Investigation of filtration and clogging properties of geotextiles

Excess water inside the soil is a reason that negatively affects strength, and the service life of structures interacted with the soil such as tunnels, retaining walls and roads, and also creates stability problems due to the created hydrostatic pressure. For this reason, many drainage methods have been developed to drain water while preventing soil particle migration. Among these methods, geotextile filters have stood out in recent years due to their drainage capacity, cost-effectiveness, and ease of application. However, clogging has been observed in these filters over time, and filters often fail to function throughout their targeted service life. Therefore, investigating the clogging behavior of geotextile filters is crucial. Within the purpose of this study, the filtration and clogging performance of geotextiles is investigated under various soil conditions and applied pressure levels. In this study, it is aimed to investigate the filtration and clogging performances of geotextiles with densities of 200, 250, 300 and 350 g/m2 under different soil conditions as well as subjecting to pressure values varying between 40 and 100 psi. Accordingly, an experimental setup was developed in which a load is applied using air pressure to a cell containing slurry soil that has two folded water content than the optimum value and geotextile filter. Through the load application provided by pneumatic pistons, the water within the soil is mitigated toward the geotextile filter and discharged from the system. The applied pressure levels are controlled through a specially designed control panel. The results will be evaluated by examining the amount of discharged water, the change in the geotextile's mass at the end of the experiment, and its pore clogging parameters. It is expected that the results obtained will improve the geotextile filter design and performance.