ASTM D5261-10(2018)

Standard Test Method for Measuring Mass per Unit Area of Geotextiles

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 This test method is used to determine if the geotextile material meets specifications for mass per unit area. This test method can be used for quality control to determine specimen conformance. This measurement allows for a simple control of the delivered material by a comparison of the mass per unit area of the delivered material and the specified mass per unit area.  
5.2 The procedure in this test method may be used for acceptance testing of commercial shipments, but caution is advised since information about between-laboratory precision is incomplete. Comparative tests in accordance with 5.2.1 are advisable.  
5.2.1 In case of a dispute arising from differences in reported test results when using the procedures in this test method for acceptance testing of commercial shipments, the purchaser and the manufacturer should conduct comparative tests to determine if there is a statistical bias between their laboratories. Competent statistical assistance is recommended for the investigation of bias. As a minimum, the two parties should take a group of test specimens that are as homogeneous as possible and which are from a lot of material of the type in question. The test specimen should then be randomly assigned in equal numbers to each laboratory for testing. The average results from the two laboratories should be compared using the appropriate Student’s t-test and an acceptable probability level chosen by the two parties before testing is begun. If a bias is found, either its cause must be found and corrected or the purchaser and the manufacturer must agree to interpret future test results in light of the known bias.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers and can be used as an index to the determination of mass per unit area of all geotextiles.  
1.2 The values stated in SI units or other units shall be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in parentheses are provided for information only.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 30-Jun-2018
• ICS: 59.080.70 - Geotextiles
• Technical Committee: D35 - Geosynthetics
• Drafting Committee: D35.01 - Mechanical Properties

Relations

• Replaces: ASTM D5261-10 - Standard Test Method for Measuring Mass per Unit Area of Geotextiles
• Effective Date: 01-Jul-2018
• Refers: ASTM D4439-24 - Standard Terminology for Geosynthetics
• Effective Date: 01-Feb-2024
• Refers: ASTM D4354-12(2020) - Standard Practice for Sampling of Geosynthetics and Rolled Erosion Control Products (RECPs) for Testing
• Effective Date: 01-May-2020
• Refers: ASTM D1776/D1776M-20 - Standard Practice for Conditioning and Testing Textiles
• Effective Date: 01-Feb-2020
• Refers: ASTM D4439-18 - Standard Terminology for Geosynthetics
• Effective Date: 15-Apr-2018
• Refers: ASTM D4439-17 - Standard Terminology for Geosynthetics
• Effective Date: 01-Aug-2017
• Refers: ASTM D123-17 - Standard Terminology Relating to Textiles
• Effective Date: 01-Mar-2017
• Refers: ASTM D1776/D1776M-16 - Standard Practice for Conditioning and Testing Textiles
• Effective Date: 01-Jan-2016
• Refers: ASTM D123-15b - Standard Terminology Relating to Textiles
• Effective Date: 15-Sep-2015
• Refers: ASTM D123-15a - Standard Terminology Relating to Textiles
• Effective Date: 01-Sep-2015
• Refers: ASTM D4439-15a - Standard Terminology for Geosynthetics
• Effective Date: 01-Sep-2015
• Refers: ASTM D4439-15 - Standard Terminology for Geosynthetics
• Effective Date: 01-Jul-2015
• Refers: ASTM D123-15 - Standard Terminology Relating to Textiles
• Effective Date: 01-Apr-2015
• Refers: ASTM D1776/D1776M-15 - Standard Practice for Conditioning and Testing Textiles
• Effective Date: 01-Feb-2015
• Refers: ASTM D4439-14 - Standard Terminology for Geosynthetics
• Effective Date: 01-Mar-2014

Overview

ASTM D5261-10(2018) - Standard Test Method for Measuring Mass per Unit Area of Geotextiles defines a reliable procedure to determine the mass per unit area (commonly called weight per unit area) of geotextiles. Geotextiles are permeable textile materials used in civil engineering applications alongside soil, rock, or other geotechnical materials. The accurate determination of mass per unit area is essential for verifying product specifications, quality control of material lots, and acceptance testing for commercial shipments. This standard applies to all types of geotextiles, including woven, nonwoven, and knitted fabrics.

The test method follows internationally recognized principles set by the World Trade Organization (WTO) Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee, supporting global uniformity in geotextile quality assessment.

Key Topics

• Purpose and Significance

  • Ensures geotextile materials meet specified mass per unit area requirements.
  • Provides a standardized approach for quality control and conformity assessment.
  • Facilitates easy comparison between delivered material and supplier/manufacturer specifications.

• Testing Procedure

  • Conditioning of specimens to moisture equilibrium in a controlled atmosphere (65% ± 5% relative humidity, 21 ± 2°C).
  • Cutting multiple specimens from various locations across the width of the laboratory sample, ensuring representative testing.
  • Weighing each specimen to the nearest 0.01 g using a calibrated balance.
  • Calculating mass per unit area and averaging results for accurate reporting.

• Acceptance and Dispute Resolution

  • Suitable for acceptance testing of commercial shipments, with a recommendation for comparative tests in cases of result discrepancies between laboratories.
  • Calls for statistical analysis (such as Student’s t-test) to identify and address potential inter-laboratory bias.

• Reporting Requirements

  • Specifies details to include in test reports: type of geotextile, sampling method, specimen dimensions and number, average mass per unit area, standard deviation, and any deviations from standard procedure.

Applications

ASTM D5261 serves a range of practical applications in the geosynthetics and construction industries, including:

• Quality Control: Manufacturers and users confirm compliance of geotextiles with project or regulatory requirements before installation.
• Product Specification Compliance: Contractors, engineers, and procurement teams verify that delivered materials match contractual specifications.
• Research and Development: Consistent measurement supports development and comparison of new geotextile products.
• Dispute Resolution: Offers a reliable method for resolving differences between suppliers and purchasers regarding product weight claims.
• Support for Industry Standards: Demonstrates adherence to internationally recognized testing protocols, fostering confidence in supply chains and project quality.

Related Standards

Referencing ASTM D5261 often involves consideration of related standards for geotextiles and geosynthetics testing, sampling, and terminology:

• ASTM D123 – Terminology Relating to Textiles
• ASTM D1776/D1776M – Practice for Conditioning and Testing Textiles
• ASTM D4354 – Practice for Sampling of Geosynthetics and Rolled Erosion Control Products
• ASTM D4439 – Terminology for Geosynthetics
• ISO 9864:1990 – Geotextiles - Determination of Mass per Unit Area

These interrelated standards ensure consistency in sampling, measurement, and reporting across the industry.

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Keywords: ASTM D5261, geotextile mass per unit area, geotextile weight, standard test method, geotextile quality control, geosynthetics testing standards, civil engineering textiles.

Standards Content (Sample)

This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
Designation: D5261 − 10 (Reapproved 2018)
Standard Test Method for
Measuring Mass per Unit Area of Geotextiles
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D5261; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope 3.1.1 atmosphere for testing geotextiles, n—air maintained
at a relative humidity of 65 6 5 % and temperature of 21 6
1.1 This test method covers and can be used as an index to
2 °C (70 6 4 °F).
the determination of mass per unit area of all geotextiles.
3.1.2 geosynthetic, n—a planar product manufactured from
1.2 The values stated in SI units or other units shall be
polymeric material used with soil, rock, earth, or other
regarded separately as standard. The values stated in parenthe-
geotechnical-engineering-related material as an integral part of
ses are provided for information only.
a manmade project, structure, or system.
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the
3.1.3 geotextile, n—any permeable textile used with
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
foundation, soil, rock, earth, or any other geotechnical-
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
engineering-related material as an integral part of a manmade
priate safety, health, and environmental practices and deter-
project, structure, or system.
mine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
3.1.3.1 Discussion—Current textile manufacturing tech-
1.4 This international standard was developed in accor-
niques produce: nonwoven fabrics, knitted fabrics, and woven
dance with internationally recognized principles on standard-
fabrics.
ization established in the Decision on Principles for the
3.2 For definitions of other textile terms used in this test
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recom-
method, refer to Terminology D123.
mendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical
Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
3.3 Fordefinitionsofothertermsrelatingtogeotextilesused
in this test method, refer to Terminology D4439.
2. Referenced Documents
2.1 ASTM Standards:
4. Summary of Test Method
D123 Terminology Relating to Textiles
4.1 The mass per unit area of a geotextile is determined by
D1776/D1776M Practice for Conditioning and Testing Tex-
weighing test specimens of known dimensions, cut from
tiles
various locations over the full width of the laboratory sample.
D4354 Practice for Sampling of Geosynthetics and Rolled
The calculated values are then averaged to obtain the mean
Erosion Control Products (RECPs) for Testing
mass per unit area of the laboratory sample.
D4439 Terminology for Geosynthetics
2.2 ISO Standard:
5. Significance and Use
ISO 9864:1990 Geotextiles—Determination of Mass per
Unit Area 5.1 This test method is used to determine if the geotextile
material meets specifications for mass per unit area. This test
3. Terminology
method can be used for quality control to determine specimen
3.1 Definitions:
conformance. This measurement allows for a simple control of
the delivered material by a comparison of the mass per unit
This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D35 on area of the delivered material and the specified mass per unit
Geosynthetics and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D35.01 on Mechani-
area.
cal Properties.
Current edition approved July 1, 2018. Published July 2018. Originally approved
5.2 The procedure in this test method may be used for
in 1992. Last previous edition approved in 2010 as D5261 – 10. DOI: 10.1520/
acceptance testing of commercial shipments, but caution is
D5261-10R18.
advised since information about between-laboratory precision
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
is incomplete. Comparative tests in accordance with 5.2.1 are
contact ASTM Customer Service at [e-mail]. For Annual Book of ASTM
Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on
advisable.
the ASTM website.
5.2.1 In case of a dispute arising from differences in
Available from International Organization for Standardization (ISO), 1, ch. de
reported test results when using the procedures in this test
la Voie-Creuse, Case postale 56, CH-1211, Geneva 20, Switzerland, http://
www.iso.ch. method for acceptance testing of commercial shipments, the
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
D5261 − 10 (2018)
purchaser and the manufacturer should conduct comparative than 2 h, does not exceed 60.1 % of the mass of the test
tests to determine if there is a statistical bias between their specimen. In general practice, the industry approaches equilib-
laboratories. Competent statistical assistance is recommended rium from the “as-received” side.
for the investigation of bias. As a minimum, the two parties
NOTE 2—It is recognized that, in practice, geotextile materials fre-
should take a group of test specimens that are as homogeneous
quently are not weighed to determine when moisture equilibrium has been
as possible and which are from a lot of material of the type in
reached. While such
...