| Property |
Typical Plastic Membranes | Other Popular GCL Brands |
Hydroclay GCL | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Permiability when punctured | Punctures in plastic membranes can leak extensively & are difficult to fix. Hydroclay is self-healing. The Sodium Bentonite re-seals, effectively preventing further leakage when accidentally punctured | |||
| Puncture Resistance | ~<0.5kN | ~1.8kN | 2kN | Hydroclay Clay mats have a higher puncture resistance than all but the thickest plastic liners. |
| Life Expectancy | Varies depending on type of plastic and exposure |
Unknown | Indefinite when properly installed |
Some plastic liners can deteriorate with long term exposure to sunlight, becomming brittle over time and easily damaged. Hydroclay under a soil cover will not be affected by these natural stresses |
| Ease of Installation |
Usually requires experienced installers to seam panels and penetrations | May require significantly more excavation and folding of additional membranes | No specialist skills required | Hydroclay's simple overlapping seam process is easier to install than plastic membranes, some of which may require hot-welding or glued joints. Plastic membranes must be fastened to structures such as concrete headwalls, which can be problematic. Hydroclay is sealed to these structures simply through the addition of Sodium Bentonite powder. |
| Slope Gradient | Any | 1:4 | 1:3 | This usually doesn't apply to plastic membranes, however it is the required gradient of the slopes to prevent the covering layer from slipping off the GCL, 1:3 is an industry acceptable standard |
| Seams Fixing |
Welding | Bentonite; Tape; Possibly Welding | None | Hydroclay is pre-impregnated with additional Sodium Bentonite Powder along the seams for rapid hydration and sealing |
| Covering Layer | Not usually required | 500mm |
300mm | Hydroclay will hydrate and seal under just 300mm of covering layer ensuring the maximum depth possible of the pool |
| Figures used are from product datasheets associated with pond applications and may not have relevancy for certain projects. Hydroclay Ltd accepts no liability for inconsistencies in the information above. | ||||