Durability and performance of bituminous geomembranes

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Bituminous geomembranes represent an important alternative to conventional polymer geomembranes that are used for landfill and lagoon barriers, waste covers, waterproofing of earthfill dams and various other uses in geotechnical engineering where an impermeable barrier is required. Limited information exists regarding the relative durability of BGM compared with conventional polymers. In particular puncture resistance is often assumed to be higher, depending on the temperature, but there is a lack of reliable test data. This project is intended as a first step in generating a database of reliable performance data in which various BGM products can be compared directly with the conventional polymer products that are widely available. It is intended that with the availability of such reliable data, geotechnical engineers will have a rational basis on which to consider alternative products on a project-specific basis, with resulting benefits in terms of capital savings to a project and improved waste containment and preservation of the environment.