Overview
ISO 10318-1:2015 establishes standardized terms and definitions for geosynthetics used in geotechnical and civil engineering. The document clarifies language for functions, product types and material properties that appear across EN and ISO geosynthetics standards. It supports designers, specifiers, manufacturers, testing laboratories and contractors by reducing ambiguity and aligning project specifications with internationally accepted terminology. See the ISO online browsing platform (OBP) for related entries and test-method standards.
Key Topics
- Functions: common functional roles are defined, including drainage, filtration, protection, reinforcement, separation, surface erosion control, barrier, and stress relief (for overlays).
- Product classifications: generic and specific product terms are explained, for example:
- Geosynthetic (GSY) - generic polymeric sheet, strip or 3-D structure used with soil and other materials
- Geotextile (GTX) - planar, permeable textile (nonwoven, knitted or woven)
- Geogrid, Geonet, Geomat, Geocell, Geostrip, Geospacer - common geotextile-related products with distinct geometries and functions
- Geosynthetic barrier (GBR) and subtypes: polymeric geomembrane (GBR-P), geosynthetic clay liner (GBR-C), bituminous geomembrane (GBR-B)
- Geocomposite (GCO) - assembled materials containing at least one geosynthetic
- Material and hydraulic properties: definitions include thickness (mm), mass per unit area (g/m²), characteristic opening size (O90, µm), permeability (m/s), permittivity (s⁻¹), transmissivity, flux, and in-plane flow capacity.
- Mechanical properties and connections: standardized terms cover tensile strength (kN/m), tensile modulus, preload, joint/seam strength and efficiency, peel test and tensile shear test.
- Interface and orientation: definitions for friction angle, friction interaction coefficient, machine direction (MD) and cross-machine direction (CMD).
Applications
ISO 10318-1:2015 is used to:
- Harmonize contract specifications, technical reports and drawings
- Ensure consistent communication between manufacturers, testing labs and engineers
- Support selection of geosynthetics for drainage, filtration, containment, reinforcement and erosion control applications
- Aid quality control and interpretation of test results by aligning terminology with measurement units and test intent
Note: Definitions not included in this part are referenced to the appropriate ISO or EN test-method standards and the ISO OBP.
Related Standards
- ISO 10318-2 - Symbols and pictograms (companion document)
- ISO 9863-1:2005 - Determination of thickness at specified pressures (referenced in the bibliography)
- Relevant EN and ISO test-method standards (see ISO OBP for links and cross-references)
Keywords: geosynthetics, geotextile, geomembrane, geogrid, filtration, drainage, permeability, transmissivity, tensile strength, ISO 10318-1:2015.
