Geosynthetics, the way forward for Sustainable Waste Management
About fifty years back, the waste management scenario was very different. The use of plastics was not as abundant as today, and even other materials were easily recycled, composted, or incinerated. Waste management is one of the biggest challenges today when we think of a clean green environment. The changing nature of the wastes, the threat to the environment, and stringent waste management regulations are all factors influencing the rise of the current solutions in the form of Geosynthetics.
For more than three decades now, Geosynthetics have been an integral part of civil and environmental engineering. Whether it is the containment of aggressive chemicals, mechanically stabilized earth walls, or extremely challenging climatic conditions, the benefits of Geosynthetics are manifold. Over the years, the benefits have only exceeded expectations, and the applications of Geosynthetics are on the rise.
More and more sustainable infrastructure solutions are in the form of robust, specifically engineered geosynthetic materials. Synonymous with sustainable solutions, one such significant application of Geosynthetics is in waste management. Serving the functions of separation, filtration, drainage, barrier, and protection, the versatile and robust geosynthetics provide optimum results in waste management techniques.
Waste Management with Geosynthetics:
| Geosynthetic Type | Function | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Nonwoven and woven geotextiles, geocells, and geocomposites | Separation | They are placed between two dissimilar materials retaining the integrity and functionality of both. |
| Nonwoven and woven geotextiles, geocomposites. | Filtration | They allow the water or gas to flow through but retain the finer particles. |
| Woven geotextiles, geocomposites, geogrids, and geocells. | Reinforcement | They provide durability and stability in materials lacking tensile capacity. |
| Nonwoven geotextiles, geomembranes, geocomposite, geonet, and geosynthetic clay liners. | Barrier, hydraulic and gas | Relatively impermeable, they help contain liquids and gases. |
| Nonwoven geotextiles, geosynthetic clay liners, and geocomposites. | Protection | They act as cushioning during the overlying placement of materials and prevent damage. |
| Nonwoven geotextiles, geocomposites, geopipe, and geonets. | Drainage | The heavy-duty nature allows the flow of water and leachate. |
Landfill Lining Solutions: With increasing waste volumes and the hazardous nature of the leachate at landfills, groundwater contamination is a high possibility. The geosynthetic clay liners, composites, and geomembranes provide lining systems for protection at municipal solid wastes, bioreactors or nuclear waste landfills, demolition debris, and industrial hazardous waste landfills.
Leachate drainage systems: The factors such as elongation, chemical resistance, durability, and strength make the geocomposite drains and geonets the perfect and cost-effective alternative to traditional methods for leachate drainage.
Capping systems: All landfills require an efficient capping system preventing the dispersion of gas that is detrimental to the environment. As capping systems, the geosynthetic clay liners and geocomposite drain provide a distinct advantage. They help in draining, collecting, and conveying gas and runoff, providing robust protection.
Gas collection systems: Further, in the capping systems, geonets prevent breaches and remove the hazardous gases generated from the decomposition of waste in a landfill, preventing localized areas of high gas pressure in the liners.
Dewatering: The Geotube dewatering technology uses durable geotextiles with filtration and retention abilities that help abundantly with the dewatering of sediments from site runoff. Wastewater and sludge are pumped into the permeable geotubes, then treated with flocculants, and the moisture drains through the geotextile pores under pressure. It is treated and returned to native waterways, and the sediments reprocessed.
At Ocean Geosynthetics, we work with you to develop custom waste containment systems backed by extensive research and designed to meet regulatory guidelines. With an undivided focus on a clean green environment, we use innovative smart products and solutions to mitigate the environmental risks of waste management.
Ocean Geosynthetics, the trusted name globally for all your geosynthetic needs.[
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