Geosynthetic Clay Liners (or GCLs) are often used in conjunction with a geomembrane for landfills and heap-leach pads, where their function is to minimize leakage that may occur through holes in the geomembrane. GCLs are installed with overlapping panels and powdered bentonite placed between the overlaps to provide a better seal. Recent field exhumations of GCLs installed beneath a geomembrane left exposed to solar radiation have shown panel shrinkage; in some cases, this shrinkage was enough to leave exposed areas unprotected by the GCL. One hypothesized cause of this shrinkage is cyclic wetting and drying of the GCL. To investigate the hypothesis that wet/dry cycles have the potential to cause irrevocable shrinkage of GCL panels, a total of 8 different products were tested under idealised conditions in the laboratory. Shrinkage was measured using both hand measurements and digital image correlation techniques. A number of variables were tested for their effects on panel shrinkage, including mass per unit area, size and aspect ratio, restraint, moisture content and wetting conditions, and GCL type. Wet/dry cycles were found to cause sufficient shrinkage to explain the shrinkage observed in all but one field case. The shrinkage of any particular product was found to be variable. In particular the shrinkage was found to be sensitive to the distribution of the mass of bentonite within a specimen with the highest shrinkage being observed when there was the greatest variability in mass distribution. It is shown that some GCL products are more prone to shrinkage than others. Consideration is also given to the potential effectiveness of heat-tacking of GCL seams to reduce panel shrinkage in the field. Specimens of GCL which had been heat-tacked in the field were tested under similar cyclic conditions as used in the abovementioned laboratory tests, and the shrinkage response noted. The results indicate that such a technique has promise as a method of inhibiting shrinkage of the two products found to exhibit loss of panel overlap in published field situations. However, more work is required to confirm that this does not create other problems. / Thesis (Master, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2009-05-31 22:58:36.59

Geosynthetic clay liners (GCL) are a composite material commonly used as hydraulic barriers in landfill liners. Due to their dependence on hydration for proper function, the water retention curve (WRC) of a GCL is important. The inherent difficulty in obtaining the WRC, including the range of suction and composite material, has limited the number of GCL WRCs in the literature. In order to quantify the large range of suctions, a dual testing technique was developed, which uses a high capacity tensiometer to measure suctions for the low suction range (0 - 500 kPa) and a relative humidity sensor for the high suction range (3,000 - 1,000,000 kPa). In total, four different GCL products were tested, varying in both materials (woven and nonwoven geotextiles) and construction methods (thermal treatment and needle punching). The dual technique method was used to establish both wetting and drying curves that were presented as gravimetric, volumetric and bulk GCL void ratio WRCs. The WRCs of the different GCL products showed significant variation between their wetting and drying curves indicating that both needle punching and thermal treatment have a significant effect on the swelling behaviour of the GCL and its WRC. Theoretical equations were fit to the experimental data establishing the parameters that can be used for numerical modeling of these four GCL products. / Thesis (Master, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2009-04-22 14:37:55.196

Os GCLs (Geosynthetic Clay Liners) são materiais geossintéticos destinados a compor sistemas de controle de fluxo em obras geotécnicas e ambientais. Suas propriedades vêm sendo cada vez mais estudadas visando a avaliação de seu comportamento de curto e longo prazo. Dentre as propriedades mais importantes de um GCL, está a sua resistência ao cisalhamento interno, tendo em vista que o seu principal componente, a bentonita, possui baixa resistência quando hidratada. Este trabalho apresenta o desenvolvimento de uma nova metodologia de ensaio-índice para estimativa da resistência ao cisalhamento em GCLs - o método CTM (cisalhamento por tração modificado). A principal inovação do método proposto é o formato \"U\" da garra para fixação dos corpos-de-prova. Foram executadas duas séries de ensaios, nas quais, realizou-se uma seleção criteriosa das amostras e um plano de preparação dos corpos-de-prova, de forma a evitar que a variabilidade inerente à fabricação dos GCLs, influenciasse nos resultados obtidos. A primeira fase de testes foi realizada com o objetivo de se correlacionar os resultados do método CTM com dois outros métodos de ensaios-índice existentes: ensaio de adesão (peeling-test) e ensaio de cisalhamento por tração (shear-tensile test). Os resultados obtidos apresentaram boa correlação e o método CTM se mostrou bastante prático. A segunda série de ensaios foi realizada visando aprimorar a montagem do ensaio CTM e comparar os seus resultados com ensaios de cisalhamento direto. Novamente as metodologias se correlacionaram bem, o que justifica o desenvolvimento do método CTM. / GCLs (Geosynthetic Clay Liners) are geosynthetic products used to compose flux control barriers in geotechnical and environmental works. The mechanical properties of GCLs have to be investigated in short and long term. Among its mechanical parameters, GCL internal shear strength plays an important role in the stability of slopes of geotechnical works. The main component of a GCL, the bentonite, when hydrated, presents very low shear strength. This work presents the development of a new index test method that aims cheaply and quickly to estimate the shear strength of GCLs - the CTM method (modified shear-tensile test). The main innovation of the proposed method is the U-shape grip that imposes a state of deformation close to that observed in field works. Two series of tests were performed in which a careful selection of samples and specimens were done. This aimed to minimize variation effects, inherent to the GCL production, on the obtained results. The first series was carried out to correlate results from the CTM tests to other two index tests: peel test and shear-tensile test. The results showed a good correlation between CTM and the other test results. The second series of tests was planned to improve CTM test method in order to get even better results than peel or shear-tensile tests, apart from correlating its results to results of direct shear test. Comparisons of results show very good agreement what justifies the use of the cheaper and quicker CTM method.

Os GCLs (Geosynthetic Clay Liners) são materiais geossintéticos destinados a compor sistemas de controle de fluxo em obras geotécnicas e ambientais. Suas propriedades vêm sendo cada vez mais estudadas visando a avaliação de seu comportamento de curto e longo prazo. Dentre as propriedades mais importantes de um GCL, está a sua resistência ao cisalhamento interno, tendo em vista que o seu principal componente, a bentonita, possui baixa resistência quando hidratada. Este trabalho apresenta o desenvolvimento de uma nova metodologia de ensaio-índice para estimativa da resistência ao cisalhamento em GCLs - o método CTM (cisalhamento por tração modificado). A principal inovação do método proposto é o formato \"U\" da garra para fixação dos corpos-de-prova. Foram executadas duas séries de ensaios, nas quais, realizou-se uma seleção criteriosa das amostras e um plano de preparação dos corpos-de-prova, de forma a evitar que a variabilidade inerente à fabricação dos GCLs, influenciasse nos resultados obtidos. A primeira fase de testes foi realizada com o objetivo de se correlacionar os resultados do método CTM com dois outros métodos de ensaios-índice existentes: ensaio de adesão (peeling-test) e ensaio de cisalhamento por tração (shear-tensile test). Os resultados obtidos apresentaram boa correlação e o método CTM se mostrou bastante prático. A segunda série de ensaios foi realizada visando aprimorar a montagem do ensaio CTM e comparar os seus resultados com ensaios de cisalhamento direto. Novamente as metodologias se correlacionaram bem, o que justifica o desenvolvimento do método CTM. / GCLs (Geosynthetic Clay Liners) are geosynthetic products used to compose flux control barriers in geotechnical and environmental works. The mechanical properties of GCLs have to be investigated in short and long term. Among its mechanical parameters, GCL internal shear strength plays an important role in the stability of slopes of geotechnical works. The main component of a GCL, the bentonite, when hydrated, presents very low shear strength. This work presents the development of a new index test method that aims cheaply and quickly to estimate the shear strength of GCLs - the CTM method (modified shear-tensile test). The main innovation of the proposed method is the U-shape grip that imposes a state of deformation close to that observed in field works. Two series of tests were performed in which a careful selection of samples and specimens were done. This aimed to minimize variation effects, inherent to the GCL production, on the obtained results. The first series was carried out to correlate results from the CTM tests to other two index tests: peel test and shear-tensile test. The results showed a good correlation between CTM and the other test results. The second series of tests was planned to improve CTM test method in order to get even better results than peel or shear-tensile tests, apart from correlating its results to results of direct shear test. Comparisons of results show very good agreement what justifies the use of the cheaper and quicker CTM method.

Geosynthetic Clay Liners (GCLs) are commonly paired with a geomembrane and used as part of a composite liner system for landfill barriers. Under some circumstances, leaving a composite geomembrane/geosynthetic clay liner exposed to solar radiation in the field has been shown to cause shrinkage of the underlying GCL. Recent field studies have shown that leaving a composite liner exposed can also lead to down-slope erosion of bentonite from the GCL due to the down-slope movement of moisture. To investigate the factors that can affect the onset of bentonite erosion in a GCL an experimental technique was developed to reproduce similar erosion in the laboratory. The test method simulates the features that occur with the erosion of bentonite caused by down-slope migration of evaporative water in the field. One needle-punched GCL was tested to examine the factors that can affect the onset of erosion of bentonite particles with the flow of water. The factors examined include the effect of the initial wet/dry cycle, water source chemistry, flow rate, slope, prior cation exchange, and the effect of no drying phase in the test cycle. Ten different manufactured GCL products were tested to examine the effect of material properties on the erosion of bentonite from a GCL. The material properties of the products tested differed in terms of the type of carrier and cover geotextiles, bentonite (powdered, fine and coarse grained, and some with a polymer enhancement additive) and the presence of a polypropylene coating over the geotextile. It was found that the most critical factor to trigger the onset of bentonite erosion was the water source chemistry, with the tests that simulated the evaporation and condensation of water (deionized water) below an exposed composite liner leading to the formation of major erosion features. The results of the laboratory testing program also show that erosion features are more visible in products with white coloured geotextiles. The products containing a polypropylene coated geotextile and polymer enhanced bentonite slowed or, in some cases, prevented erosion features from developing. / Thesis (Master, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2014-05-01 10:16:14.05

Este trabalho trata do desenvolvimento, montagem e teste de equipamentos para ensaios de materiais de baixa condutividade hidráulica, o qual inclui sistemas de controle hidráulico de volume constante, permeâmetros do tipo parede flexível e interfaces água-percolante. A vantagem desse arranjo está no maior controle dos ensaios e, notadamente, na redução do tempo de ensaio com emprego do sistema hidráulico de volume constante (sistema fechado), quando comparado aos ensaios que empregam o sistema aberto de controle hidráulico. Para testar o equipamento, foram ensaiados geocompostos bentoníticos (geosynthetic clay liners - GCLs) de fabricação nacional, em corpos de prova moldados com diâmetro de 100 mm e também, em uma mistura de solo com bentonita. Os resultados da condutividade hidráulica obtidos para os geocompostos bentoníticos se situaram na ordem de \'10 POT.-9\' e \'10 POT.-10\' cm/s, compatíveis com os publicados na literatura sobre o material, e os ensaios na mistura solo-bentonita produziu resultados na ordem de \'10 POT.-8\' cm/s, e foram conseguidos com cerca de 3 horas de ensaio. Aborda-se ainda a aplicabilidade da lei de Darcy aos materiais ensaiados. / This work describes the development, construction, calibration and test of equipment for testing low hydraulic conductivity materials, which includes constant volume hydraulic control system, flexible wall permeameters and permeating water interfaces. The advantage of this kind of apparatus is the greater test control, notably, the reduction of test duration due to the use of a constant volume hydraulic system (closed system), when compared to the opened system hydraulic control test. In order to test the equipment, geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs) manufactured in Brazil was used as test specimens of 100 mm diameter and also, a mixture of soil and bentonite. The results of hydraulic conductivity obtained for the GCL were in the range of \'10 POT.-9\' to \'10 POT.-10\' cm/s, comparable to what has been published by the specialized literature on this material, and the tests with the soil-bentonite mixture resulted in a conductivity about \'10 POT.-8\' cm/s, after 3 hours running the test. The applicability of Darcy´s law to the tested materials is also referred to.

Este trabalho trata do desenvolvimento, montagem e teste de equipamentos para ensaios de materiais de baixa condutividade hidráulica, o qual inclui sistemas de controle hidráulico de volume constante, permeâmetros do tipo parede flexível e interfaces água-percolante. A vantagem desse arranjo está no maior controle dos ensaios e, notadamente, na redução do tempo de ensaio com emprego do sistema hidráulico de volume constante (sistema fechado), quando comparado aos ensaios que empregam o sistema aberto de controle hidráulico. Para testar o equipamento, foram ensaiados geocompostos bentoníticos (geosynthetic clay liners - GCLs) de fabricação nacional, em corpos de prova moldados com diâmetro de 100 mm e também, em uma mistura de solo com bentonita. Os resultados da condutividade hidráulica obtidos para os geocompostos bentoníticos se situaram na ordem de \'10 POT.-9\' e \'10 POT.-10\' cm/s, compatíveis com os publicados na literatura sobre o material, e os ensaios na mistura solo-bentonita produziu resultados na ordem de \'10 POT.-8\' cm/s, e foram conseguidos com cerca de 3 horas de ensaio. Aborda-se ainda a aplicabilidade da lei de Darcy aos materiais ensaiados. / This work describes the development, construction, calibration and test of equipment for testing low hydraulic conductivity materials, which includes constant volume hydraulic control system, flexible wall permeameters and permeating water interfaces. The advantage of this kind of apparatus is the greater test control, notably, the reduction of test duration due to the use of a constant volume hydraulic system (closed system), when compared to the opened system hydraulic control test. In order to test the equipment, geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs) manufactured in Brazil was used as test specimens of 100 mm diameter and also, a mixture of soil and bentonite. The results of hydraulic conductivity obtained for the GCL were in the range of \'10 POT.-9\' to \'10 POT.-10\' cm/s, comparable to what has been published by the specialized literature on this material, and the tests with the soil-bentonite mixture resulted in a conductivity about \'10 POT.-8\' cm/s, after 3 hours running the test. The applicability of Darcy´s law to the tested materials is also referred to.

Neste trabalho foi analisado o comportamento de um solo argiloso compactado (CCL) da Fm. Corumbataí e de um geocomposto bentonítico (GCL) composto por bentonita \'NA\', frente a gradientes hidráulicos e químicos. As propriedades físicas e mineralógicas dos solos foram avaliadas, bem como determinados em ensaios de adsorção em lote os parâmetros das isotermas de Freundlich e Langmuir. Foi desenvolvido um equipamento para avaliar o comportamento membrana e poder calcular o coeficiente de eficiência químico-osmótico (\'ômega\') em ensaio de difusão-membrana. Os ensaios de advecção foram executados com o equipamento já existente no departamento de Geotecnia. Em todos os ensaios foram utilizadas soluções monoiônicas de \'KCL\' e \'CU\'CL IND.2\' 2\'H IND.2\'O\'. O valor do factor de retardamento Rd determinado no ensaio em lote (batch test) foi maior que o Rd medido no ensaio de advecção, enquanto que, no ensaio de difusão-membrana, obteve-se o menor valor de Rd. Tanto o GCL quanto o CCL apresentaram comportamento membrana e geração de pressão osmótica para as soluções utilizadas. No entanto, com a solução de \'K POT.+\' as diferenças de pressão se mantiveram durante o ensaio, enquanto que no caso da solução de \'CU POT.+2\' a pressão induzida no corpo de prova do CCL e do GCL tem um pico e logo diminue até zero. O GCL teve um aumento na condutividade hidráulica, no ensaio de advecção, quando permeado com solução de \'CU POT.+2\'. Este comportamento é atribuído ao colapso da dupla camada difusa das partículas de argila. O CCL não apresentou este comportamento. Os resultados deste trabalho sugerem que o CCL da Fm. Corumbataí tem melhor desempenho como barreira que o GCL, nas condições de laboratório e para as soluções usadas. / In this research the behavior of a compacted clayey liner (CCL) of Corumbataí Fm. and a geosynthetic clay liner (GCL) containing \'NA\'-bentonite, was evaluated in presence of hydraulic and chemical gradients. Physical and mineralogical properties of the soils were determined and batch tests were executed to obtain the adsorption parameters of the Freundlich and Langmuir models. A laboratory apparatus was developed for assessment of the membrane behavior allowing determining the chemico-osmotic efficiency coefficient (\'ômega\') in diffusion-membrane test. The advection test was carried out with existent equipment in geotechnical department. Both tests were performed with single salt \'KCL\' and \'CU\'CL IND.2\' 2\'H IND.2\'O\' solutions. The measured value of the retardation factor (Rd) for the batch test is bigger than the Rd measured in advection test while in the diffusion-membrane test, the Rd obtained is the smallest. Both GCL and the CCL exhibit membrane behavior and they generate osmotic pressure with both solutions. However with \'KCL\' solution the difference of pressure are maintained during the test, while in the case of \'CU POT.+2\' solution the induced pressure across the specimen of CCL and GCL have a peak to after decrease to zero. The GCL had an increase in the hydraulic conductivity for a \'CU POT.+2\' solution in the advection test. This behavior is attributed to the collapse of the diffuse double layers of clay particles. The CCL did not exhibit this behavior. The results of this study suggest that the CCL of Corumbataí Fm. has a better performance as clay barrier tha the GCL, considering the solutions used and in the laboratory conditions.

Neste trabalho foi analisado o comportamento de um solo argiloso compactado (CCL) da Fm. Corumbataí e de um geocomposto bentonítico (GCL) composto por bentonita \'NA\', frente a gradientes hidráulicos e químicos. As propriedades físicas e mineralógicas dos solos foram avaliadas, bem como determinados em ensaios de adsorção em lote os parâmetros das isotermas de Freundlich e Langmuir. Foi desenvolvido um equipamento para avaliar o comportamento membrana e poder calcular o coeficiente de eficiência químico-osmótico (\'ômega\') em ensaio de difusão-membrana. Os ensaios de advecção foram executados com o equipamento já existente no departamento de Geotecnia. Em todos os ensaios foram utilizadas soluções monoiônicas de \'KCL\' e \'CU\'CL IND.2\' 2\'H IND.2\'O\'. O valor do factor de retardamento Rd determinado no ensaio em lote (batch test) foi maior que o Rd medido no ensaio de advecção, enquanto que, no ensaio de difusão-membrana, obteve-se o menor valor de Rd. Tanto o GCL quanto o CCL apresentaram comportamento membrana e geração de pressão osmótica para as soluções utilizadas. No entanto, com a solução de \'K POT.+\' as diferenças de pressão se mantiveram durante o ensaio, enquanto que no caso da solução de \'CU POT.+2\' a pressão induzida no corpo de prova do CCL e do GCL tem um pico e logo diminue até zero. O GCL teve um aumento na condutividade hidráulica, no ensaio de advecção, quando permeado com solução de \'CU POT.+2\'. Este comportamento é atribuído ao colapso da dupla camada difusa das partículas de argila. O CCL não apresentou este comportamento. Os resultados deste trabalho sugerem que o CCL da Fm. Corumbataí tem melhor desempenho como barreira que o GCL, nas condições de laboratório e para as soluções usadas. / In this research the behavior of a compacted clayey liner (CCL) of Corumbataí Fm. and a geosynthetic clay liner (GCL) containing \'NA\'-bentonite, was evaluated in presence of hydraulic and chemical gradients. Physical and mineralogical properties of the soils were determined and batch tests were executed to obtain the adsorption parameters of the Freundlich and Langmuir models. A laboratory apparatus was developed for assessment of the membrane behavior allowing determining the chemico-osmotic efficiency coefficient (\'ômega\') in diffusion-membrane test. The advection test was carried out with existent equipment in geotechnical department. Both tests were performed with single salt \'KCL\' and \'CU\'CL IND.2\' 2\'H IND.2\'O\' solutions. The measured value of the retardation factor (Rd) for the batch test is bigger than the Rd measured in advection test while in the diffusion-membrane test, the Rd obtained is the smallest. Both GCL and the CCL exhibit membrane behavior and they generate osmotic pressure with both solutions. However with \'KCL\' solution the difference of pressure are maintained during the test, while in the case of \'CU POT.+2\' solution the induced pressure across the specimen of CCL and GCL have a peak to after decrease to zero. The GCL had an increase in the hydraulic conductivity for a \'CU POT.+2\' solution in the advection test. This behavior is attributed to the collapse of the diffuse double layers of clay particles. The CCL did not exhibit this behavior. The results of this study suggest that the CCL of Corumbataí Fm. has a better performance as clay barrier tha the GCL, considering the solutions used and in the laboratory conditions.

In 1986, geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs) were invented and successfully used as a replacement for the soil layer in composite lining systems. In some applications an additive (polymer) is mixed with the bentonite to increase performance, especially in those that have low concentrations of sodium bentonite (EPA 2001).Studies showing significant increases in hydraulic conductivity values for bentonite in the presence of high salt concentrations are frequently documented and there is a risk of early breakthrough due to performance failure of the GCL clay component. (Ashmawy et al, 2002). It has also been stated that sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium have such a high affinity for the clay's surface other chemical species have little chance of attenuation (EPA 2001). For these reasons, researching sorption in the presence of major salt cations and polymers gains great importance.Distribution coefficients were extrapolated from Linear, Freundlich and Langmuir sorption isotherms for sodium and calcium cations modeled from data collected from batch tests of sodium bentonite and various manufactured and custom mixed polymer modified bentonites. Surface characterization before and after calcium or sodium solution exposure of all tested media was accomplished by use of scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive x-ray analysis.