Durability of Geotextiles to Outdoor Exposure in Hong Kong

Abstract

The outdoor exposure performance of 14 geotextiles is studied to obtain specific durability data for Hong Kong conditions. Wide‐width tensile tests were carried out to evaluate the loss of strength and increase in brittleness of the selected geotextiles. The results show some interesting trends in the degradation behavior, with rate of strength loss generally increasing with radiation intensity. Type of polymer and geotextile construction have some influence, but for short periods of exposure, the difference in behavior between geotextiles is small considering the variability of the geotextile materials. The long‐term performance of geotextiles varies. Non‐UV‐stabilized polypropylene geotextiles are the least durable. For needle‐punched geotextiles, UV‐stabilized‐polypropylene fabrics perform in a similar manner to polyester fabrics. Needle‐punched geotextiles (