Physical properties, behavior, and testing of geotextiles

Both woven and nonwoven geotextiles are made from four polymeric materials (polyamide, polyester, polyethylene, and polypropylene) and natural materials. Woven geotextiles may be fabricated with monofilament yams, muldfilament yams, or a combination of each. Nonwoven geotextiles are bonded by one of the several methods thermal, mechanical, or chemical. With the many combinations of materials and processes, it is not difficult to see that the physical properties of geotextiles will vary greatiy among products (Yeo, 2008). 

In practice, the outer wrap of a roll of geotextile is not sampled for testing. The outer wrap should be unwrapped and cut off. A 1 -m-long specimen is then cut from the roll and provided to an accredited testing facility. Once at the facility, specimens can be obtained from the sample in a randomly distributed pattern across the width. 

Specimens should not be taken from within 100 mm of either roll edge unless it is specifically requested. Specimens can be cut by hand using sharp knife blades or, especially when precise dimensions are required, by machine with the use of cutting dies. 

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