Overview
EN ISO 13427:2014 - Geosynthetics: Abrasion damage simulation (sliding block test) (ISO 13427:2014) specifies a laboratory test method for determining the abrasion resistance of geosynthetics used in railway construction. The method simulates sliding abrasion using a sliding block (emery abradant) and quantifies damage by measuring the loss in tensile properties after exposure. The test outcome is reported as retained tensile strength (%) and statistical descriptors for a series of specimens.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Scope: Applicable to all geosynthetics used in the construction of railways.
- Principle: A geosynthetic specimen is rubbed against an abradant under controlled pressure and uniaxial reciprocating motion; resistance is expressed as percent tensile strength retained.
- Apparatus:
- Sliding block abrasion tester with two parallel plates (50 mm × 200 mm testing area).
- Reciprocating plate: stroke length (25 ± 1) mm, adjustable frequency up to 90 double strokes/min.
- Balanced head, clamps to prevent slippage, cycle counter, and weights to apply vertical load.
- Test parameters:
- Abrading medium: emery cloth P100 in accordance with ISO 6344-2.
- Vertical load: total mass (6 ± 0,01) kg (including top plate).
- Number of cycles: operate for 750 cycles or until specimen rupture.
- Specimen preparation: five pairs of specimens per direction; test both faces if material is asymmetric.
- Conditioning: Standard atmosphere per ISO 554 (20 ± 2 °C; 65 ± 5 % RH) until mass change ≤ 0.25 %.
- Results & calculations:
- Retained tensile strength (%) = (B / A) × 100, where A = reference tensile strength and B = tensile strength after abrasion.
- Report the average retained tensile strength and coefficient of variation for five specimens.
- Test report: Must include standard reference, sample ID, average retained strength, coefficient of variation, any deviations (cycles, load), unusual behaviour (rupture, fiber balls), use of underlays, and reasons for termination.
Applications and users
This standard is essential for:
- Geotechnical and railway engineers specifying geosynthetics for ballast, subgrade separation, drainage or erosion control where sliding abrasion is a failure mode.
- Manufacturers of geotextiles, geogrids and other geosynthetics for product development and quality control.
- Third‑party testing laboratories conducting abrasion resistance evaluation and compliance testing.
- Procurement/specifiers requiring validated abrasion performance data for railway infrastructure projects.
Related standards
- ISO 554 - Standard atmospheres for conditioning and/or testing
- ISO 6344-2 - Coated abrasives: grain size analysis (macrogrits P12–P220)
- EN 12226 - Geosynthetics: general tests for evaluation following durability testing
Keywords: EN ISO 13427, ISO 13427:2014, geosynthetics, sliding block test, abrasion resistance, tensile strength, railway geotextiles.