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- Geomembranes are thin plastic sheets that are essentially impervious and are used to prevent leakage from liquid or solid-storage facilities. Geomembranes are frequently referred to as Flexible Membrane Liners (FMLs) in environmental regulations, such as in Subtitle D of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Fabricated geomembranes are geomembranes that are flexible enough to be seamed or welded into large panels in a factory, folded, transported to the project site, unfolded without creasing or damage, and field seamed and tested as necessary. These geomembranes are relatively thin (usually less than 45 mils, [1.1 mm] thick), flexible, and can be reinforced with fabrics. Fabricated geomembranes can be accordion folded or rolled up to facilitate deployment and reduce double folds as shown in photographs. Factory fabrication reduces field seaming by 70 to 90% depending on the geometry of the installation and weight of the geomembrane material used, which reduces field testing and patching, installation time, and overall cost. The panel size is limited only by the allowable shipping weight, which depends on the mode of transportation. The reduction of installation time and testing is particularly important in harsh environments which can extend the “field installation season”. Fabricated panels can be large enough to create “drop-in” liners that do not require any field seaming, testing, or patching which speeds installation and improves quality. Fabricated geomembranes also allow a more modular construction approach which results in less resources having to be committed to one location for an extended period, e.g., personnel and deployment, welding, and testing equipment. Modular construction also adds more predictability to project scheduling by reducing weather, transportation, site access, testing and data interpretation, and labor issues. (en)
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