Creep and relaxation of geotextile fabrics

Abstract In this paper it is indicated that for reinforcement applications of geotextiles the elongation behaviour in general, and creep in particular, is a major criterion. Creep is governed by the material (polymer) of the geotextile and by its construction. On the basis of textile-physical considerations and the structure-physical properties of PE, PP and PETP, elucidated with results of creep measurements, it is made clear that the lowest creep values are obtained with polyester woven geotextiles. The lowest elongation under load is achieved with polyester straight warp woven fabrics. For long-term loading of such reinforcements (10–100 years), a load of 50% of the short-term tensile strength is admissible.