Quality Assurance of Jute Geotextiles

TESTING
5 BASIC FUNCTIONS
RELATED TESTS OF
GEOTEXTILES
1. Separation
 A geotextile is placed between fine soil and coarse
material to prevent the two materials from mixing.

 With the introduction of this barrier the dissimilar

materials are each able to function properly.

Concept of Separation Function

Tests Related to Separation Property of Jute Geotextile
Tear proagation
resistance
Impact Bursting Strength
Resistance
Impact
Resistance

Thickness A.O.S.

CBR Puncture
Resistance
2. Drainage
 A geotextile collects a liquid and conveys it towards an
outlet.

 All fabrics can provide such a function, but a thin woven

fabric obviously has less capacity than a thick needle
punched non-woven.

 This drainage-in-the-plane is termed transmittivity in

contrast to permittivity for filtration.
Drainage Function of Geotextiles

In Plane Permeability

Cross Plane Permeability

3. Filtration
A geotextile placed in contact with the soil, allows water to pass through
while preventing the passage of soil particles.

Both adequate permeability (permittivity) and soil retention are required

simultaneously over the design life of such application .

Filtration permit liquid to pass through its plane whilst

blocking the path of soil particles
FILTRATION
Water Layer
Without
Aggregate Geotextile
a
Fines
Water Flow
Water Layer

With
Geotextile Geotextile
Tests Related to Drainage
Property of Jute Geotextile

Thickness

Permeability

A.O.S.
4. Protection
Geotextiles some times used in a geotextile-geomembrane system.
In situations where fluids must be contained, such as surrounding a
landfill, geomembranes are used.

Many geomembranes are not resilient enough to withstand the

effects of aggregate forces and puncture.

Geotextiles can be used as a protective cushion surrounding the

geomembrane allowing for the desired system properties.
Tests Related to Protective Property of
Jute Geotextile

CBR Burst
Puncture
pressure
resistance resistance

Abrasion
resistance
 Tests Related to Reinforcement
Property of Jute Geotextile
A geotextile used to improve the mechanical properties of an
earth structure by interacting with soil.
Geotextile/ soil
friction

aa aa
Tensile
strength of
geotextiles
The Impotrant Characteristics of
Geotextiles are:

1.Physical properties
2.Mechanical properties
3.Hydraulic properties
 The Important Characteristics of Geotextiles are Broadly Classified as:

1. Physical properties: 3. Hydraulic properties:

 Weight/Unit Area  Apparent opening size
 Permeability
 Thickness
 Permittivity
 Transmissivity
2. Mechanical properties:
 Tensile strength
 Bursting Strength
 Tearing strength
 Frictional resistance
 CBR puncture resistance
Common tests and corresponding Standards
used in Quality Assurance testing.

Test Properties Test Methods

Mass/unit area ASTM D 5261
Thickness ASTM D 5199
Strip Strength Test IS: 1969:2009
Wide width Tensile Strength ASTM D 4595
Grab Tensile & Elongation ASTM D 4632
Bursting Strength ASTM D 3786
CBR Puncture ASTM D 6241
Puncture Resistance by Falling Cone Method IS: 13162 (Part 4) 1992

A.O.S ASTM D 4751

In Plane Permittivity ASTM D 4491
Trapezoid Tear Strength ASTM D 4533
Quality Assurance During
Manufacturing
1. Product Identification and Documentation

A. Each lot of Geotextile assigned by a unique number.

B. Test results of Geotextile fabric need to comply customers

specification.

C. Product does not meet the customers specification, need

to be treated as NON-CONFIRMED product.

D. Quality assurance certificates need to be supplied with

each roll.
Quality Assurance During
Manufacturing
2. Testing
A. Routine testing are need to be performed as per
requirement .
B. Special testing may be performed occasionally as per
requirement.

3. Retention of Records
C. Records of sold and produced geotextiles need to be
maintained systematically.
Quality Assurance During
Manufacturing
4. Material Quality Assurance

A. Quality of raw material need to be checked to assure the

end product quality.

B. Visual inspection of product reduces the number of defects.

C. Proper packaging is essential before shipping the geotextile

fabrics.
 JUTE GEOTEXTILES
TESTING FACILITIES
AT
IJIRA AND NERC
&
IMPORTANCE OF TESTING
Physical Testing Laboratory at
IJIRA, Kolkata
MASS/ UNIT AREA
Importance: NAME OF THE INSTRUMENTS:
1. Mass/ Unit Area is
Weighing Scale, Template.
fundamental Physical
property of Geotextiles. It PURPOSE:
gives an indications of other To measure the fabric weight per unit area.
properties.
TEST SPECIFICATION:
ASTM D3776 M- 09a (Reapproved 2013).
2.Heavy Weight Geotextiles-
higher mass /unit area, PRINCIPLE:
Stronger in tensile strength By measuring the mass of cut
units.
(when raw material and manufacturing
process are same)
RANGE:

3. Cost of Geotextile is directly 1-5000 GSM.

related to weight.
THICKNESS
Thickness effects the following areas-
1. Ability to transmit a flow of water in the plane of the
geotextile which is important for Drainage and
Filtration properties.
Geotextile Geotextile Soil

Water

Soil
Filtration Drainage Separation
2. It also effects the Separation property.
THICKNESS
NAME OF THE INSTRUMENT:
Dial Thickness Gauge.

PURPOSE:
To determine the thickness of
geotextiles.

TEST SPECIFICATION:
ASTM D 5199- 01.

PRINCIPLE:
Measuring of geotextiles thickness
from displacement between the base
and pressure foot of instrument.

RANGE:0.01-12 mm.
 Strip Tensile Test
NAME OF THE INSTRUMENT:
INSTRON tensile Tester.

Fixed PURPOSE:
Jaw To test the Strip strength of
fabrics.

TEST SPECIFICATION:
Movable
Jaw IS: 1969 -2009

Direction of PRINCIPLE:
Jaw movement Constant Rate of Extension
(CRE).
Sample Size:
50 mm X 350 mm RANGE:
for gauge length 200 mm 0-100 kN.
Wide Width Tensile Strength
The reason for the necessity of wide-width specimens is that
geotextiles (particularly non-woven) achieve high poison’s
ratio value from narrow strip test.

The greater width of the specimen in “Wide width test”,

minimize the contraction effect and provides a closer
relationship to expected geotextile behavior in the field and a
standard comparison.
Wide Width Tensile Strength
NAME OF THE INSTRUMENT:
INSTRON tensile Tester.

PURPOSE:
To test the tensile strength by Wide
– Width Strip method.

TEST SPECIFICATION:
ASTM D 4595- 11.

Wide Width Grip PRINCIPLE:

Constant Rate of Extension (CRE).
Geotextile Sample

RANGE:
0-100 Kn.
Grab strength Jaw & Specification
NAME OF THE INSTRUMENT:
INSTRON tensile Tester.

PURPOSE:
To test the Grab strength of
Geo-textiles

TEST SPECIFICATION: ASTM

A = 1 in
D 4632-91
B = 2 in
C ≥ A in
D ≥ D in PRINCIPLE:
Constant Rate of Extension (CRE)

Grab Strength Grip RANGE: 0-100 kN

Grab strength Sample

100 mm
Back Jaw Front Jaw
of Upper of Upper
Clamp Clamp

50 mm

200
mm

75 mm
Back Jaw Front Jaw
of Lower of Lower
Clamp Clamp
Grab strength
Grab tensile strength is required to design the geotextiles for
separation.

When pressure is applied to the upper stone, it spreads the

two lower stones laterally. As a result, tension is mobilized in
the geotextile. It is analogous to the grab tensile strength test.

X
1 2

Fig. A
1 2

Y
Fig. B
Trapezoid Tear Strength
NAME OF THE INSTRUMENT:
INSTRON tensile Tester.

PURPOSE:
To test the Trapezoid
Tear strength of fabrics.

TEST SPECIFICATION:
ASTM D 5587- 15

PRINCIPLE:
Constant Rate of Extension (CRE).
Tear Strength Test
RANGE:
0-100 kN.

.
 Trapezoid Tear Strength

90 mm
This test is done to tear the test
specimen from the point of
incision.

 Tear strength is important when 90 mm

the geotextile is damaged.
90 mm

Tear Strength Specimen

Bursting Strength
NAME OF
NAME OFTHE
THEINSTRUMENT:
INSTRUMENT:
Geotextile Sample Mullen Bursting Strength
Mullen Bursting Strength Tester.
Tester.

PURPOSE:
PURPOSE:
To test the
To test the Bursting Bursting
strength strength
of fabric.
of fabric.
TEST SPECIFICATION:
TEST SPECIFICATION:
ASTM D 3786-D87
ASTM / D 87
3786- 3786
/ DM –
3786
13. M – 13.

PRINCIPLE:
PRINCIPLE: The resistance of
Thetextile fabric to bursting is
resistance
determined using of hydraulic
textile fabric
pressureto
bursting
throughis diaphragm.
determined using hydraulic
Pressure Gauge pressure through diaphragm.
RANGE:
RANGE: 0-400 lbf / sq. in.
0-400 lbf / sq. in.
Bursting Strength
Bursting Strength is important where Geotextile used as
separating material between two layers.

When Geotextile can not deform any further, it will burst.

 CBR Puncture or CBR Push Through
NAME OF THE INSTRUMENT:
Plunger CBR Push Through or Static Puncture

PURPOSE:
Sample
Holding To test the Bursting strength of fabric.
Plates
TEST SPECIFICATION:
ASTM D 6241

1. Probe diameter 50 mm (2.0 PRINCIPLE:

in.) diameter. The resistance of textile fabric to CBR
2. Container diameter 150 mm. plunger is determined using a probe of 50
mm diameter.
3. Speed 50 mm /min.

RANGE:
0-100 kN
CBR Puncture or CBR Push Through
The puncture strength test evaluates-
The ability of geotextiles to withstand stresses and loads
during the construction process.

Therefore, the puncture resistance is commonly used-

to select a geotextile and predict its performance over
time.
CBR Puncture takes place

Pressure

Aggregate

Geotextile
Pyramid Puncture
NAME OF THE INSTRUMENT:
Pyramid Puncture

PURPOSE:
To test the Pyramid Puncture resistance of
fabric.

TEST SPECIFICATION:
IS: 13162 (Part 4) 1992

PRINCIPLE:
The resistance of textile fabric to
puncture by sharp cone is determined
using stain steel cone with 45 degree tip
angle.

RANGE:
0-50 mm dia of pore
Pyramid Puncture
Apparent Opening Size
The pore size distribution of the fabric is determined by
sieving dry spherical solid glass beads for a specified
time at a specified frequency of vibration and then
measuring the amount retained by the fabric sample.

1. The test is carried out on a range of sizes of glass beads.

2. The apparent pore size distribution is presented on a
graph using scales compatible with soil grading curves.
3. In addition, the apparent opening size (O95) is
determined, this being the pore size at which 95% of the
glass beads are retained on and within the fabric.
Apparent Opening Size
This test provides information on the pore size
distribution which is an important parameter to be
used in assessing a geotextile's soil filtration capability.
Apparent Opening Size
NAME OF THE INSTRUMENT:
Sieve Shaker .

PURPOSE:
To test the Apparent Opening Size
(A. O. S.) of Geotextiles .

TEST SPECIFICATION:
ASTM D 4751 – 12.

PRINCIPLE:
By lateral and vertical motion to the sieve.

RANGE:
0 – less than 425 micron (for O95 ).
Water Permeability

This test is useful in classifying

geotextiles and for comparing the water
permeability of geotextiles specially in
drainage and filtration applications.
Water Permeability
 This test measures the quantity of water which can pass
through a geotextile (normal to the plane) in an isolated
condition.

 Since there are geotextiles of various thicknesses

available- it is better to evaluate them in terms of
permittivity, which relates the quantity of water passing
through a geotextile under a given head over a particular
cross-sectional area.
 Water Permeability

Water Inlet
Manometer measures head of
water above and below
Geotextiles
Water
Column

Geotextile
Rotameter measures Sample
water flow lit/ min

Water Outlet
 Water Permeability
Permeability = q / A. NAME OF THE INSTRUMENT:
BTRA Water Permeability Tester.
Unit : lit/ sq. m / min
PURPOSE:
Permeability Coefficient (Kn) = q X t /A. h To determine the water permeability and
Unit : cm/ min Permittivity of geotextiles under standard
test condition.

Permittivity (ψ) = q /A. h

TEST SPECIFICATION:
Unit : / sec ASTM D 4491 – 99a (Reaffirmed 2009).

Q = total water collected after time ∆t

PRINCIPLE:
Hence, flow rate = q = Q/ ∆t
t = Thickness of geotextile Constant head water column method.
∆h = Pressure head difference
A = cross-sectional area of geotextile RANGE:
∆t = Time required for total water collection 0.0- 4.0 L/ min (water flow rate).
Transmissivity
 Transmissivity (Constant Head test)
NAME OF THE INSTRUMENT:
In plane Permeability TesterTester.
Transmissivity ( )= Kp X Tg
PURPOSE:
Unit: sq. m/ sec To test the In plane Permeability of
geotextiles.
Where,
Kp = Coefficient of Permeability of Water in TEST SPECIFICATION:
the plane of Geotesxtile (m/sec)
ASTM D 4716
Tg = Thickness of material (m)
PRINCIPLE:
Constant head water column method.
 SOIL TESTING
FACILITIES
AT
IJIRA AND NERC
SOIL Lab at IJIRA
List of Equipments and Instruments of
Soil Laboratory
SL
Instruments
NO Function
1 LIQUID LIMIT APPARATUS TEST IS TO DETERMINE THE LIQUID LIMIT OF THE SOIL SAMPLE USING CASAGRANDE TYPE
MECHANICAL LIQUID LIMIT APPARATUS.
DETERMINATION THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WATER CONTENT AND DRY DENSITY OF
COMPACTION PROCTOR
2 SOIL USING STANDARD & MODIFIED PROCTOR TEST TO DETERMINE THE OPTIMUM WATER
APPARATUS
CONTENT AND CORRESPONDING MAXIMUM DRY DENSITY OF A SOIL.
3 WEIGHING BALANCE
DETERMINE WEIGHT OF SOIL SAMPLE
MERLIN MODIFIED
4 ROUGHNESS INDICATOR
APPARATUS DETERMINATION OF LONGITUDINAL UNEVENNESS (ROUGHNESS) OF A ROAD SURFACE.
5 BENKELMAN BEAM TO DETERMINE THE DEFLECTION OF FLEXIBLE PAVEMENT UNDER THE ACTION OF MOVING
LOAD.
6 CBR APPARATUS
TO DETERMINE CALIFORNIA BEARING RATIO OF SOIL ( LOAD VS PENETRATION RELATION )
7 OVEN DRYING MACHINE

8 SKID RESISTANCE TESTER TO TEST QUICK AND PERIODICAL CHECKS OF SKID OR FRICTIONAL RESISTANCE ON THE ROAD
SURFACES TO EVALUATE ITS STATUS OF SURFACE ROUGHNESS.
LABORATORY VANE SHEAR TEST FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF SHEAR STRENGTH OF COHESIVE SOILS OR SOILS OF LOW
9 APPARATUS SHEAR STRENGTH (LESS THAN 0.3 KG/CM2)
DENSITY HYDROMETER OF
10 SOIL TO DETERMINE THE PARTICLE SIZE DISTRIBUTION OF SOIL MASS LESS THAN 75 MICRON
CYCLIC MECHANICAL TO DETERMINE THE STRENGTH OF SOIL SUB GRADE UNDER DIFFERENT STATIC LOAD AND
11 LOADING APPARATUS ALSO ON DIFFERENT DYNAMIC LOADS