Laboratory tests of the impact of stones on geotextiles and calculation model

Laboratory tests have been performed to test the influence of stone impact on a geotextile. According to the Dutch guideline for this type of structures, the vulnerability for stone impact should be limited for non-woven geotextile with a high elongation at break. However, laboratory experiments and field tests showed that also these non-wovens are damaged regularly. A calculation model is used to investigate what are the important parameters for damage of the geotextile during impact. Shape of the block and friction between layers appear of importance. The amount of penetration of the stone into the soil below the geotextile is of less importance. Results are compared with laboratory tests.