DUDEK - Installing Groundwater Liners

Infrastructure Development

Proper HDPE Liner Installation Key to Protecting Groundwater
Some design situations favor the use of manufactured geomembranes and other geosynthetics to protect groundwater from contaminants resulting from waste-generating industrial, agricultural and municipal processes. Applications include liquid or gas containment at landfills, agricultural waste facilities, wastewater lagoons, mining and industrial operations, and power productions.

With strict regulations, municipal landfills often require the use of protective liners, typically installing high-quality, low-permeability geosynthetic materials. “Landfill projects serve as the benchmark,” said Shannon Goodrich, Dudek’s chief construction and quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) manager. “The principles employed in meeting this industry’s stringent regulations may be applied to several agricultural and industrial processes.”

Adhering to Strict Quality Standards
Simplot, a privately held food and agribusiness corporation that annually churns out three billion pounds of French fries and other potato products, adheres to the strictest liner quality standards at its U.S. and Canada-based plants.

Waste from its food processing facilities is pumped into large concrete tankswith HDPE liner installed. The liner is a durable 60 to 80 mil high-density polyethylene material. Aerobic or anaerobic digestion breaks down the resulting organic wastes and generates methane, which is then captured and used as renewable energy or flared into the atmosphere.

“These waste tanks have numerous pipe penetrations through the walls and floor, which makes effective liner installation a tricky feat,” explained Goodrich, an experienced HDPE liner installer.

“The number of construction workers involved in tank construction also complicates the liner installation and its integrity,” added Goodrich. “The liner, while durable, is one of the first components to be installed. Electricians, mechanical contractors, pipe fitters and other trades people are craned in and out of the tanks post-liner installation to perform their work, keeping us on our toes to prevent perforations.”

Goodrich suggests owners take a few simple precautionary measures to ensure a smooth liner installation, ultimately leading to overall construction success.

Perform constructability reviews. Involve third-party installation experts early in the design process to review the design plans and construction specifications. This independent review should examine site conditions, material selection and each section’s design details to ensure the plans can be feasibly built. “With this minimal investment early in the planning stage, a project’s likelihood of change orders is greatly reduced, which can lower the stakeholder’s overall project cost,” said Goodrich.

Examine materials selection and existing soils. Evaluate liner material options early to determine the best product for the particular situation, considering how the geomembrane section interfaces with the on-site soil conditions.

Evaluate subdrain collection and removal systems. Recheck before and during construction that the liner installation is coordinated with the subdrain system.

Document every step. Certify and record the materials used and the contractors performing the welding; sample often to ensure the work matches the project scope’s intent and design.

Maintain stringent quality control/quality assurance standards. “Invest in quality control. A quality design can be ineffective without proper inspections and a qualified geomembrane installer,” concluded Goodrich.

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