Geosynthetics April/May 2024 - 6

EDITORIAL
A new guide for quality
control factory fabrication
of flexible geomembranes
T
Kevin Kerfoot
Editor
+ 1 651 225 6939
kevin.kerfoot@
textiles.org
he Flexible/Fabricated Geomembrane Institute (FGI) has expanded its
mandate to include providing industry education, support, and technology
transfer on the use of flexible geomembranes that can be factory fabricated
into large panels. Case in point is the unveiling of its new Factory Fabrication
Guideline that presents a minimum quality control (QC) system for factory
fabrication, testing, inspection, packaging, handling, and shipping of flexible
geomembrane panels.
Timothy D. Stark, professor of civil engineering at the University of Illinois
at Urbana-Champaign, and also chair of the FGI Subcommittee that created
the guideline, tells me the FGI had created a guideline on testing frequency of
factory welded seams but not a minimum QC system for factory fabrication,
testing, inspection, packaging, handling, and shipping of flexible geomembrane
panels, which resulted in variability in panels being shipped to project
sites. In particular, the testing frequency of factory welded seams guideline,
which is now ASTM D7982, addressed confusion that had developed over the
frequency of testing factory welded seams for fabricating large geomembrane
panels, so it is not confused with the frequency testing of field welded seams,
e.g., one destructive sample every 500 lineal feet (~150 m).
" The new guideline is intended for industry fabricators, installers, design
engineers, inspectors, and owners to understand factory fabrication of geomembrane
panels and to improve the quality and reduce variability of factory
fabricated panels that are shipped to project sites. " Stark says. " This guideline
captures the main flexible geomembrane types including reinforced and
non-reinforced materials. It provides the minimum verification and testing
of manufactured roll stocks prior to fabrication, updated test methods for
verification of manufactured goods, factory seam testing, patching, repairs,
and cross seam welding and testing. It also includes best practices for identification,
folding, rolling, and packages of factory fabricated geomembranes,
some of which are included in ASTM D7865. "
The main objective of this new guideline is to improve quality and reduce
variability in factory fabricated panels being shipped to project sites. The
ability to factory fabricate geomembrane panels provides many substantial
benefits over geomembranes that must be seamed in the field, such as higher
quality and consistent seams, reduced installation time and cost, better visual
inspection of the materials before installation, and less potential for construction
induced damage. I believe you'll find a great presentation of a minimum
QC system for factory fabrication, testing, inspection, packaging, and testing
of flexible geomembranes useful in your practice.
Geosynthetics
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Kevin Kerfoot | kevin.kerfoot@textiles.org
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EDITORIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE*
Melody A. Adams | Waste Management, USA
Sam R. Allen | TRI/Environmental, USA
Richard J. Bathurst | Royal Military College, Canada
Malek Bouazza | Monash University, Australia
Daniele A. Cazzuffi | CESI S.p.A., Italy
Archie Filshill | Aero Aggregates of North America LLC, USA
Ronald K. Frobel | R. K. Frobel & Associates, USA
Stephan M. Gale | Gale-Tec Engineering Inc., USA
John M. Gardner | Smith Gardner Inc., USA
Han-Yong Jeon | INHA University, Korea
Robert E. Mackey | S2L Inc., USA
Kent von Maubeuge | Naue GmbH, Germany
Dhani Narejo | Narejo Inc., USA
Marco A. Sánchez | ML Ingeniería, Mexico
Mark E. Smith | RRD International Corp., USA
L. David Suits | LDS Geosynthetic Consulting Services, USA
Richard Thiel | Thiel Engineering, USA
Gary L. Willibey | ESP/SKAPS Industries, USA
Aigen Zhao | AGZ International LLC, USA
*The Editorial Advisory Committee reviews selected
papers, case histories and technical editorial copy in
its areas of expertise. Individual advisors do not review
every submission. Statements of fact and opinion are
the author's responsibility alone, and do not imply
the viewpoints of Geosynthetics, the Editorial Advisory
Committee, the editors or the association.
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6
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Geosynthetics April/May 2024

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