Geotextiles are utilized in civil engineering projects to perform one or a combination of six functions. These include: separation, filtration, drainage, reinforcement, cushion, and as waterproofing membrane when impregnated with a bitumen. Because continuity between manufactured panels is required to perform these functions, manufacturers have traditionally recommended either’overlapping or sewing as a primary means of performing this task. This p per explores the use of heat seaming equipment as an alternate to overlapping or sewing. Mechanical tests are performed on heat seamed continuous filament needle-punched nonwoven geotextiles to determine the efficiency of thermally produced overlap and prayer seams.
For this srudy, all seams were made with hot wedge equipment. Since this equipment is commonly used in the seaming of geomembranes, the use· of this seaming technique is economically advantageous within applications involving geomembrane fabrication. Results of mechanical testing are used to develop recommendations regarding temperature and seam speed settings.
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