Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - 31

*	 Tetrachloroethylene
*	 Trichloroethylene
Oxygen-containing compounds
(either a ketone, alcohol, aldehyde
or ether)
*	 Acetone
*	 Benzaldehyde
*	 Benzyl alcohol
*	 Cyclohexanone
*	 Methyl alcohol
*	 Methyl ethyl ketone
*	 Tetrahydrofuran
Nitrogen-containing compounds
*	 N-Butylamine
*	 Diethylamine
*	 Dimethylformamide
*	 Nitrobenzene
Acids and bases
*	 Acetic acid (glacial)
*	 Hydrochloric acid (25% w/v)
*	 Sodium hydroxide (25% w/v)

Real-world
containment levels
Many PVC sheet pile products have been
installed in cutoff and containment barriers. These products have been exposed to
chemicals ranging from acid mine runoff
consisting of very acidic sulfur and iron
compounds to polychlorinated biphenyls
(PCB) to saltwater. However, the most
commonly remediated contaminants are
in the hydrocarbon family. These pollutants may consist of VOCs, solvents and
fuels, including gasoline, which can contain up to 28% BTEX (Mao et al. 2011).
Coal tar creosote also contains similar
amounts of these compounds.
The vast majority of remediation
projects experience contamination levels
in the parts per million (ppm) or parts
per billion (ppb), which are magnitudes
lower than the ≤10% level cited in the
Practical Handbook of Environmental
Site Characterization and Ground-Water
Monitoring. A survey of remediation projects of contaminated sites in the United

States containing BTEX, or the individual
components that make up BTEX, showed
pretreatment contamination levels averaging 0.49%, with a maximum level of
about 9% (EPA members 1995-2006).

Life expectancy of PVC with
organic chemical containments
At contamination levels less than 40%,
PVC sheet piling will perform well in
chemical cutoff and containment applications with hydrocarbons, solvents and
common fuel additives (Figure 3). Realworld contamination levels are most frequently in the ppm or ppb levels.

Containment Level

TABLE 1 Contamination level
and PVC performance

PVC Performance

< 10%

Experts conclude there is no degradation

10-25%

Nearly infinite design life may be expected

25-40%

Evaluate the site specifics, but PVC will likely perform well

> 40%

Evaluate the site specifics, but PVC may be a valid, finite life design

FIGURE 3 Contaminated sites with relative contamination levels. Data compiled from levels
reported in Abstracts of Remediation Case Studies, vol. 1-10 (Member agencies of the Federal
Remediation Technologies Roundtable [1995-2006])

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Geosynthetics August/September 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Geosynthetics August/September 2020

Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - Cover1
Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - Cover2
Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - 1
Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - 2
Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - 3
Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - 4
Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - 5
Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - 6
Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - 7
Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - 8
Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - 9
Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - 10
Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - 11
Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - 12
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Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - 14
Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - 15
Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - 16
Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - 17
Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - 18
Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - 19
Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - 20
Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - 21
Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - 22
Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - 23
Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - 24
Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - 25
Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - 26
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Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - 28
Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - 29
Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - 30
Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - 31
Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - 32
Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - 33
Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - 34
Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - 35
Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - 36
Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - 37
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Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - 40
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Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - 45
Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - 46
Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - 47
Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - 48
Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - Cover3
Geosynthetics August/September 2020 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/ata/geosynthetics/geosynthetics-october-november-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/ata/geosynthetics/geosynthetics-july-august-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/ata/geosynthetics/geosynthetics-case-studies-guide-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/ata/geosynthetics/geosynthetics-april-may-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/ata/geosynthetics/geosynthetics-february-march-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/ata/geosynthetics/geosynthetics-december-2023-january-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/ata/geosynthetics/geosynthetics-october-november-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/ata/geosynthetics/geoysynthetics-august-september-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/ata/geosynthetics/geosynthetics-june-july-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/ata/geosynthetics/geosynthetics-april-may-2023
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https://www.nxtbook.com/ata/geosynthetics/geosynthetics-december-2022-january-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/ata/geosynthetics/geosynthetics-october-november-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/ifai/geosynthetics/geosynthetics-august-september-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/ifai/geosynthetics/geosynthetics-june-july-2022
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https://www.nxtbook.com/ifai/geosynthetics/geosynthetics-february-march-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/ifai/geosynthetics/geosynthetics-december-2021-january-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/ifai/geosynthetics/geosynthetics-october-november-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/ifai/geosynthetics/geosynthetics-august-september-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/ifai/geosynthetics/geosynthetics-june-july-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/ifai/geosynthetics/geosynthetics-april-may-2021
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