Geotextiles and Geomembranes 29 (2010) 360e362

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Geotextiles and Geomembranes

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/geotexmem

Technical Note

Puncture resistance of polyester (PET) and polypropylene (PP) needle-punched

nonwoven geotextiles
George R. Koerner a, *, Robert M. Koerner b
a
b

Geosynthetic Institute, Folsom, PA, USA

Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA

a r t i c l e i n f o

a b s t r a c t

Article history:
Received 25 November 2009
Received in revised form
17 September 2010
Accepted 16 October 2010
Available online 10 December 2010

It is common practice to use needle-punched nonwoven geotextiles as puncture protection for geomembranes against sharp objects like gravel or stones in either the soil above or the underlying soil/rock
below. There are several design and experimental methods available for geotextile selection in this
regard. None, however, directly address the type of resin or ber from which the geotextile is made. This
paper does exactly that insofar as a direct comparison of similar mass per unit area polyester (PET) versus
polypropylene (PP) geotextiles are concerned. Furthermore, two types of PP geotextiles are evaluated;
one made from continuous laments and the other from staple bers. Three different size and shaped
puncture probes are used in the testing program. All three are ASTM Standards, i.e., D4833, D5495 and
D6241.
The test results clearly indicate that geotextiles made from PP bers outperform those made from PET
bers at all masses evaluated. Clearly, the present trend of using PP resin for heavy nonwoven protection
geotextiles seems justied on the basis of these test results. In addition, the continuous lament PP and
staple ber PP geotextiles performed equivalently over all mass ranges for the three different types of
puncture tests.
2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords:
Puncture
Geotextile
Geosynthetic
Index
Laboratory
Test

1. Introduction
Over the past 15e20 years there has been a major shift in the
type of polymer used in the manufacturing of needle-punched
nonwoven geotextiles. In the past, the majority were from polyester
(PET) resin whereas presently polypropylene (PP) resin is used
almost exclusively. That said, the geotextile manufacturing process
itself has continued to be similar at least for the relatively thick
needle-punched nonwoven fabrics used in this study.
One of the major uses for high mass per unit area (or simply
mass) geotextiles of this type is for puncture protection of geomembranes when used as barriers for geoenvironmental and
hydraulic engineering applications. Some of the major applications
are as follows; Koerner (2005);

landll liner systems,

landll cover systems,
waterproong of all types of dams,
liner systems for reservoirs and surface impoundments, and
liner systems for canals and tunnels.

* Corresponding author. Tel.: 1 610 522 8440; fax: 1 610 522 8441.
E-mail addresses: gkoerner@dca.net (G.R. Koerner), robert.koerner@coe.drexel.
edu (R.M. Koerner).
0266-1144/$ e see front matter 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.geotexmem.2010.10.008

In this paper we present a laboratory study of using equivalent

masses of needle-punched nonwoven fabrics made from either PET
(continuous lament) or PP resins. For the PP geotextiles both
continuous lament and staple ber are used. All of the tests are
evaluated in-isolation, i.e., without an accompanying geomembrane, using three different ASTM puncture test methods.

2. Properties and test methods

Since the mass of the geotextiles to be evaluated is the major
variable in this series of tests, differences in the intrinsic polymer
properties of the two resin types should be kept in mind in viewing
the results. Table 1 presents various properties of polyester (PET) and
polypropylene (PP) bers from the perspective of the basic resin.
Using fabrics of different mass per unit area (from 135 g/m2 to
1220 g/m2) in this laboratory study, each was evaluated for their
puncture resistance using three different standardized puncture
tests. The tests are as follows:
(i) ASTM D4833, the pin puncture test (there is no ISO equivalent test)
(ii) ASTM D5494, the pyramid puncture test (there is not ISO
equivalent test)

G.R. Koerner, R.M. Koerner / Geotextiles and Geomembranes 29 (2010) 360e362

361

Table 1
Selected properties of polyester and polypropylene resins, Shreve and Brinks (1977).
Property
Breaking tenacity
Standard g/denier
Wet (g/denier)
Specic gravity (g/cc)
Static moisture regain (%)
Coef. thermal expansion
( 105 per  C)
Melting temp. ( C)
Glass trans. temp ( C)

PET
(high-tenacity)

PP
(cont. and staple)

2.5e5.0
2.5e5.0
1.38
0.8
4e5

4.8e7.0
4.8e7.0
0.91
3.0
6

250e290
60e85

160e170
7

(iii) ASTM D6241, the CBR puncture test (this is equivalent to ISO
12236)
Table 2 presents the relevant differences in the test methods and
Fig. 1 shows the different puncturing probe sizes and shapes.
Fig. 1. Different probe shapes and sizes; see Table 2 for dimensions.

Five fabric masses of 135, 270, 406, 813 and 1220 g/m of
continuous lament PET (it was never available from staple bers)
and both continuous lament and staple ber PP needle-punched
nonwoven geotextiles were evaluated in the three test methods
mentioned previously.
The results of the PET continuous lament fabric are given in
Fig. 2(a). Note the near linear behavior of all three responses. Here
the ordering of the puncture resistances is as follows:

Pyramid puncture is greater than pin puncture by a factor of
approximately two.

CBR puncture is greater than pin puncture by a factor of
approximately nine.
These trends are relatively constant throughout the range of PET
fabric masses evaluated.
The results of the PP continuous lament fabric tests are given in
Fig. 2(b). Note the essentially linear behavior of all three curves.
Here the ordering of the puncture resistances is as follows:

Pyramid puncture is only marginally greater than pin puncture.

CBR puncture is greater than pin puncture by a factor of
approximately seven.
These trends are relatively constant throughout the range of PP
continuous lament fabric masses evaluated.
The results of the PP stable ber fabric tests are given in Fig. 2(a).
Note the essentially linear behavior of all three curves. Here the
ordering of the puncture resistance is as follows:

Pyramid puncture is only marginally greater than pin puncture.

CBR puncture is greater than pin puncture by a factor of
approximately seven.
These trends are relatively consistent throughout the range of
PP staple ber fabric masses evaluated.
Puncture Resistance (kN)

25

Legend
CBR; D6241
Pyramid; D5495
Pin; D4833

20
15
10
5
0
0

Puncture Resistance (kN)

3. Test results and discussion

250

500
750
1000
Fabric Mass per Unit Area (g/m2)

25

15

Pin; D4833

10
5
0
0

250

500

750

1000

Pin (D4833)

Pyramid (D5494) CBR (D6241)

Probe puncturing tip

Chamfered point
or edge
Specimen containment
Probe advancement rate
No. of replicate tests
Lab temperature
Lab relative humidity
Test conclusion

8.0 mm dia.
45 ; 0.8 mm

Point
0.5  0.01 mm

50 mm dia.
2.5  0.5 mm

50 mm dia.
300  10 mm/min
15
21  2  C
65  5%
Break

150 mm dia.
50 mm/min
10
21  2  C
50e70%
Break

Value reported

Max. resistance

150 mm dia.
1 0.1 mm/min
10
21  2  C
50e70%
Puncture via
electric contact
Max. resistance

Max. resistance

1250

1500

Fabric Mass per Unit Area (g/m2)

Puncture Resistance (kN)

Item or property

1500

Legend
CBR; D6241
Pyramid; D5495

20

30
Table 2
Selected differences in the three puncture tests used in this study.

1250

Legend
CBR; D6241
Pyramid; D5495

25
20

Pin; D4833

15
10
5
0

500

1000

1500

Fabric Mass per Unit Area (g/m2)

Fig. 2. (a). Puncture resistance curves of PET continuous lament geotextiles. (b).
Puncture resistance curves of PP continuous lament geotextiles. (c). Puncture resistance curves of PP staple ber geotextiles.

Puncture Resistance (kN)

362

G.R. Koerner, R.M. Koerner / Geotextiles and Geomembranes 29 (2010) 360e362

5

Legend
4

PP; cont.
PP; staple
PET; cont.

3
2
1
0
0

250

500

750

1000

1250

1500

Puncture Resistance (kN)

Fabric Mass per Unit Area (g/m2)

5

Legend

PP; cont.
PP; staple
PET; cont.

3
2
1
0
0

250

500

750

1000

1250

1500

Puncture Resistance (kN)

Fabric Mass per Unit Area (g/m2)

25

Legend
20

PP; cont.
PP; staple
PET; cont.

15
10
5
0
0

250

500

750

1000

1250

1500

Fabric Mass per Unit Area (g/m2)

Fig. 3. (a). Pin puncture resistance curves of three geotextiles evaluated. (b). Pyramid
puncture resistance curves of three geotextiles evaluated. (c). CBR puncture resistance
curves of three geotextiles evaluated.

Regarding a direct comparison of puncture resistance behavior

of geotextiles made from PET resin (continuous) versus PP resin
(continuous and staple) at the same weights, Fig. 3 is offered.
The results of the pin puncture testing, according to ASTM
D4833, are given in Fig. 3(a). Here it is seen that both PP geotextiles (continuous lament and staple ber) give approximately
similar responses. Both, however, are signicantly higher than the
PET geotextile (continuous lament) by approximately 100%. As
will be seen these results have the largest scatter of all puncture
tests.
The results of the pyramid puncture testing, according to ASTM
D5494, are given in Fig. 3(b). Again it is seen that the two PP

geotextiles (continuous lament and staple ber) give approximately the same results. Both are higher than the PET geotextile
(continuous lament) by approximately 35%. Interestingly, this is
the same percentage increase as is the ratio of PET/PP specic
gravity values; recall Table 1.
The results of the CBR puncture testing according to ASTM
D6241, are given in Fig. 3(c). The two PP geotextiles (continuous
lament and staple ber) are again close to one another and both
are higher than the PET geotextile (continuous lament). The
amount of increase is about 25%.
4. Conclusion
This study indicates that the puncture resistance of needlepunched nonwoven geotextiles has been measurably increased by
changing the bers base resin from PET-to-PP at an equivalent
mass per unit area. The approximate puncture resistance increases
of the PP geotextiles over the PET geotextiles are 100% for pin
puncture, 35% for pyramid puncture, and 25% for CBR puncture.
Certainly part of the improvement comes from polypropylene
being a signicantly lower specic gravity polymer than PET thus
more ber mass is in an equivalent weight; recall Table 1. In itself,
this lower specic gravity could account for up to a 34% increase in
the amount of bers when using PP resins. There are, however,
many other factors between the two resin types and their respective geotextiles which are much more difcult to isolate. They are
processability differences, needling behavior, breaking tenacity,
ber frictional characteristics, polymer state (glassy versus
rubbery), and possibly others.
The conclusion, however, stemming from this study is that
needle-punched nonwoven fabrics used for protection (or cushioning) of geomembranes is better provided by geotextiles made
from polypropylene (PP) bers than those made from polyester
(PET) bers.
References
ASTM D4833-07, Standard test method for index puncture resistance of geotextiles,
geomembranes and related products, ASTM, West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania.
ASTM D5494-06, Standard test method for the determination of the pyramid
puncture resistance of unprotected and protected geomembranes, ASTM, West
Conshohocken, Pennsylvania.
ASTM D6241-04, Standard test method for the static puncture strength of geotextiles and geotextile related products using a 50-mm probe, ASTM, West
Conshohocken, Pennsylvania.
ISO 12236, Geotextiles and geotextile-related products e Static puncture test (CBR
test).
Koerner, R.M., 2005. Designing with Geosynthetics, fth ed. Pearson Prentice Hall,
Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.
Shreve, R.N., Brink Jr., J.J., 1977. Chemical Process Industries, fourth ed. McGraw-Hill,
New York, New York.