EGMA - Applications: Hydraulic Works - Geomembranes are at the heart of the waterproofing system

<%@LANGUAGE="VBSCRIPT" CODEPAGE="1252"%> EGMA - Applications: Hydraulic Works - Geomembranes are at the heart of the waterproofing system

Waterproofing systems with synthetic Geomembranes have been designed and installed for hydraulic structures since 1950s.

There is a long record of success in different applications: lining of dams, reservoirs & water lagoons, canals, sewage stations and hydraulic tunnels.

The main aspects related to the use of geomembrane within these type of applications, are the durability specially for exposed products to the UV radiation, mechanical properties when geomembranes have to resist very high hydrostatic head, movement of the structure, and very high gradient at the boundaries where the geomembrane is sealed against the structure.

In some cases they must have the capability of resisting seismic events, of bridging joints and unforeseen cracks, of resisting very aggressive environment when the geomembrane is left exposed on the upstream face of the structure (UV rays, ice, waves, impact of debris, vandalism, etc).

In some other cases flexibility and weldability are a must.

Finally sometimes the resistance to the chemical attack could be the decisive variable.

While geomembranes are at the heart of the waterproofing system, geotextile, geonets, geocomposites and geopipes also play critical roles in the success of the design.

There are many polymers used in these products: Polyolefines like HDPE, VLDPE, PP, PIB, E/VAC and LLDPE, vinylics as PVC-P, chlorinated Polyethylene as PE-C.

The geomembranes are manufactured in different processes with a wide range of width of rolls and smooth, textured, reinforced, coextruded, coloured, colaminated with other geosynthetics, etc.

	Reservoir and surface impoundment liners
	Reservoir and surface impoundment covers
	Water lagoons: irrigation, evaporation, …
	Sewage stations
	Tanks, deposits,..for storage of water potable or non
	Aquaculture
	Canal liners and their remediation
	Waterproofing of dams (concrete, masonry RCC, earth and earth/rock)
	Pipe and tunnel waterproofing (new and remediation)
	Geocontainers and geotubes
	Erosion control