Evaluating the Long-Term Performance of Geosynthetic Clay Liners Exposed to Freeze-Thaw
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 132, Issue 2
Abstract
An important consideration for landfill liners and covers constructed in the frost zone of cold climates is the possible deterioration in performance due to freeze-thaw cycling over the design life of the liner or cover system. Several examples in the literature show that geosynthetic clay liners can withstand a limited number of freeze-thaw events, but data on long-term freeze-thaw performance are lacking. The objective of this study was to examine the long-term performance of geosynthetic clay liners exposed to repeated freeze-thaw cycles, encompassing their application as a final cover as well as a bottom liner. Measurements of hydraulic conductivity were performed after as many as 150 freeze-thaw cycles, with no appreciable increases observed.
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Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the Environmental Systems Research Program under Contract No. DE-AC07-99ID13727 from the Office of Environmental Management, Department of Energy to the Idaho National Laboratory. The writers would like to thank Jim Olsta from CETCO for providing the GCL materials used in this study. The reviews and discussions of early versions of the manuscript by T. Wood, S. Piet, and F. White are also greatly appreciated. Comments from M. Nicholl, K. Baker, and three anonymous reviewers are also greatly appreciated.
References
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 132 • Issue 2 • February 2006
Pages: 265 - 268
Copyright
© 2006 ASCE.
History
Received: Dec 20, 2004
Accepted: May 25, 2005
Published online: Feb 1, 2006
Published in print: Feb 2006
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