FAILURE AND REPAIR OF GEOMEMBRANE LINING SYSTEM

The case history is described of the failure and remedy of a geomembrane lining system of a liquid surface impoundment, approximately 50,000 square meters in surface area. The lining system consists of a high-density polyethylene geomembrane, 2.0 mm in thickness, laid on top of a nonwoven geotextile and sand. Brittle cracks occurred a year after installation. The combined effects of notch geometries caused by overheating and the high contraction stresses were responsible for the cracks. Two solutions for the failure were proposed for this installation and a nearby installation with the same problem. In the first solution, one pond was relined to ensure that at the temperature of installation, or more specifically at the temperature of the lining during installation, there was sufficient slackness allowed in the liner that at temperatures below -30C, the liner would not be in tension along the side slopes in a direction transverse to the seams. The second solution, applied to the second pond, was to patch existing cracks and lower the fluid level as much as possible, cut slits in the liner from the top to bottom of the slope at several locations around the pond, and to cap each slit with an excess of material. Since the repairs, the first system has had no cracking, and the second has had some but at a much lower rate.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/08824983
• Corporate Authors:

  Industrial Fabrics Association International

  345 Cedar Building, Suite 450
  St Paul, MN  United States  55101-1088
• Authors:
  • Peggs, I D
• Publication Date: 1988-11

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: p. 13-16
• Serial:
  • Geotechnical Fabrics Report
  • Volume: 6
  • Issue Number: 6
  • Publisher: Industrial Fabrics Association International
  • ISSN: 0882-4983

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Building; Cracking; Ethylene resins; Facilities; Geomembranes; Geotextiles; Installation; Linings; Nonwoven textiles; Repairing; Temperature
• Uncontrolled Terms: Impoundment; Polyethylene; Repairs
• Old TRIS Terms: Liners
• Subject Areas: Construction; Geotechnology; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Materials; I35: Miscellaneous Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00477970
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 31 1989 12:00AM