Industrial Containment Infrastructure Using HDPE Liner in Gujarat

Ocean Non Wovens supplied 4,500 SQM of Ocean HDPE Liner 1500 Micron for an industrial containment project in Gujarat. Without a barrier layer, industrial liquids and wastewater seep into the soil and groundwater below, where contamination is slow and expensive to clean up. The site needed a liner strong enough to take mechanical stress during construction and operation, and resistant to the chemicals it would hold.

Project overview

Project Name: Industrial Containment Infrastructure

Location: Gujarat

Product Supplied: Ocean HDPE Liner 1500 Micron (1.5 mm)

Quantity Used: 4,500 SQM

Why HDPE for industrial containment

An HDPE geomembrane is a continuous polyethylene sheet with extremely low permeability. Water and most dissolved contaminants move through an intact sheet so slowly that, in practice, leakage comes only from holes and defective seams. HDPE also resists a wide range of acids, alkalis, salts and hydrocarbons, which is why it is the usual choice where the contained liquid is aggressive.

Common applications include:

• Industrial wastewater and effluent ponds
• Landfills
• Canal lining
• Reservoir waterproofing
• Mining containment systems

Why 1500 micron

1500 micron is 1.5 mm, the thickness most often specified for industrial and hazardous containment and for landfill base liners. Compared with the 500 to 1000 micron grades used for water ponds, the thicker sheet gives:

• Higher puncture and tear resistance, which matters when the subgrade is not perfect or the liner is covered with soil or aggregate
• More margin against slow stress cracking (measured by ASTM D5397)
• A sheet that is easier to weld consistently and less prone to damage from foot traffic and equipment during installation

In India, HDPE lining geomembranes are specified under IS 16352, and internationally under GRI-GM13, which sets minimum values for density, tensile properties, tear and puncture resistance, carbon black content and oxidative induction time at each thickness. Where the contained liquid is unusual, a chemical compatibility test (immersion to EPA Method 9090 or ASTM D5747) confirms the sheet will not soften or lose strength.

Installation

Installing a thick geomembrane comes down to three things:

• Subgrade smoothness: the surface is compacted and cleared of stones and debris, and a non-woven geotextile cushion is laid where the ground is stony.
• Seam welding: panels are joined by hot-wedge welding, which produces a double seam with an air channel between the two welds. Patches, pipe boots and corners are extrusion welded.
• Leak detection: double-wedge seams are tested by pressurising the air channel (ASTM D5820) and extrusion welds by vacuum box (ASTM D5641). Trial seams are cut and peel/shear tested before each welding session.

The liner is then secured in a perimeter anchor trench, with slack left so the sheet is not pulled tight when it contracts in cool weather.

Long-term performance and maintenance

HDPE is durable and chemically resistant, and covered liners last longest: the Geosynthetic Institute’s GRI White Paper #6 on geomembrane lifetime prediction estimates service lives of many decades for a covered GRI-GM13 sheet, shortening as temperature rises and on exposed sections. Routine inspection of exposed slopes, anchor trenches and pipe penetrations catches damage early, and a lined system avoids the soil and groundwater clean-up that follows a leak from an unlined one.

Ocean Non Wovens supplies HDPE geomembranes in a range of thicknesses for industrial containment, effluent ponds and geosynthetics projects across India. Contact the Ocean team to match liner grade to your containment conditions.