Method of manufacturing a woven fabric for a composite component for a turbine engine

A method of manufacturing a woven fabric for a composite component for a turbine engine, the method comprising:

• weaving a plurality of reinforcing fiber tows to form a woven fabric with a surface, the reinforcing fiber tows including a plurality of first fiber tows, a plurality of second fiber tows oriented transversely to the plurality of first fiber tows, and a plurality of interlocking fiber tows, the woven fabric being a three-dimensional woven fabric having a first direction, a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and a thickness direction orthogonal to each of the first direction and the second direction, the plurality of first fiber tows being arranged in the thickness direction to form a plurality of first fiber layers and the plurality of second fiber tows being arranged in the thickness direction to form a plurality of second fiber layers, and the plurality of interlocking fiber tows extending in the first direction and the thickness direction;
• forming, during weaving the plurality of reinforcing fiber tows, a cavity extending in the first direction by:
• positioning the plurality of first fiber tows to create the cavity;
• and
• weaving the plurality of second fiber tows around the cavity;
• and
• forming, during weaving the plurality of reinforcing fiber tows, a slit extending in the second direction and connecting the cavity to the surface.