Gaining a Better Understanding of the Porometer Test (ASTM D6767): Fid-Bau Portal

Gaining a Better Understanding of the Porometer Test (ASTM D6767)

Lacina, B.A. / Medlin, M.

The test results obtained using ASTM International test method D6767: Test Method for Pore Size Characteristics of Geotextiles by Capillary Flow Test, provide a myriad of information about the geotextile being tested. The test results reliably provide the range of opening sizes in the geotextile, including the O95 (AOS, ASTM D4751: Standard Test Method for Determining Apparent Opening Size of a Geotextile), O50, and smaller interstices. In addition, capillary porometry can provide test results for hydraulic permittivity and flow rate that duplicate those from ASTM D4491: Standard Test Methods for Water Permeability of Geotextiles by Permittivity. The porometer can also measure the percent open area (POA) of plain weave geotextiles as accurately as the industry standard US Army Corps of Engineers test method COE-22125-86. Using the test results from ASTM D6767 to supplement and/or replace the data obtained using these other traditional ASTM test methods mentioned above can be very useful to both civil design engineers and soil and geosynthetics testing laboratories. Examining the full range of opening sizes in a geotextile will determine its suitability for specific soil filtration applications much more accurately than using the AOS result obtained from ASTM D4751 and can help to reduce failures in the field. Also, by replacing and/or supplementing the hydraulic permittivity, flow rate and POA data obtained using the ASTM D4491 and COE-22125-86 test methods, the capillary porometer results can greatly increase the testing efficiencies of soil and geosynthetics testing laboratories. Thus, by reducing their required number of geotextile tests performed and by increasing the accuracy of their test results, testing laboratories can save both time and money.