Dynamic puncture modeling of polyester needle-punched nonwoven geotextile fabrics using finite element method

Abstract

Investigating the properties of the needle-punched nonwoven geotextile fabrics in order to improve their performance is important, not only from economical aspects, but also for their multipurpose applications. One of these properties is their resistance to puncture, especially in the dynamic state. Experimental study of this behavior requires the use of special equipment, time, cost, etc. which can be also affected by the unpredictable errors. Therefore, in this study, a finite element based model for prediction of the cone drop dynamic puncture behavior of needle-punched nonwoven geotextile fabrics has been proposed. In order to compare the results of the model with the real situation, a number of four samples with different specifications, including basis weight, thickness, needle penetration depth and punch density were prepared and tested according to EN ISO13433:2006 method. The root mean square error of the cone velocity results as well as the diameter of the hole created indicates a significant agreement between the experimental and the model results. Moreover, the obtained results are confirmed by a validation sample. The proposed model can also be used to estimate the velocity change of the cone, the momentary forces exerted by the fabric to the cone, the stress distribution on the geotextile fabric and to forecast how the puncture happens and the created hole expands during the puncture.