Resistance of nonwoven geotextiles against mechanical damage under repeated loading and abrasion

The installation procedures (which may provoke mechanical damage) and abrasion can cause unwanted changes in the physical, mechanical and hydraulic properties of the geotextiles, affecting their performance. This work evaluates the resistance of two nonwoven geotextiles (with different masses per unit area) against two degradation mechanisms: damage under repeated loading and abrasion. First, the geotextiles were exposed to each degradation mechanism in isolation and, then, exposed successively to mechanical damage under repeated loading and abrasion. The damage suffered by the geotextiles (during the degradation tests) was evaluated by visual inspection and by monitoring their mechanical properties (by tensile, tearing and static puncture tests). Based on the changes occurred in the mechanical properties, reduction factors were determined. The reduction factors obtained in the successive exposure to mechanical damage under repeated loading and abrasion were compared with the reduction factors obtained by the traditional methodology for the combined effect of those degradation mechanisms.