Promising Advancements in Geomembranes and Geotextiles
By Reuben Weinstein
As many in the pollution equipment industry know, geomembranes and geotextiles are the first line of protection for safeguarding the environment from potentially dangerous natural and manmade contaminant's. Used together, geomebranes and geotextiles have the ability to provide a plethora of essential civil engineering and construction uses including tensile reinforcements, improved containment and separation barriers for roads, dams, trenches and landfills. To improve their product offerings, geomembrane and geotextile manufacturers have devoted significant resources to improving the design and functionality of the protective products on the market today.
By incorporating the latest innovations in geomembrane and geotextile design, today's increasingly sophisticated and custom-made products offer added environmental protection and are significantly easier to use. The industry has focused on improving both the manufacturing process and the materials used, the cost of purchasing a custom-made coverage system that is both aesthetically pleasing and exceedingly protective has been significantly reduced. For example, in the geotextile industry, because they are virtually unaffected by hydrocarbons and soil chemicals, 100% polypropylene needle-punched fabrics are being used in landfills with great success. The pollution prevention industry is also experiencing additional positive results due to the following advancements in geomembranes and geotextiles:
The sun's powerful UV radiation was responsible for the weakening of a large percentage of protective liners used in environmental applications. The latest developments in geomembrane and geotextile technologies have helped to strengthen the UV blockers present in most high-grade pollution control tarps and geotextiles. This technology helps to protect the structural integrity of the coverage system by limiting the amount of UV radiation absorbed by the geomembrane and geotextile.
Protection from Ice, Snow and Thaw: As experienced over the last few winters, frequent fluctuations in weather patterns and temperatures can cause significant damage to geomembranes and geotextiles. Using a protective coverage system that has the ability to keep ground temperatures at a consistent level for a prolonged amount of time and can withstand the frequent bouts of cold weather, will help to reduce the damage done by the detrimental freeze-thaw process.
Protection from Landfill Snow Blindness: In the past, most nonwoven geotextiles have come in a bright white coloring. Though white may have seemed like the ideal color for a landfill operation, when the color reacts with the sun's powerful rays, it can cause snow blindness in some visually sensitive individuals. To alleviate this problem, nonwoven geotextile manufacturing companies, have developed less reactive colors like blue, green and gray. When used in landfill operations, blue, green or gray nonwoven geotextiles have the ability to significantly reduce the instances of debilitating snow blindness, thus increasing productivity.
Protection from Tears: The synergy between geomembranes and geotextiles is strongest with their use in construction and landfill operations. As pollution professionals look to squeeze more capacity out of their already crowded landfills, having the ability to work with soil moving equipment without tearing the protective geomembrane underneath has become increasingly important. Having understood the needs of pollution professionals on the frontlines, manufacturers of geomembranes and nonwoven geotextiles have improved both the durability and protective powers of their products. As many pollution engineers know, placing a nonwoven geotextile on the bottom and top of a geomembrane will not only protect the liner from tearing, it will also provide a more even diffusion of built-up gasses and fluids. To improve the usefulness of nonwoven geotextiles, manufacturers have devoted significant resources to the continued development of geotextiles that effectively diffuse materials built-up under geomembrane-based liners.
Advancements in Geotextile Weight: The incorporation of new design techniques has also increased the weight of the geotextiles available on the market today. In the past, the maximum weight for geotextiles was set at 16 oz./sy. By taking advantage of the latest technologies, innovative companies, have increased geotextile weights to 28-32 oz./sy.
Manufacturing geotextiles using polyester is another advancement that will continue to revolutionize the industry. Polyester makes a great alternative to polypropylene because it is resistant to most mineral acids. Polyester also has a strong resistance to weak alkalis and a moderate resistance to strong alkalis at room temperature. In addition, polyester's melting point of about 460 degrees Fahrenheit makes it an ideal geotextile material for potentially hazardous conditions in high-temperature environments. By incorporating polyester's textile structure with the strength and reusability of fiber-locked and needle-punched construction, a pollution equipment manager will have a nonwoven geotextile that is both highly functional and cost-effective.
Reuben Weinstein is the president of Boom Environmental Products, a manufacturer and distributor of a variety of geomembranes and nonwoven geotextiles. Boom Environmental can be contacted at 413-732-6077 just mention this article featured in the October issue of Pollution Equipment News.
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