Some see geomembranes as static fluid barriers, which means they are not subject to movement nor are they expected to carry any load. This includes load induced by the geomembrane’s weight itself and any weight imparted onto the geomembrane by redundant protective layers. However, there are common situations where movement of the geomembrane is inherent to some degree in the application.

In this post, we will take a look at these applications.

When the proper geomembrane installation is used and operated correctly on an engineered project, it can be a cost-effective way to create a sound fluid barrier. While any construction project will have variables that make it unique and each site/application will have its own set of complexities, geomembrane solutions can be readily optimized for the need.

What geomembrane properties are most important to protect EPS Geofoam?

Part 2: Essential Geomembrane Properties to Protect Geofoam

In early 2022, we published a blog summarizing the predicted outlook for the architectural, engineering and construction industry (AEC) for 2022. It was based on an ASCE article also published early in the year. There were several factors indicating improvement over the previous year and momentum toward pre-pandemic business levels.

What geomembrane properties are most important to protect EPS Geofoam?

Part 1: Geomembranes as a component of EPS Geofoam applications

A recent article, written on behalf of the Water and Wastewater Equipment Manufacturers Association (WWEMA), detailed the complexity of contracts in today’s world. The article addresses the problems in the context of the water and wastewater industry, which includes a substantial portion of the geomembrane industry.

The lake at the Knoxville, TN 1982 World’s Fair Park was relined with the XR-5® Geomembrane in March 2016. We first published a video case history about the application and installation at the time here and here, along with some observations about the installation process itself. Then after 18 months of service, follow up observations were made here. After 5 years, I had the opportunity to be on site for the bi-annual cleaning of the decorative pond and then subsequently was able to inspect the material and get feedback from the Public Building Authority (PBA), the city department in charge of operating and maintaining the park, including the Lake.

The quality of the water we drink is pretty important. We assume we are protected by regulations that maintain high standards in our water, especially with the increasing use of geomembranes in potable water applications. But do all geomembranes comply? This blog will look at drinking water standards as they apply to geomembranes and how compliance should occur.

Many engineers would argue that geomembranes are only fluid barriers and are not meant to be load bearing in any manner. All loads should be carried by geosynthetic counterparts, such as geotextiles, geogrids, etc., that are placed over and under the geomembrane. However, from a materials and installation standpoint, it is virtually impossible to transmit all load to the adjacent layers. Additionally, it is not usually cost-effective to build a heavily redundant composite system that takes all mechanical bearing off the geomembrane.