TEST NAME : THICKNESS OF GEOTEXTILE

 Scope
This test method provides procedures for measuring the thickness of geotextiles at specified pressures and
defines at which pressure the nominal thickness is determined.

 Summary of Method
Specimens from the geotextile sample submitted for testing are measured for thickness and the average of
those measurements is used as the multiplier in converting permittivity to permeability. The measured
thickness is reported as information only in case disagreements arise concerning the permeability of the
material.
 PRINCIPLE
The thickness of a number of specimens of geotextiles are measured as the distance between the reference
plate on which the specimen rests and a parallel circular presser-foot exerting pressures on an area of defined
size within a larger area of geotextile.

 Apparatus
Thickness Tester
Incorporating the following elements.

Interchangeable Presser-Foot

Having a circular and plane surface with an area of 25 cm2 for testing materials of uniform
thickness. For determination of the overall thickness of materials of non-uniform thickness
or other parts of such materials, the size of the presser-foot shall be agreed upon and the size
shall be given in the test report.
The presser-foot shall be capable of exerting a pressure of 2 kPa, 20 kPa, 200 kPa within a
tolerance of 0.5 percent normal to the plane of the specimen.

Fig: THICKNESS TESTER Fig: PRESSURE FOOT fig: DIGITAL THICKNESS TESTER

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 Reference Plate
With a plane surface of minimum dimension greater than twice the diameter of the presserfoot surface for
testing material of uniform thickness. When testing thinner areas in material of non-uniform thickness, the
reference plate or a substituting supporting device can be chosen as small as the area of the presser-foot agreed
upon to assure contact with the lower surface.

Gauge
For registering the distance between the reference plate and the presser-foot to an accuracy of 1 percent for
geotextiles over 0.05 mm in thickness and to 0.001 mm for geotextiles not exeeding 0.05 mm in thickness.

 Specimens for Testing

1. Cut ~from each~roll selected over its full width perpendicular to roll length direction, a suitable
sample of length necessary for obtaining the required number of test specimens. Cut from all such
samples, required number of test specimens of minimum dimension greater than twice the diameter of
the presser foot surface.

2. The number of specimens shall be not less than 10. If new specimens are used for testing at each
pressure then not less than 30 specimens will be required.

3. The specimens shall be kept free from dust, dry, at ambient temperature, in dark and protected against
chemical and physical damage until the test is performed.

 PROCEDURE
1. Conditioning of Test Specimens
Condition the specimens in the standard atmosphere of 65 ± 2 percent relative humidity and 27± 2°C
temperature to –moisture equilibrium from the dry side. When the specimens have been left in such an
atmosphere so that both the faces are exposed to the standard atmosphere as far as possible for 24
hours, they shall be deemed to have reached the state of moisture equilibrium.
2. Measurement of Thickness
When determining the thickness of material of non-uniform thickness, e.g. material in which strands
or similar features are present, the part of the material to be tested shall be a –matter of prior
agreement between the buyer and the seller. The part tested shall be specified in the test report. Place
a specimen between the clean surfaces of the reference plate and presser-foot. Lower gently the
presser-foot applying a pressure of 2 ± 0.01 kPa to the specimen and note the gauge reading after 30
seconds, unless some other time is specified.Remove the pressure and the specimen.Repeat the
procedure until at least 10 specimens are tested.

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 DATA SHEET: THICKNESS OF GEOTEXTILE
Sample 1
TIME(MIN) APPLIED STRESS(kPa) DIAL GAUGE READING THICKNESS(mm)
0 1 91 0.91
2 1 90 0.90
7 1 90 0.90
7 2 86 0.86
12 2 85 0.85
72 2 85 0.85
1402 2 85 0.85
1412 4 83 0.83
2812 4 82 0.82
2812 5 81 0.81
4232 5 80 0.80
4232 10 79 0.79
5652 10 78 0.78

Sample-1
0.92

0.90

0.88
Thickness (mm)

0.86

0.84

0.82

0.80

0.78

0.76
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Applied Stress (kPa)

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 Sample 2
TIME(MIN) APPLIED STRESS(kPa) DIAL GAUGE READING THICKNESS(mm)
0 1 91 0.91
2 1 91 0.91
7 1 91 0.91
7 2 89 0.89
12 2 88 0.88
72 2 88 0.88
1402 2 88 0.88
1412 4 87 0.87
2812 4 87 0.87
2812 5 86 0.86
4232 5 85 0.85
4232 10 80 0.80
5652 10 78 0.78

Thickness of Geo-textile
Sample-2
0.94
0.92
0.90
0.88
Thickness (mm)

0.86
0.84
0.82
0.80
0.78
0.76
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Applied Stress (kPa)

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  CONCLUSION
The thickness determined when applying a pressure of 2 ± 0.01 kPa to the specimen.From our test result of
determining thickness of geotextile we find that for both the specimen the graph between thickness and
applied pressure become asymptotic.So we can conclude both samples are of same type and the average
thickness of our sample is 0.865mm.

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