Geomembrane Construction Methods

Geomembrane Construction Methods

Pre-construction basic requirements:
1. The foundation surface should be basically dry and should not have obvious standing water.
2. Remove stones, tree roots, iron wires (nails), and other debris from the foundation surface.
3. If there are holes or obvious unevenness on the foundation surface, it can be repaired and leveled with medium-fine sand.

I. Geomembrane Construction and Installation:
1. Geomembrane installation should avoid construction in water and rainy conditions. Uninstalled geomembrane should also be stored in a water-free and protected manner.
2. Before laying the geomembrane, confirm the correct side to be laid according to the design requirements or project conditions. In general, the geotextile should be facing up and the membrane facing down. If the stones, tree roots, iron wires (nails), and other debris on the foundation surface have not been completely removed, the geomembrane can be laid the other way around.
3. When spreading the geomembrane, use machinery or manual labor to spread and flatten it. The membranes should overlap with each other, with an overlap width of 50mm-100mm. The geomembrane should not be stretched too tight or wrinkled. It should be relaxed appropriately, closely adhere to the ground, and then be welded using a crawl welding machine. In case of insufficient welding or leakage, a hot air gun should be used to heat and repair the membrane.
4. The progress of geomembrane installation should match the progress of backfilling. After the geomembrane is laid, it should be backfilled with compacted filling material of 300mm according to the design requirements on the same day. The backfill material should be graded soil or medium-fine sand.
When the slope gradient exceeds 45º, a 100mm thick compacted concrete can be used for the slope section. If large-sized rubble is used for the slope section, the thickness of the concrete can be reduced, but the total compacted thickness should be greater than 100mm.

II. Other precautions during geomembrane installation:
1. Construction personnel are strictly forbidden to wear nailed shoes.
2. All sources of fire should be kept away from geomembrane materials. It is strictly prohibited to throw unextinguished cigarette butts onto the geomembrane during installation.
3. Construction machinery should avoid working directly on the geomembrane without covered backfill material.

III. Storage of geomembrane:
1. Use square blocks and wooden boards to elevate the storage area, and cover it with tightly sealed plastic film to prevent rain, sun exposure, and moisture.
2. Store unused geomembrane using the same method as mentioned above.

.Geomembrane Construction Methods