Geotextile tube assessment using a hanging bag test

This paper describes the field performance of three geotextile tube case histories contrasted to the results from 12 hanging bag tests (four different geotextiles at each site). 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) was used as a comparative assessment method. Each of the site soils were used with four different geotextiles commonly used in geotextile tube fabrication. In all cases, the properties of the geotextiles and the soils are contrasted against the overall performance of the particular geotextile used for the tubes. The field performance of the geotextile tubes was mixed. One site performed well, the second fair, and the third poor. Findings presented in this paper show that the hanging bag test is a reasonable predictor of actual field performance. However, the test results do not correlate well with the opening size characteristics of the fabrics. It is hoped that this work will lead to the development of a standard test method that can be used by engineers to select or approve fabrics for optimal geotextile tube field performance.