You are here:
GEOSYNTHETIC CLAY LINERS (GCLS) IN LANDFILL COVERS
Citation:
Daniel, D. GEOSYNTHETIC CLAY LINERS (GCLS) IN LANDFILL COVERS. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/A-93/283 (NTIS PB94130176), 1993.
Description:
Low permeability, compacted clay linters are commonly required as a barrier to water infiltration in landfill covers. elatively new material, known as geosynthetic clay liner (GCL), has been proposed as an alternative to a compacted clay liner. CL has the practical advantages of relatively low cost (approximately $0.50 to $0.60 per square foot for a landfill cover, installed), rapid installation with light-weight equipment, and ease of repair. CL also has several technical advantages, including greater tolerance for differential settlement and better self-healing characteristics under wet-dry and freeze-thaw conditions. otentially important disadvantage of the GCL is that, because it is thin, it is more vulnerable to damage from puncture than a compacted clay liner. he objectives of this paper are: (1) to provide an introduction to GCLs for those who may be unfamiliar with this lining material; (2) to summarize the potential applications of GCLs to landfill covers; (3) to examine the relative advantages and disadvantage of GCLs compared to compacted clay liners; and (4) to provide a generic assessment of performance equivalency of GCLs compared to low-permeability, compacted clay barriers. he fourth item will comprise the bulk of the paper. he conclusion is drawn that geosynthetic clay liners can be shown to provide equivalent performance to low-permeability, compacted clay liners for many landfill sites. he key issues concerning equivalency are ability to limit percolation of water through the barrier, permeability to gas, slope stability, and puncture resistance.
