Modeling the tensile behaviour of needle punched nonwoven geotextiles

Purpose ‐ The purpose of this paper is to propose a theoretical model to predict the mechanical behaviour of needle punched heavy geotextiles in uniaxial tensile test. Design/methodology/approach ‐ The model was constructed using theory of layered composite materials and finite element method. The properties of a reference fabric were used as initial data in theoretical calculations and a commercially available finite element program was chosen to carry out stress analysis. A comparison is made between theoretical calculations and experimental data to evaluate the deformation mechanism of geotextile fabrics in uniaxial tensile test. Findings ‐ The results indicate that compatible data were predicted in terms of stress values and stress distribution of fabrics. The inconstant lateral contraction of nonwoven fabrics in tensile test is also successfully simulated by the model. However, in the case of elongations, the model could not predict the strains of heavy geotextiles accurately. Originality/value ‐ The study aims at predicting the mechanical behaviour of needle punched heavy geotextiles by using the structural and mechanical properties of a "reference fabric" instead of constituent fiber properties.