Some geotextiles exhibit a large amount of necking or contraction in the direction perpendicular to the load application. The wide width tensile test method is designed specifically for these situations, to reduce the effect of material contraction and provide a testing scenario closer to the field conditions for geotextile use. A significant feature of the wide width test method, and a deviation from typical tensile tests, is that the geotextile specimen has a greater width perpendicular to the applied force than length in the direction of force application. Like the strip test method for textiles, the grip jaws for the wide width strip test must be wider than the sample width. Standard test methods have been specified by ASTM and ISO for performing the wide width strip tensile test on geotextile materials. The ASTM and ISO standards containing these methods are ASTM D4595 for geotextiles, ISO 10319 for geosynthestics, and ISO 10321 for joints and seams in geosynthetic materials. Wide width tensile strip tests typically require test machines with a greater load capacity than standard textile strip tests. Tabletop, high elongation, constant rate of extension test machines are commonly used for wide width strip tests. The machine families below are configurable to meet ASTM and ISO standards for tensile testing by the wide width strip method. The grips below are manufactured to the exact specifications of ASTM D4595 and are an example of grips that can be manufactured to meet ISO or custom test requirements.
Applicable Testing Standards
Recommended Test Machine
Force range of 5 kN to 600 kN (1,125 lbf to 135,000 lbf)
Adjustable test space
The most popular choice for static tension and compression tests
These dual column testers are available in both tabletop and floor standing models