Geosynthetics December 2019/January 2020 - 93

GEOSYNTHETIC CLAY LINERS

PRODUCT DATA
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Geosynthetics magazine has provided
information on the geosynthetic clay liner
specification charts for comparative purposes
only. Designers should contact manufacturers
for additional details and to discuss sitespeciﬁc considerations.
Information on the use and specification of
geosynthetic clay liners is also available from
the Geosynthetic Materials Association (GMA).
GMA
1801 County Road B West
Roseville, MN 55113-4061 USA
+1 651 225 6981
fax +1 651 631 9334
jmkivijarvi@ifai.com
www.GMAnow.com

PUBLISHER'S NOTE
Geosynthetics magazine compiled all
information included in the Geosynthetics 2020
Speciﬁer's Guide from information submitted by
ﬁrms in the geosynthetics industry. Companies
provided specifications voluntarily, and
specification accuracy is the responsibility
of the manufacturer. The appearance of a
listing in this directory is not an endorsement
of the company or product by Geosynthetics
magazine or the Industrial Fabrics Association
International (IFAI). The Geosynthetics 2020
Speciﬁer's Guide is intended as a guide, and
Geosynthetics magazine and IFAI encourage
readers to contact the companies listed for
further information.

By bonding clay to geosynthetic materials, manufacturers
created an economical, long-term solution for
many applications.

eosynthetic clay liners (GCL) are hydraulic barriers made of clay bonded
to a single geosynthetic layer or to multiple geosynthetic layers. Because
of its low permeability, swelling capacity and relative abundance, natural
sodium bentonite is the preferred clay component of GCL. A wide range of materials, including geotextiles and geomembranes, are used to carry and encapsulate
the clay. Also, they provide the product with structural support.
GCL are used primarily as substitutes for compacted clay liners (CCL),
providing significant advantages in cost, ease of installation and performance.
Primary applications include surface impoundment, secondary containment
and landﬁll lining.
GCL use has grown steadily, and standards have been authored to address
swell and ﬂuid-loss index testing, determination of flux, manufacturing,
sampling, installation and more.

Manufacturing process
GCL are prefabricated sheets of processed bentonite clay available in multiple
sizes. They are manufactured by encapsulating the clay between two or more
layers of geotextile or by bonding the clay to one side of a geomembrane. The
geotextile-supported products hold the clay in place by soluble adhesives, I-ties
or barbed needlepunching that interlocks the geotextile ﬁbers, or by periodic
rows of heavy stitching through the clay and fabric.

The numbers
Companies that submitted product data chart lines were asked to provide
data determined through industry-accepted testing methods. Companies
signed a certiﬁcate of compliance verifying the accuracy of this data.
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Geosynthetics December 2019/January 2020

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