Geosynthetic Clay Liner

Geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs) are factory manufactured hydraulic barriers consisting of a layer of bentonite or other very low-permeability material supported by geotextiles and/or geomembranes, mechanically held together by needling, stitching, or chemical adhesives. Due to environmental laws, any seepage from landfills must be collected and properly disposed of, otherwise contamination of the surrounding ground water could cause major environmental and/or ecological problems. The lower the hydraulic conductivity the more effective the Geosynthetic clay liners will be at retaining seepage inside of the landfill. Bentonite composed predominantly (>70%) of montmorillonite or other expansive clays, are preferred and most commonly used in Geosynthetic clay liners. A general Geosynthetic clay liners construction would consist of two layers of geosynthetics stitched together enclosing a layer of natural or processed sodium bentonite. Typically, woven and/or non-woven textile geosynthetics are used, however polyethylene or geomembrane layers or geogrid geotextiles materials have also been incorporated into the design or in place of a textile layer to increase strength. Geosynthetic clay liners are produced by several large companies in North America, Europe, and Asia. The United States Environmental Protection Agency currently regulates landfill construction and design in the US through several legislations.

ADVANTAGES:

Effective alternative to compacted clay with much larger installation coverage per day.
Superior tensile strength and self-healing capability solves cracking and leaking problems.
Strong mechanical bond that contributes to extensive shear strength thus provide excellent stability in challenging slope applications.
Simple deployment technique that requires no specialist labor and equipment.

Geosynthetic Clay Liner (GCL), also known as Geocomposite Clay Liner consists of two layers of non-woven fabriclike material which incorporates bentonite and needlepunched together to form as a thick layer of blanket, primarily used for the lining of landfills. The Geosynthetic Clay Liner functions like a geomembrane which has a relatively low hydraulic conductivity preventing seepage of contaminants and which, has been widely used as the Landfill Lining System that against fluid or containment. Apart from serving as Landfill cap closures or base liner, the Geosynthetic Clay Liner can be configured to meet the specific shear strength and stability to any application including groundwater protection cover, stormwater management ponds and any ponds, dams and so forth.

Geosynthetic Clay Liner (GCLs) are an established sealing product in the geoenvironmental industry. They are used in landfill applications as caps and base liners, secondary containment for fuel storage facilities, as well as within various other containment structures such as dams, canals, rivers, and lakes. Rolled out like a carpet to provide a durable impermeable liner, Geosynthetic Clay Liner consist of a layer of high swelling sodium bentonite sandwiched between two geotextiles. Manufactured around the world in different techniques, the Canadian manufactured Geosynthetic Clay Liner, is mechanically bonded by needlepunching from one nonwoven geotextile through the bentonite to the other nonwoven or woven geotextile. The low hydraulic conductivity of the GCLs are used mainly as a replacement to thick, difficult to build compacted clay liners to provide a barrier to liquids and gases, offering both a technical and economical advantage.