Geotextile Tube Evaluation by Hanging Bag and Pressure Filtration Testing

This paper contrasts the field performance of three geotextile tube case histories with results from hanging bag tests and pressure filtration tests. The geotextile tubes were used in three different applications; (i) shoreline protection using a sand infill, (ii) dewatering of dredged harbor sediment, and (iii) dewatering of lagooned industrial ash. The "Hanging Bag Test" (or HBT) and "Pressure Filtration Test" (or PFT) were used as comparative methods. Each of the site soils were tested with four different geotextiles commonly used in geotextile tube fabrication. Results indicate that both the HBT and the PFT are good predictors of field performance. The HBT is a relatively large field performance test and is the current standard, whereas the PFT is a small lab test that appears to be manageable and versatile.