polypropylene (PP) segment is anticipated to remain dominant in the forthcoming years. PP woven textile features low elongation and high strength, allowing erosion control, stabilization, and slope support. It is widely used in pavements, roads, dams, riverbanks, diversion irrigation, and railroad projects owing to its lightweight, smaller elongation, and stability with challenging construction loading and strong tensile strength.

The natural segment is further segmented into coir and jute. Jute is likely to lead the segmental growth during the forecast period. The rising environmental concerns and the increasing government regulations toward carbon emissions have urged companies to formulate eco-friendly and natural products. Being an environment-friendly and biodegradable natural fabric, jute is an alternative to many synthetic materials. Moreover, it has excellent moisture retention capability, ease of installation, high tensile strength, biodegradability, and lower cost. It is used in road pavement construction, soil reinforcement, and the protection of riverbanks.

By Product Analysis

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Non-Woven Segment to Hold Largest Market Share due to Large-scale Infrastructural Development

The market is segmented based on non-woven, woven, and knitted.

Non-woven segment is anticipated to hold the largest geotextiles market share during the forecast period. This is attributable to the large-scale infrastructural development that has led to the growing demand for non-woven products in the road, railway, highway, and airport construction, soil separation, drainage systems, soil reinforcement, and filtrations. According to data from European Disposables and Nonwovens Association (EDANA), around 750 square kilometers of geotextile nonwovens are sold and manufactured annually, of which 60% is used on road construction. If the new roads in the EU were made with nonwovens instead of gravel, it would save around 6.8 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalents. Moreover, they offer both an environmental benefit and keep to the users due to their lightweight properties, tolerance to temperature fluctuations, and puncture & tear resistance.

The woven product delivers high tensile strength, durability, improved performance, reduced long-term maintenance costs, and extended project life, thus effectively reducing the environmental impact. They resist UV degradation and are suitable for long-term applications. This enables them to be highly adopted in drainage, soil reinforcement, separation, filtration, embankment, and building construction activities. This will likely contribute to product demand during the forecast period.

By Application Analysis

Road Construction Segment to Hold Major Share Due to Huge Growth in Automotive Sales

On the basis of application, the market is segmented into road construction, erosion control, pavement repair, drainage, railroad, agriculture, and others.

Road construction accounted for the highest share in 2022 and is expected to continue its dominance during the forecast period. This is attributable to the rise in per-capita spending on automobiles and the increasing government spending on road infrastructure, which is expected to augment market growth. In road construction applications, these textiles are mainly used to fill gaps between the roads to improve the overall soil structure and prevent the roads from deteriorating. It improves stability and decreases water erosion chances, thus strengthening road stability for longer.

In agriculture, the product is used for protection against wind, sun and control against weeds, birds, and insects. Also, farmers have started using geotextiles to improve crop yield. The breathable organic cover provided by the product is likely to inhibit soil erosion while ensuring weed control and proper irrigation. This is anticipated to favor the growth of the segment.

The product is mainly used in erosion control applications to create a grip to hold the soil tight. These are used for drainage, filtration, and reinforcement. In September 2016, a few researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur, designed a durable and eco-friendly jute geotextile mainly for erosion control. This jute-based product is installed to prevent soil from cutting slopes, and embankments, and instigate vegetation and germination growth. Also, they are used in covering plants to protect them against frost. Therefore, such factors are likely to contribute to developing the erosion control segment in the forthcoming years.

REGIONAL INSIGHTS

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Asia Pacific will Hold the Largest Market Share due to Rapid Urbanization

The Asia Pacific market stood at USD 1.10 billion in 2022 and is expected to dominate the global market during the forthcoming years. This is attributed to the growing construction industry and the ongoing infrastructure projects in developing countries such as India and China. Moreover, rapid urbanization, the availability of a skilled workforce, and the increasing government initiatives for infrastructure development and improvement will contribute to regional growth.

For instance, in August 2020, China State Railway Group announced to expand its railway network, which will reach 200,000 kilometers of railway tracks and around 70,000 kilometers of high-speed railway network by 2035. In May 2020, coir manufacturers and exporters in Tamil Nadu, India, hoped for better rural roads after the National Rural Infrastructure Development Agency stated that over 5% of the roads sanctioned by PMGSY-III must be constructed using coir geotextile procured from coir-producing states. Such developments are expected to favor regional growth in the forthcoming years.

The rising environmental and health concerns have increased the demand for green infrastructure solutions due to their low cost, sustainability, and environment-friendly attributes in major European countries. The stringent EU policy directs the manufacturers to build green infrastructures that prevent the environment from pollution while protecting the ecosystem. Furthermore, the government focuses on enhancing and spending on road infrastructure projects due to rising automotive sales and ongoing road infrastructure development that will boost regional growth. 

The market in North America is likely to experience significant growth during the forecast period. The drainage systems in the U.S. are highly developed and extensive, and the high utilization of drainage systems has resulted in regular and proper maintenance. The increasing R&D activities and technological advancements have led to the introduction of natural and synthetic materials that require less maintenance, thus positively impacting the market growth in the region.

With continuous R&D investments and increasing competitiveness levels, non-woven and woven products offer massive growth potential in Latin America. For instance, back in September 2013, Strata acquired 50% of the equity in Geo Solucões Ltd. of Brazil to strengthen the market position in the region.

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The growing product demand for reducing road damage risk and improving groundwater levels may fuel the market growth in the Middle East & Africa region. In October 2020, the South African Forum of Civil Engineering Contractors (SAFCEC) and South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) signed a memorandum of understanding for small road contractors in South Africa to execute road construction

KEY INDUSTRY PLAYERS

Companies are Focusing on Capacity Expansion and Strategic Partnerships to Strengthen their Positions

The market is fragmented in nature with key players such as TenCate Geosynthetics Asia Sdn Bhd., GSE Environmental, NAUE GmbH & Co., KG, Officine Maccaferri, and Fibertex Nonwovens A/S. Most manufacturers focus on acquisition, strategic partnerships, and capacity expansion to enhance their product portfolio and broaden their market reach. Also, the development of the product is based on international market requirements.

LIST OF KEY COMPANIES PROFILED:

• Maccaferri (Italy)


• TENAX (Italy)


• TenCate Geosynthetics Asia Sdn Bhd. (Malaysia)


• GSE Environmental (U.S.)


• Terram Geosynthetics Pvt. Ltd. (India)


• HUESKER Synthetic GmbH (Germany)


• Global Synthetics (Australia)


• TYPAR Geosynthetics (U.S.)


• Fibertex Nonwovens A/S (Denmark)


• Belton Industries (U.S.)


• Thrace Group (Greece)


• NAUE GMBH & CO. KG (Germany)


• AGRU AMERICA, INC (U.S.)


• Gayatri Polymers & Geo – Synthetics (India)


• Suntech Geotextile Pvt. Ltd. (India)


• SKAPS Industries (U.S.)

KEY INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS:

• March 2022 - The BontexGeo Group acquired Geotexan S.A., a company specialized in the production and sale of geosynthetics and fibers. Such acquisition will help the company to make a strong market position in Spain for geotextiles.


• June 2021 - Core & Main LP, a distributor of wastewater, water, fire protection products, and storm drainage, entered into a definitive agreement to acquire substantially all of the assets of L&M Bag & Supply Co., Inc. L&M focuses on geotextiles and geosynthetics products and has a well-developed erosion control materials manufacturing operation. This acquisition will create opportunities and enhance Core & Main LP erosion control expertise globally.


• February 2021 - The BontexGeo Group, a European industry leader in the sale and production of geotextiles for civil engineering applications, acquired 100% of the shares of Stratex SA, the Swiss-based company specialized in the sale of geosynthetic and building products with a strong market position in Switzerland. This acquisition will create a market opportunity in the geosynthetic business.


• October 2020 - Geofabrics signed a partnership agreement with Visy to reduce the number of plastic bottles going into landfills. Visy uses food-grade Recycled PET (rPET) to manufacture its plastic bottles. In this partnership, the rPET that is not fit for Visy’s bottle-to-bottle recycling will be purchased by Geofabrics to make sustainable geotextiles for use in Australia’s rail, mining, and road industries.


• March 2020, Megaplast, an Indian-based polyethylene product manufacturer, used BASF’s light stabilizers from the Chimassorb to produce nonwoven geotextiles used to construct national highways.

REPORT COVERAGE

An Infographic Representation of Geotextiles Market

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The market research report offers an in-depth geotextiles market analysis of the key markets and emphasizes key aspects, including leading companies, materials, products, and applications. In addition, the report provides insights into market developments and major trends. This report includes historical data & forecasts revenue growth at global, regional, and country levels, and analyzes the industry's latest market dynamics and opportunities. In addition to the above-mentioned factors, the study encompasses various factors contributing to the market growth in recent years.

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