Performance of Bituminous Geomembrane Seams Exposed to Tensile Load at Elevated Temperature

GeoAsia Conference

Paper by Eric Blond, Jean-Pierre Giroud and John Scheirs

Geomembranes, and their seams, are exposed in the field to tensile loads and elevated temperatures. The shear strength of bituminous geomembrane seams was assessed through laboratory testing under temperatures ranging between 23 and 80°C. Constant-load (creep) tests were conducted under temperatures ranging between 23 and 60°C to measure the seam separation rate and failure time as a function of temperature. The results show that both the short-term shear strength of bituminous geomembrane seams and the seam separation rate under constant loading are a function of temperature. An equation that expresses the time to failure of the tested bituminous geomembrane seams as a function of temperature and constant applied tensile load is provided. A theoretical analysis of the creep test results shows that the behavior of the seams is consistent with published data on the viscosity of bitumen. In the field, unless the tensile load exerted on a bituminous geomembrane seam dissipates (which may happen under certain conditions), the relative displacement of two seamed geomembrane sheets is likely to continue at a rate depending on tensile load and temperature, until full separation of the seam. Field situations where bituminous geomembrane seams may fail due to constant loading are discussed.

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