Grab tensile
Grab tensile turns up in 2 fields: geosynthetics, nonwovens. Here is what it means to the people in each one.
Grab tensile in geosynthetics
Index tensile test on geotextiles in which a 100 mm wide specimen is gripped by 25 mm jaws in its middle.
Because fibers outside the jaws share the load, the grab result runs higher than a full-width test and reflects resistance to concentrated pulls during placement. It is reported as a force in pounds or newtons, not force per width, which makes it handy for specs and quality control but useless for reinforcement design. North American specs and survivability classes lean on it heavily.
"Conformance sample broke at 180 pounds grab tensile against a 200 MARV, so that lot is on hold."
Grab tensile in nonwovens
Tensile test in which jaws narrower than the specimen grip its center, so neighboring fibers help carry the load.
A specimen about 100 mm wide is clamped with 25 mm jaw faces in its middle and pulled to break, and the peak force is reported in newtons or pounds. Because fibers outside the jaws also take load, grab results run higher than strip tensile and suit loosely structured fabrics. North American nonwoven and geotextile specs rely on it heavily.
"Grab tensile in CD is 85 newtons against an 80 minimum, so it ships, but it's tight."