TEXTILES

(1) IT IS PROPOSED TO STUDY THE EVOLUTION OF TEXTILES USED IN VARIOUS CIVIL ENGINEERING STRUCTURES, ESPECIALLY IN EARTHWORKS AND DRAINAGE STRUCTURES. THE EVOLUTION WILL BE EVALUATED AS REGARDS THE MECHANICAL AND PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE OF TEXTILE MATERIALS AND AS REGARDS THE PHYSICO-CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF FIBRES. IT IS ALSO PROPOSED TO STUDY DEVICES FOR CONDUCTING TWO-DIRECTIONAL TENSILE TESTS ON TEXTILE MATERIALS AND MESHES. (2) THE MECHANICAL AND PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF TEXTILES AND ESPECIALLY NON-WOVEN MATERIALS ARE KNOWN AT THE INITIAL STAGE, BUT THEIR TIME-RELATED EVOLUTION IN LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS ARE NOT SO WELL KNOWN. A SURVEY CARRIED OUT IN 1978 AMONG THE NETWORK OF REGIONAL LABORATORIES COVERED 60 STRUCTURES FROM WHICH SAMPLING OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF TEXTILE CAN BE TAKEN. (3) TEXTILE SAMPLING WOULD BE CARRIED OUT ON A NUMBER OF SELECTED STRUCTURES. A STUDY WILL BE MADE OF THE GEOTECHNICAL, PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL CONDITIONS OF THE TEXTILE ENVIRONMENT. MECHANICAL AND PHYSICAL TESTS (STRENGTH, PERMEABILITY, POROSITY, POLLUTION) WILL BE UNDERTAKEN ON THESE TEXTILE SAMPLES. PHYSICO-CHEMICAL TESTS ON FIBRES WILL BE CONDUCTED BY THE INSTITUT TEXTILE DE FRANCE. A TENSILE TEST DEVICE FOR TEXTILES AND MESHES BASED DEVELOPED, AND AN INVESTIGATION WILL BE MADE INTO THE POSSIBILITY OF USING THE TWO-DIRECTIONAL TENSILE DEVICE OF THE INSA IN TOULOUSE.