ISSN: 1945-7545
Published Online: 17 December 2003
Page Count: 12

Evaluation of Woven Geotextile Pore Structure Parameters Using Image Analysis

Aydilek, AH
Assistant Professor, University of Maryland, College Park,MD

Edil, TB
Professor and ChairProfessor, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison,WI

(Received 20 December 2001; accepted 15 April 2003)

Abstract

Filtration performance of woven geotextiles is strongly related to their pore structure parameters, i.e., percent open area (POA) and pore-opening size distribution (PSD). Current methods of determination of pore structure parameters contain inherent disadvantages, whereas image analysis, taking advantage of the two-dimensional structure of woven geotextiles, can be used effectively for this purpose. Two new image-based PSD determination methods and a new image-based POA determination method were developed specifically for woven geotextiles and are presented in this paper. The POAs and two characteristic pore-opening sizes, O₉₅ and O₅₀, of various woven geotextiles were determined using the information provided by the image analysis methods. The image-based POAs and O₉₅ pore-opening size of various geotextiles are comparable to those obtained from the physical measurements and the values reported by the manufacturers. On the other hand, the measured O₅₀ pore-opening size is higher than the one determined using the analytical equations developed by two previous researchers.

Keywords:
woven geotextile, image analysis, percent open area, pore-opening size, dry sieving, bubble point

Paper ID: GTJ11264J
DOI: 10.1520/GTJ11264J
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