What are the Major Neglected costs in your Geomembrane Installation?

Two Part Blog:

Part 1: 4 Commonly Identified Geomembrane Costs
Part 2: Quantifying Additional Geomembrane Installation Costs

In Part 1 of this series, we reviewed a comparison of two different types of geomembrane systems, strictly from a cost standpoint, ignoring performance differences. In this post, we’ll drill down a bit further into the real cost of installation of these two products, including additional costs required with necessary engineered controls, and additional costs as necessary to make performance more similar. But it also requires a deeper dive into the two materials themselves:

What are the Major Neglected costs in your Geomembrane Installation?

Two Part Blog:

Part 1: 4 Commonly Identified Geomembrane Costs
Part 2: Quantifying Additional Geomembrane Installation Costs

Many in the geosynthetic industry believe a geomembrane is only a fluid barrier and, in theory, needs very little strength. Any strength requirements are met by ancillary means, such as additional geosynthetic members or other load-bearing members. But few installations can be assured—with complete certainty—that they will not require some load bearing from the geomembrane itself.

Three-Part Series: Understanding and ensuring proper geomembrane chemical resistance

Knowing the importance of chemical resistance data, how do you know what the most reliable information is?

Three-Part Series: Understanding and assuring proper geomembrane chemical resistance

Part 2: Top ways to overcome difficulties interpreting geomembrane chemical resistance data

Federal regulations requiring safeguards against spills of bulk liquid storage (most commonly petroleum) have been in effect since the Clean Water Act was passed in 1972. Geomembranes are used to line bermed areas that have been created to provide sufficient storage volume for spill containment and associated rainfall. There are important properties that determine which geomembranes are most suited to these critical applications:

The discussion in the geomembrane industry regarding how to overcome the effects of thermally induced wrinkling has become more active recently. Some geomembranes exhibit high levels of Thermal Expansion Contraction (CTE). As far back as 2007, recommendations were that geomembranes must be flat when backfilled (Koerner, Daniel, ASCE 2007), a recommendation that most agree is difficult to meet with many geomembranes.

Three-Part Series: Understanding and Assuring Proper Geomembrane Chemical Resistance

Part 1: Top Reasons Chemical Resistance Is a Very Important Geomembrane Property

In this series, we’ll take a look at why chemical resistance decisions are important, what industry data means and the best ways to properly evaluate geomembrane chemical resistance performance.

Effective planning and management of bulk petroleum storage tanks are critical to environmental protection. To contain potential spills and leaks, these tanks must be surrounded by berms—usually earthen, if configuration allows. Some engineers may not be aware of the compelling reasons geomembranes can be the best and most cost-effective choice for secondary containment. Other options occasionally considered are: