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Owner of data set CETCO-Poland, Cetco Sp. zo.o. S.K.A. |
Technical purpose BENTOMAT® – CLAY GEOSYNTHETIC BARRIERS (GBR-Cs) – are factory manufactured clay liners consisting of a layer of bentonite clay encased by at least two geotextiles which are needlepunched together. Additional flexible plastic membrane can be laminated to the outer geotextile. GBR-Cs are known for having consistently low permeability. They have the ability to seal around penetration, self-heal punctures and seal-seam at the overlaps.
The bentonite is a naturally occurring mineral that is composed predominantly of smectite. Most bentonites are formed by the alteration of volcanic ash in marine environments and occur as layers sandwiched between other types of rocks. The smectite in most bentonites is the mineral montmorillonite, which is a dioctahedral smectite. Sodium bentonite-based GBR-Cs are designed to provide a hydraulic barrier against many leachates. The swelling bentonite fills up pore space and constricts the flow paths of water, resulting in a low permeability hydraulic barrier.
What makes CETCO BENTOMAT® unique?
- Needlepunched reinforcement ensure that CETCO GBR-Cs can withstand shear stresses on steep slopes. The high needlepunch density provides higher peak internal shear strengths, without relying on supplemental processing.
- Granular bentonite creates less dust during installation than powdered bentonite and is less likely to shift through the needlepunch reinforcement process resulting in consistent hydraulic performance.
- It can be custom engineered to meet the project specific needs, available in a many geotextile’s configurations.
- Lamination capabilities to provide geocomposite products.
What are the advantages of a BENTOMAT® GBR-C?
- Self-healing and self-seaming – Sodium bentonite is a naturally occurring clay with a high affinity for water. When hydrated, sodium bentonite swells up to 15 times its original volume. This provides the ability to seal around penetrations, self-heal punctures, and self-seam at the overlaps.
- Hydraulic performance – GBR-Cs have a total thickness of less than 1cm and provide better hydraulic performance than several centimeters of compacted clay. A fully hydrated GBR-C typically has a permeability of 2 x 10-11 m/sec, approximately 20 times lower than a typical compacted clay liner permeability.
- Resistant to varying weather conditions – GBR-Cs are less likely to be impacted by freeze-thaw or desiccation-rewetting cycles. Freeze-thaw cycles frequently cause compacted clay liners to crack and lead to increased leakage. A clay geosynthetic barrier provides consistent performance and is not subject to performance decreases resulting from varying moisture content, density, or clay content, like compacted clay liners. |
