Evaluation of HDPE geomembranes protection against puncturing

Abstract

Geotextiles are used in the waterproofing of non-hazardous waste landfill facilities lining systems in order to protect the geomembrane against puncturing effects during the installation of the granular drainage layer and then, in service, in relation to the weight of waste. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the performance of nonwoven needlepunched geotextiles having an average mass per unit area equal to 1000 g/m² in protecting geomembranes, based on static puncture tests performed in 1m diameter cells. Aufrère et al. (2009) previously developed these tests. Recommendations are given in the following in terms of fibre length, the modulus of elasticity, mass per unit area and thickness of the geotextile depending on the nature of granular material used.