Geosynthetic Clay Liners

Product Description

GEOCHEM ENGINEERING’s Geosynthetic Clay Liners are thin layers of Bentonite granular or powder (Na/Ca/Activated) layer, between two layers of geotextiles.

Our GCLs are offered in various k_d values, Bentonite weights, Geotextile types or with Polymer membranes upper or lower layer, depending each project’s needs. Can be used in:

MSW Landfills Lining applications
Industrial wastes Lining applications
Liquids Containment applications

The low hydraulic conductivity of the GCLs allows to be used 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

Technical Details

Landfill's Lining

Landfill’s Lining

Geochem is offering GCLs for Landfill base lining uses, where the CCL is difficult to find or to constructed due to steep inclination. Our GCLs are used to limit the escape of landfill leachates or gases, in the construction of solid waste storage, heap leach pads and disposal site base liners and to inhibit the ingress of groundwater.

Benefits:

Ease of Construction. GCLs can be deployed relatively rapidly in the field, reducing the effects of adverse weather on construction quality.
Resistance to Differential Settling. The barrier created by a GCL may be slightly less affected by differential settling (i.e., in a cover application) than compacted clay, due to the higher overall tensile strength of GCLs compared to compacted clay soils. GCLs are also easier to repair.
Cost effectiveness. Material costs for a GCL may be less than the purchase cost of clay, if the clay hauling distance exceeds a few kilometers. Moreover, installation of a GCL generally costs significantly less than installation of compacted clay, when all time and materials costs are considered

Waste Areas Capping Lining

Our GCLs are used also to inhibit the ingress of water and the escape of fluid in the construction of solid or industrial waste facility cover or to cap contaminated soil.

Benefits:

Reduction of the thickness of the cover layer, thereby offers a lighter and more stable final cover
Reduces of Environmental Impact (huge reduction in the number of trucks compared with compacted clay layer
Faster completion of the project due to the lower requirement for materials and their ease of installation

Hydraulic Applications

Canals, Reservoirs and Surface Impoundments or Ponds

Geochem offers GCL solutions in applications in which a significant water head is maintained, where our GCLs are generally used in combination with an existing soil barrier or in combination with a geomembrane, i.e., a GM/GCL composite. Under certain conditions they can be used alone.
In all cases, the function of the GCL is to reduce seepage through the system thereby reducing water loss from the waterway or storage impoundment.

Benefits:

Can save time and money
It is quick and easy to install.
Does not require highly qualified personnel or expensive welding equipment.
Due to the swelling properties of Bentonite it is capable of self-repair in the event of small perforations in the geotextile layers