--- title: "What is Geomembrane lining?" date: 2022-06-08 author: "Pawan Khatri" url: https://oceangeosynthetics.com/what-is-geomembrane-lining/ --- June 8, 2022 | [Geomembrane](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/category/geomembrane/), [Insights](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/category/insights/) # What is Geomembrane lining? ![](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/hdpe-geomembrane-liners-500x500-1-300x300.jpg) A [geomembrane](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/products/ocean-geomembrane/) liner is an impermeable polymer sheet used to keep liquids or vapour in, or out, of a structure or the ground. It is used for primary containment (a pond, a landfill cell, a canal) and secondary containment (a lined bund around a tank). Grades differ in polymer, thickness, surface texture and chemical resistance, and the choice follows from what is being contained and how the liner will be loaded and exposed. Geomembrane liners are used across environmental protection, mining, oil and gas, and waste handling. ## Table of Contents ## General Applications for Geomembrane Liners ### Secondary Containment The most common use is containing hazardous materials, as either the primary or the secondary barrier. Refineries, fuel depots, airports and similar facilities need secondary containment for fuel, oil, sludge and chemicals, so that a leak from a tank or pipe stays out of the soil and groundwater. Liners are fabricated and welded on site to line bunds around underground and above-ground tanks and areas for portable chemical storage. When choosing a liner for this work, check four things: resistance to UV, weather and repeated thermal expansion and contraction if it will be exposed; enough thickness and puncture resistance to take the weight of the tank and site traffic; chemical compatibility with the stored product over long contact (HDPE has the broadest chemical resistance of the common polymers); and a seaming method that can be tested. ### Landfills ![](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/landfills.jpg) A [landfill](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/solution/environment-dewatering-landfills/) liner has to stop leachate reaching the groundwater beneath it. Geomembranes line the base and sides of solid-waste landfills, in single or double (primary and secondary) liner systems, and form the cap when a cell is closed. Temporary geomembrane sheets can also serve as an alternative daily cover in place of a soil layer, to control odour, vectors, fire, litter and scavenging, and to divert rainwater away from open waste so less leachate is produced. ### Roads and Highways ![](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/download-1-1.jpg) On [roads and highways](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/suitable_sectors/road-highway/), a geomembrane can act as a waterproofing layer beneath the pavement, keeping water out of moisture-sensitive subgrade such as expansive clay. In cold regions it is also used under roads to stop de-icing salt reaching the soil and groundwater. ### Vapor Barriers In buildings, a geomembrane under the floor slab and against basement walls stops ground moisture rising into the structure, which would otherwise cause damp, mould and long-term damage to finishes and reinforcement. On contaminated land the same layer keeps soil gases and chemicals from entering the building and stops spills from the building reaching the ground. Preventing damp at the start costs less than repairing it later. [Geomembranes](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/category/geomembrane/) are used in environmental, hydraulic, transport, oil and gas, and waste work. Most are continuous polymer sheets. Where a large area is lined, the panels are joined on site: polyethylene by thermal welding, PVC by thermal or solvent welding. Because panels can be welded together, a liner can cover anything from a backyard fish pond to an area the size of a football field. Common uses include: - Liners for drinking water and reserve water storage (including emergency water supplies at nuclear plants) - Fish pond and aquaculture liners - Liners for waste liquids such as sewage sludge, and for radioactive or hazardous liquid waste - Agricultural water storage ponds and canals - Liners for canals carrying wastewater - Primary, secondary and tertiary liners for solid-waste landfills and waste heaps - Linings for emergency spillways - Waterproofing in tunnels and pipelines - Flexible tanks for carrying liquids on trucks and for moving water by sea - Below highways to prevent pollution from de-icing salts - Under and beside highways to capture hazardous spills Geomembranes go wherever water, wastewater, vapour or a hazardous liquid must stay where it is put. ## Geomembrane Liner Supplier Ocean Global [manufactures geomembrane liners](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/top-5-ways-in-which-geomembranes-help-stabilize-earth/) to project requirements. The range includes: LLDPE: Linear [Low-Density Polyethylene](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/products/ocean-geomembrane/low-density-polyethylene-ldpe-sheets/) [HDPE](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/products/ocean-geomembrane/high-density-polyethylene-sheets-hdpe/): High-Density Polyethylene PVC: Polyvinyl Chloride [GCL](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/products/geosynthetics-clay-liner/): Geosynthetic Clay Liner (a bentonite liner, often laid under a geomembrane as a composite liner) Once the material is chosen, thickness is the next decision. Our guide to [choosing geomembrane thickness](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/what-is-the-thickness-of-the-geomembrane/) explains micron, mm and mil, what extra thickness changes, and the usual grades for ponds and landfills. ## **FAQs** ### Are geomembranes suitable for slope protection? Yes, as a cover. A geomembrane on a slope keeps rainwater out of the soil and stops surface erosion. It does not reinforce the slope itself; that needs geogrid, geocell or another reinforcing layer. ###  Can geomembranes be recycled? Yes, certain types of geomembranes, particularly those made from recyclable materials like HDPE, can be recycled and used for other applications at the end of their service life. ### Are geomembranes environmentally friendly? Geomembranes are considered environmentally friendly as they help prevent soil and water contamination, control pollution, and safeguard natural resources. Get Ocean Geosynthetics in your Google feed[![](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/google-g-logo.svg)Add us as a preferred source on Google](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=https://oceangeosynthetics.com/) [![Runway Upgrade at BLR Airport](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/j0l_j0ygxdo-1080x810-1-300x225.webp)](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/runway-upgrade-at-blr-airport-geotextile/) [Case Studies](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/category/case-studies/) [Case Study: Enhancing Runway Performance at Bangalore Airport with 63,602 SQM of Non-Woven Geotextile (200 GSM)](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/runway-upgrade-at-blr-airport-geotextile/) Ocean Non Wovens supplied 63,602 SQM of Non-Woven Geotextile Fabric (200 GSM) for the runway upgrade at BLR Airport (Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru), which handles… [See More](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/runway-upgrade-at-blr-airport-geotextile/) [![Are Gabions Cheaper Than a Retaining Wall?](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Gabion-300x214.png)](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/are-gabions-cheaper-than-a-retaining-wall/) [Gabion Box](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/category/gabions/), [Insights](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/category/insights/) [Are Gabions Cheaper Than a Retaining Wall?](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/are-gabions-cheaper-than-a-retaining-wall/) Gabion walls are gravity retaining walls built from wire mesh boxes filled with stone, gravel or other hard, inorganic material. The filled boxes are laced… [See More](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/are-gabions-cheaper-than-a-retaining-wall/) [![](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/case-study-7-300x200.webp)](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/gcl-in-landfill-protection-leachate-barrier/) [Case Studies](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/category/case-studies/), [Geosynthetics](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/category/geosynthetics/) [Landfill Protection Using GCL](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/gcl-in-landfill-protection-leachate-barrier/) Rishikesh, Uttarakhand Project overview Project Name: Landfill ProjectLocation: Rishikesh, UttarakhandProduct Used: Ocean Geosynthetic Clay Liner (GCL), 6 MMQuantity: 4,326 SQM The barrier layer of a… [See More](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/gcl-in-landfill-protection-leachate-barrier/) ![](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/tom-barrett-OQL4DLy3Nys-unsplash-1.webp) ## Contact US --- # Ocean Global --- ## Let's Keep In Touch (Social) - [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/OceanglobalOG/) - [X / Twitter](https://twitter.com/oceanglobalog) - [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/oceanglobalog) - [Pinterest](https://in.pinterest.com/oceanglobal/) - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/ocean-non-wovens-pvt-ltd/) - [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe0Aw7paUQqwZPS4L7G7UCA) ![Trust Seal](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/cover-trustseal.png-150x150.webp) --- - [Privacy Policy](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/terms-policies/) --- ## Contact Column - [Contact Us](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/contact/) - Email: [sales@oceangeosynthetics.com](mailto:sales@oceangeosynthetics.com) - Address: [RR-24, 2nd Floor, Rohtak Road, Mianwali Nagar, New Delhi – 110087, India](https://maps.app.goo.gl/iy7USRyPnFETrmVD6) --- ## Bottom Bar [Ocean Non Wovens Pvt. 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