Aging of High-Density Polyethylene Geomembranes of Three Different Thicknesses
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 140, Issue 5
Abstract
The effect of geomembrane thickness (1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 mm) on aging when immersed in a synthetic leachate is investigated over a period of approximately 7 years. Based on data at five different temperatures (55, 65, 70, 75, and 85°C), the predicted time required for a reduction in stress crack resistance to 150 h (half the typically specified value) at 35°C is 62% longer for the 2.5 mm than for the 1.5-mm geomembrane tested and 12% longer for the 2.0-mm than for the 1.5-mm geomembrane. Thus, other things being equal, the results suggest a longer time to nominal failure with increasing geomembrane thickness. It is also shown that the data from a proposed stage-parallel testing procedure collected over 2.5 years fit well with data from traditional incubation of virgin samples over almost 7 years and hence provides a viable means of obtaining good data in a reasonable period of time.
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Acknowledgments
The testing methods, results, and interpretation presented in this study beyond those presented in Rowe et al. (2010) is the contribution of the first two authors. The contribution of the third author is denoted as Islam (2009) on the relevant figures (Figs. 4, 5, and 7). The authors acknowledge the funding provided by the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Ontario Research Fund, and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. The support of the Killam Trust in the form of a Killam Fellowship to Dr. Rowe is greatly appreciated as is the value of discussion with Dr. Y. G. Hsuan, Mr. Simon Gilbert St-Pierre, and Mr. Guy Elie. The GMBs examined were manufactured in 2005 by Solmax International, Varennes, Quebec, using resin from Pétromont (S-7000). The authors thank their industrial partners, Solmax International Inc., Terrafix Geosynthetics Inc., Terrafix Environmental Technologies Inc., TAG Environmental Inc., Ontario Ministry of Environment, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, AECOM, AMEC Earth and Environmental, Golder Associates Ltd., Knight-Piesold, and the CTT group, for their participation in, and contributions to, the overarching project; however, the opinions expressed in the paper are solely those of the authors.
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Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 140 • Issue 5 • May 2014
Copyright
© 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jul 1, 2013
Accepted: Dec 17, 2013
Published online: Jan 13, 2014
Published in print: May 1, 2014
Discussion open until: Jun 13, 2014
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