Ultimate Guide to Geosynthetic Clay Liner in Landfill

Geosynthetic clay liner (GCL) 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 GCL 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 GCLs. Geosincere GCL 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. GCLs 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.

1. Geosynthetic Clay Liner Features & Function

1.1 Compactness: Na-based bentonite forms a high-density diaphragm underwater pressure. When the thickness is about 3mm, its water permeability is below &×10ˉ11m/sec, which is equal to 100 times the compactness of 30cm thick clay. self-retaining performance

1.2 Permanent waterproof performance: Because sodium bentonite is a natural inorganic material, even after a long time or the surrounding environment changes, it will not age or corrode, so the waterproof performance is durable

1.3 Simple construction and short construction period: Compared with other waterproof materials, the construction is simple and does not need heating and pasting. attach and fix with bentonite powder and nails, washers, etc. No special inspection is required after construction, and it is easy to repair if waterproof defects are found. GCL has the shortest construction period among existing waterproof materials

1.4 Not affected by temperature: will not be brittle in cold climates

1.5 Integration of waterproof materials and objects: When sodium bentonite encounters water, it has 20-28 times the expansion capacity. Even if the concrete structure vibrates and settles, the bentonite in GCL can repair the cracks on the concrete surface within 2mm

1.6 Green and environmental protection: Bentonite is a natural inorganic material, which is harmless and non-toxic to the human body, has no special impact on the environment, and has good environmental performance

1.7 High-cost performance and wide range of uses. The product range can reach 6 meters, which improves the construction efficiency. Scope of application and application conditions Suitable for municipal (landfill), water conservancy, environmental protection, artificial lakes and underground waterproofing and anti-seepage projects

1.8 It can still be constructed under negative temperature (-20℃) where traditional waterproof materials cannot be constructed; it can also be constructed on wet base layers (but no clear water); it cannot be constructed in rainy and snowy weather; it is not suitable for strong acid and alkali. Anti-seepage of natural solution; because bentonite is an inorganic material, its durability is better than that of organic waterproof material

2. Outstanding advantages of Geosynthetic Clay Liner：

2.1 Permanent waterproofing. Made of natural bentonite, it will not age; it is very environmentally friendly, can keep the water clean, and has no effect on the growth of aquatic plants and animals.

2.2 The permeability coefficient is extremely low, the permeability coefficient is only 10~9em/s, and the anti-seepage hydrostatic pressure can reach more than 1.0MPa.

2.3 The construction is simple and not limited by the construction environment temperature, and can be constructed at minus 32~C.

2.4 The construction is simple, just backfill after laying.

2.5 Overlap laying can resist the uneven settlement of geology and frost heave.

2.6 No special installation equipment is required.

2.7 Geosynthetic clay liners has the characteristics of self-healing, easy repair, and not afraid of small sharp objects piercing. If the waterproof layer is damaged by accident, it only needs to be simply repaired. Reduce the annual maintenance project cost and reduce the project cost.

3. Applications of Geosynthetics Clay Liners :

3.1 Applicable to waterproofing projects such as greening of new building roofs, basements, roofs, etc.

3.2 Applicable to various waterproofing projects in subways, railways, municipal roads and civil buildings, light industry, petroleum, metallurgy and other industries

3.3 Applicable to anti-seepage projects for earthwork maintenance and reinforcement

3.4 Applicable to large-scale waterproofing covering of soil layers such as geosynthetics clay anti-seepage pads for landfills, landfill coverage, artificial lakes, and artificial landscapes.

3.5 Applicable to mining projects.

3.6 Applicable to water conservancy projects with better results. Clay anti-seepage pads are widely used in large anti-seepage projects such as canals, rainwater reservoirs and wetlands, water storage buildings, small reservoirs, reservoir dams, irrigation channels, ponds, and fish ponds.

4. Conclusion :

Geosincere Geosynthetic clay liners is a new type of geosynthetics. It is made by filling sodium-based bentonite particles between woven geotextiles and non-woven geotextiles, and connecting the non-woven fabric fibers of the upper layer to the woven fabric of the lower layer through bentonite particles, special processes and equipment, and special methods. The bentonite particles in the waterproof blanket made by this method do not flow in one direction, so a uniform waterproof layer can be formed in the entire range. It is an excellent waterproof and anti-seepage material and can be widely used in waterproof and anti-seepage projects under many construction conditions.

5. Choosing a Good Geosynthetic clay liners Supplier :

Shandong Geosino New Material Co.,Ltd (Brand:Geosincere) is the professional Geosynthetic clay liners and geosynthetics manufacturer and wholesaler located in Shandong Province, China. We are an professional manufacturer, exporter and wholesaler for such GEOSINCERE geosynthetic products as HDPE Pool Liner, geotextiles, geogrids, geocells, geosynthetic clay liners (geosynthetic clay linerss), drainage boards, etc.

We have been exporting GEOSINCERE in Geosynthetic clay liners and geosynthetics to over 60 countries such as Australia, France, Sweden, UK, Hong Kong, Hungary, New Zealand, Poland, Mexico, Ecuador, Brazil, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Sri Lanka, India, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kenya, Ghana, Ethiopia, Somalia, Nigeria, South Africa, Switzerland, Mongolia, etc. They choose Geosincere as partner for more than 10 years.

GEOSINCERE has been keeping on investing in technological innovation, manufacturing facilities improvement and turnkey engineering abilities. We have invested 10 million dollars into our manufacturing factory which is equipped with state-of-the-art automatic production lines to manufacture high quality Geosynthetic clay liners and other geosynthetics with optimized processes. Our extensive lines of geosynthetics products are well known for their ensured quality, high performance, excellent durability and best cost effectiveness.

GEOSINCERE brand Geosynthetic clay liners and other geosynthetics products and solutions can meet your requirements by our solid technologies, innovative engineering solutions and excellent customer services. GEOSINCERE always tries our best to solve the most complex civil, mining and environmental challenges with our innovative and high performance geosynthetic products. Quality assurance, factory price and fast delivery time are our competitive advantages.