Geobarriers or Geosynthetic Clay Liners (GCLs) are geosynthetic barriers widely used for sealing and containment applications. They are made of one needle-punched geotextile layer and one woven textile layer with a layer of highly waterproof sodium bentonite in between. They are known for their low permeability, high performance, and the ability to self-heal.
GCLs are an effective barrier against liquids, vapours, and gases. GCL permeability is significantly lower than that of a typical compacted clay liner. In combination with geomembranes, it makes a practically impervious solution.
Sodium bentonite is a natural clay that easily binds with water. It can swell up to 10 times its original volume. This enables it to self-heal any damages and punctures, and self-seam at the overlaps.
Installation is done using a spreader bar, which saves labour costs. No specialized crew is needed to handle the product. Your regular contractor can install GCL with conventional instruments following the installation guide.
As opposed to compacted clay liners, GCL’s performance does not decrease because of cold, humidity or varying temperatures. There will be no cracks or leakage, and any damage will always be self-healed by swelling sodium bentonite.
GCLs do not require maintenance in normal conditions and have a service life of over 100 years. If you are expecting them to come in contact with contaminated soils or water, you should consider strengthening the solution with geomembranes.
GCL’s carbon footprint is much lower than that of massive clay liners. You will require 150 times more compacted clay than GCLs for the same job. Transportation and installation are less resource-consuming and more cost-effective.
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