Testing of Geosynthetics

….. continued
continued

Prof K. Rajagopal
Department of Civil Engineering
g g
IIT Madras, Chennai
e-mail: gopalkr@iitm
gopalkr@iitm.ac.in
ac in
 Recap of earlier lecture
Recap of earlier lecture
• Physical
Physical properties 
properties ‐ fundamental material 
fundamental material
properties e.g. specific gravity, mass per unit 
area etc
area, etc.
• Mechanical properties – strength properties 
e g tensile strength punching strength etc
e.g. tensile strength, punching strength, etc.

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Hydraulic Properties of Geotextiles
Hydraulic Properties of Geotextiles
• Apparent Opening Size
Apparent Opening Size
• Cross‐plane permeability
• In plane permeability
l bili
• Gradient ratio 
• Long term permeability

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 Apparent Opening Size (ASTM D4751)
Apparent Opening Size (ASTM D4751)
• The
The ASTM method, also called as the dry method 
ASTM method also called as the dry method
uses glass beads of uniform size
• The test method involves in sieving uniform sized 
The test method involves in sieving uniform sized
glass beads through the geotextile 
• Main advantage is that it is relatively faster 
M i d i h i i l i l f
compared to other methods.

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 Procedure of AoS dry sieving test
• Take 50 gm mass of smallest size glass beads (75) and 
sieve them for 10 minutes and determine the percentage 
retained on the geotextile.  Repeat with next higher size 
g p g
glass beads until the percentage of glass beads passing 
through is x% or less. 
• A graph is drawn between glass bead size on X‐axis and 
g p g
the percent passing on Y‐axis
• If x% of a certain particle size is retained on a geotextile, 
the Ox of the geotextile is the size of the particle in mm 
g p
(usually 90% and 95% are used in the literature) 
• ASTM designated AoS is O95 corresponding 5% particles 
p
passing through the geotextile
g g g

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Equipments used for AoS test
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 15

percent finer

10

0
10 100
particle size (microns)

Typical data from dry sieve analysis on a woven geotextile

O90 = 150microns
O95 = 230 microns

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 Limitations & Precautions
Limitations & Precautions
• Thick
Thick nonwoven geotextiles
nonwoven geotextiles may entrap the glass 
may entrap the glass
beads
• Yarns in some geotextiles
Yarns in some geotextiles may move during the 
may move during the
test thus affecting the AoS value
• Glass beads may simply float instead of going 
Gl b d i l fl i d f i
through the geotextile because of their low mass
• Electro‐static forces may develop thus affecting 
the results – anti‐static spray is used

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 Hydrodynamic Test Method for AoS

• Also called as wet sieving method.

• Uniform size sand pparticles are used in the test.
Geosynthetic with sand particles is repeatedly dipped
in water and taken out. Percent of sand particles
passing through the geotextile is determined after each
test.
• Procedure of test is similar to that using
ggglass beads.
• This procedure overcomes many of the limitations of
the dry sieve test
• In some codes, well graded sand is washed down by
water and the soil particles collected below the
geotextile are analysed

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 No of cycles of immersion=100
R t 10/ i t
Rate=10/minute
quantity of sand=100 g

Hydrodynamic
y y device used at IIT Madras for AoS test

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Testing of Geosynthetics - 2 11/30
 Filter design criteria
 Fine soil particles should not be lost (piping limit)
 Pore opening size should be large enough for
f the water to
flow through the geotextile freely (permeability limit)

Piping limit: O90  D85 of soil for granular soils

Permeability limit: O90  D15 of soil 

d O90  0.05 mm
and O 0 05

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Cross-plane permeability test (ASTM D4491)

Constant head test h

 50 mm head difference
q  k niA  k n A
between the upper and
t
lower surfaces of kn q
geotextile
g  
 Water allowed to flow t hA
through an opening of 25 Kn = permeability (m/s)
mm diameter
di t
h = head difference (m)
 Volume of flow (>1 litre) in
A  = area of flow (m2)
a given time (>30
( 30 seconds)
is measured = permittivity (s‐1)

 Temperature correction t=thickness of geotextile

needs to be applied finally q=flow rate (m3/s)
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 Cross-plane permeability test device

water column

geotextile sample
manometers
to measure
head of water
above
b and d
below
geotextile

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Cross-plane Permeability Test device

Water 
outlet

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 Numerical Example
Data from a test on cross-plane permeability is given below.
Estimate the permeability coefficient and the permittivity.

1200 ml of water collected in 180 seconds under 50 mm

head of water
water. Thickness of the geotextile is 0
0.65
65 mm
mm.
Diameter of the opening in the permeability device is 25 mm.
Flow rate q = 1200/180 = 6.67 ml/s = 6.67*10-6 m3/s
A = /4*(0.025)2 = 4.91*10-4m2
H = 50 mm = 0.05 m
P
Permeability
bilit coefficient
ffi i t kn = q/iA 1 77*10-44 m/s
/iA = 1.77*10 /
Permittivity  = kn/t = 0.27/s

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Falling head permeability test
Falling head permeability test
kn a ho
   2.3 log10
t At hf

• kn = permeability coefficient
• t = thickness of the geotextile
• a = area off water
t column
l above
b geotextile
t til
• A = area of flow (25 mm diameter)
• ho = initial height of water column = 80 mm
• hf = final height of water column = 20 mm
• t = time taken for the water head to fall from ho to hf

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In plane permeability Tests (ASTM D4716)

• Test
Test is performed at different gradients of 
is performed at different gradients of
0.25, 0.5 and 1.0
• Normal pressure is applied on the sample 
p pp p
• Minimum size of sample is 300 mm ×300mm
• Geotextile should be sandwiched between 
Geotextile should be sandwiched between
two thick rubber sheets to prevent any 
leakage

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Schematic of in plane permeability device

Length = LL
Length 
geotextile sample
gradient of flow, i = water head/length

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In plane permeability device

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 In plane permeability Tests (ASTM D4716)
Constant head test

q  k p iA  k p i ( w  t )
q
k p t    ; i  h / L
iw
q = rate of flow (m3/s)
kp = in plane permeability coefficient (m/s)
= in plane permeability coefficient (m/s)
i = gradient of flow = h/L
h = head difference in flow (m)
L length of the sample (m)
L = length of the sample (m)
w = width of the sample (m)
t = thickness of the sample (m)
 = transmissivity (m
t i i it ( 2/s or m
/ 3/s‐m)
/ )

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 Numerical example – in plane flow
Data from an in plane transmissivity flow test on a jute geotextile 
is given below.  Calculate the transmissivity and in plane 
permeability coefficient.
permeability coefficient.

One liter of water collected in 60 seconds.  Thickness of the 
geotextile is 2 mm.  Width and length of the sample are 300 mm.  
Head difference = 300 mm.
i = 300/300 = 1
= 300/300 = 1
q = 1/60 = 0.0167 l/s = 1.67*10‐5 m3/s
kp = q/i*w*t = 1.67*10
q ‐5/(1*0.3*2/1000) = 0.027 m/s
( )
 = kp*t = 0.027*2/1000 = 5.55*10‐5 m2/s

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 3.00E‐05
3.00E 05

2.50E‐05
Flow rate (m3/ssec)

2 00E 05
2.00E‐05

1.50E‐05

1.00E‐05

5.00E‐06

0.00E+00
0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Pressure (kPa)

Variation of in plane flow rate with normal pressure

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Radial in plane flow apparatus
q ln(r2 / r1)
k pt  
2h

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 Gradient Ratio Test (ASTM D5101)

overflow

100 mm soil 
column

50mm geotextile
25mm
MANOMETERS
PERMEAMETER

Flow through a soil underlain by a geotextile filter layer is analysed
Compatibility between the two is established
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 Gradient ratio test
• Flow through a soil underlain by a geotextile 
filter layer is analysed
filter layer is analysed
• Compatibility between the two is established
• Different heads of water are measured
Diff th d f t d
(h 2  h1) / 25
GR 
(h3  h 2) / 50

• Mass of piped particles = mass/sample area

h3 soill
50mm
• For good compatibility between the h2
25mm geotextile
geotextile and soil, steady state GR value 25mm
h1
should be less than 3.

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 NON‐WOVEN WOVEN
2.5

2
VALUE

1.5
GR  V

0.5

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
TIME(HR)
Gradient ratio tests on two different types of geotextiles and beach sand
After long time, steady state of flow is established
After long time, steady state of flow is established 

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 Long term flow test
Long term flow test
• The
The gradient ratio apparatus can also be used 
gradient ratio apparatus can also be used
for determining the permeability coefficient 
over long term Flow rates can be determined
over long term.  Flow rates can be determined 
after establishing steady conditions and 
permeability coefficient can be determined
permeability coefficient can be determined.
• Interpretation of test results as in the tests in 
soil mechanics laboratory
soil mechanics laboratory

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Schematic results from long term permeability tests
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 Recap
• Determination
Determination of different hydraulic properties 
of different hydraulic properties
of geotextiles
– Opening Size
Opening Size
– Cross‐plane permeability
– Inplane permeability
– Gradient Ratio
– Long Term Flow
L T Fl

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