Nearly all geomembrane installations are fixed at the perimeter of the containment by burying the liner in an anchor trench or by attaching it to concrete (i.e., a collar wall, foundation wall, etc.). The standard approach for connecting the geomembrane liner to concrete is to use a batten.

In this technique, concrete lags are set (i.e., drilled) into the concrete. These are placed on 6" or 12" centers at an engineer’s discretion. A compressible material such as Neoprene or butyl tape is then placed between the liner and concrete, and stainless steel, like 316 SS, or aluminum batten strip, is placed over the liner, and the lag bolts are driven through the batten, liner, and anchored into the lag. The top of the detail is then sealed with a waterproof caulk (see Figure 1).

Typically there are two types of geomembranes: flexible membrane liners and rigid geomembranes. With flexible geomembrane liners, large panels can be prefabricated in a factory prior to being delivered to a job site. Rigid membranes, on the other hand, need to be shipped to job sites before their geomembrane seams are joined together. So what difference does it make?

Every year, more and more roads and highways are constructed to meet growing demands. However, this new construction or expansion of infrastructure may end up being built over loose or soft soil that does not have the ability to support the associated loads. So how do you reduce the vertical stress of these projects on the soil below? One solution is by using expanded polystyrene (EPS) geofoam.

The geomembrane industry has been buzzing lately with a new interest in geomembrane covers which are left uncovered. It’s advantageous in some situations to leave a rain-shedding cover, over a closed waste or another site, uncovered, at least for some extended period of time. This allows the owner/engineers to perform various in-situ treatment of the underlying material, make modifications to the geomembrane cover, and/or leave the site available for new or anticipated technological advances for long-term site management.

This past June, Seaman Corporation’s Geomembrane group participated in PennTec, the 90th Annual Pennsylvania Water Environment Conference and Tradeshow in Hershey. This group is affiliated with the Water Environment Federation (WEF) and includes many members who are also members of the Pennsylvania Section of the American Water Works Association (PA-AWWA). On display were XR-5® Geomembranes used for wastewater and potable water applications.

Some of the harshest environs in the world are in extreme cold applications. Wastewater operations must be designed with materials and features which ensure those successes. Let’s take a look at one such installation, the 6-acre geomembrane lined wastewater impoundment at the Lowell Point wastewater treatment plant in Seward, Alaska. The reinforced ethylene copolymer has been in service at the facility for over a quarter of a century. Here are five features of the original site design, product selection, and installation, which were essential to its success and longevity.

XR^® Geomembranes, a product of Seaman Corporation, will be exhibiting at North America’s leading energy event. Global Petroleum Show (GPS) is set for June 12-14 at Stampede Park in Calgary, Canada.

Spill berms are utilized as barriers that prohibit the spread of contamination into the ground, surface water, and waterways. Unlike a permanent containment liner, spill berms are typically temporary or semi-permanent. In some cases, permanent spill berms are utilized, which require long-term high-performance geomembranes to adequately protect the environment. Temporary spill berms are portable, short-term containment. These types of berms are used for day-to-day activities such as the offloading of trucks, short-term storage, and site preparations to name a few. They resist contaminates, can undergo abrasion and potential punctures during operation, are easily cleanable following a spill, and easy to use.

Like politics, religion, or how to build a fire, everyone has an opinion. There are actually pros and cons to either leaving the geomembrane exposed (no cover) or burying it (complete cover). Let’s look at the issues.