Applications

Agricultural and Animal Waste

Today, large commercial farms are operating with livestock herds numbering in the hundreds and even thousands. These farms generate a tremendous amount of waste and have raised concerns with environmental agencies about the potential for groundwater contamination. Lining systems can be used in waste impoundments that collect liquid and solid wastes from the livestock to minimize percolation of leachate and to meet regulatory requirements of the USDA-NRCS for groundwater protection.

Canals, stormwater Impoundments, and Wetlands

Composite laminated GCLs offer puncture and tensile strengths beyond conventional geomembranes. These GCLs offer the low permeability of a geomembrane combined with the high swelling and self healing characteristics of a traditional GCL. With their ease of installation, cost-effectiveness and resilience to physical and climate issues, GCLs are often specified in canals, stormwater impoundments or wetlands to control seepage and conserve valuable water where native soils are too permeable.

Coal Ash Disposal

Fly ash is one of the two types of ash that collectively make up coal ash, the residues generated as by-products in the combustion of coal. Fly ash contains trace concentrations of heavy metals and other substances that are known to be detrimental to health in sufficient quantities and therefore cannot be dumped or stored where rainwater can leach the metals. Liner systems can be used to contain the coal combustion by-products and protect them from leaching into the environment

Highway and Civil

GCL can be used in highway and civil applications such as at airport de-icing facilities used to remove ice build up on the surfaces of planes. During the application process, glycol-based de-icing fluids can leak into local stormwater runoff, potentially causing pollution. CETCO GCLs were found compatible with de-icing fluid (glycol diluted 50/50 with water). GCLs can also be used to line roadway drainage swales for containment and prevent excessive percolation, thereby minimizing potential for groundwater contamination. Another example of using GCL in civil and highway applications is using the liner to contain acid rock and prevent runoff from entering the local water supply.

Landfill Liners

GCLs have become the gold standard clay component of composite lining systems used in industrial, hazardous and municipal solid waste landfills as a result of their superior characteristics over compacted clay liners. GCLs provide significantly lower permeability, improved ease of installation, an increased amount of usable space, and in many cases are more cost-effective than traditional compacted clay liners.

Landfill Caps

GCLs can be used alone, or in combination with a geomembrane in a composite cover system. GCLs are not subject to deterioration from differential settlement and freeze-thaw which can damage traditional compacted clay liners. Important design considerations for GCLs in landfill caps include confining pressure, and potential for ion exchange and desiccation.

Mining

Geosynthetics are used in construction of various components of modern mining facilities, including process solution containment, leach-pads, stormwater containment, wastewater treatment ponds and reclamation. Harsh environmental conditions provide a challenge to engineers designing the projects. In addition, increasing environmental and cost pressures are requiring lining systems to achieve greater performance levels than ever. Geosynthetic Clay Liners (GCLs) are rapidly becoming a desired component of mining liner systems because of the benefits they provide in cost effective construction, environmental compliance and process solution leak reduction. In weather-sensitive remote or high-altitude locations, GCLs offer far greater installation efficiencies than compacted clay.

Ponds

GCLs can be used for decorative ponds, golf course water features, fish ponds, and wastewater lagoons. Their self seaming installation requires no specialized equipment, and their self-healing characteristics promote long life and high performance.

Secondary Containment

GCLs provide chemical resistance for secondary containment of above ground storage tanks and are easy to install. Associated details and penetrations are easily handled using simple installation techniques and can be quite cost effective.