Construction and engineering are complicated sectors. Acronyms abound to add a bit of shorthand to material classes (e.g., GM), material constructions (e.g., HDPE), regulatory schemes (e.g., EPA Subtitle D), etc. The field of geosynthetics adds another layer of acronyms–the alphabet soup–and can seem obscure even to some in the construction industry who do not possess a background in them. Properly utilizing geosynthetics requires knowledge of the polymeric varieties of materials, special handling requirements, the specific functions and applications associated with certain polymers, certain materials, certain soil conditions.
WHAT IS A CPL?
A CPL is a concrete protection liner. These materials are structured geomembranes with studs or knobs on the surface of them to interlock with concrete structures and protect the concrete from mechanical damage and corrosive and erosive environments, such as industrial liquids or high flows.
An example is the high-density polyethylene (HDPE) StudLiner product from GSE Environmental. The company’s product sheet succinctly describes why this category of products have emerged:
GSE StudLiner is manufactured with approximately 110 studs per square foot to guarantee high pullout strength and provide excellent stress distribution during temperature changes and pressure build-up. It can be installed over an exposed surface of a new or existing concrete structure, and it will provide a life expectancy that is five times greater than that of an unprotected structure.
Life expectancy extensions like that are difficult to ignore.
Concrete Protection Liner (CPL) designs require experienced installation crews.
EXPERIENCE MATTERS
While there are a number of products that can be handled by less-experienced labor, CPLs should only be installed by expert teams. Any CPL installation requires significant care and understanding of connection points with the various CPL panels–which are precision-fabricated to the installation’s specific geometries–and to the concrete. Each point of connection is a potential source of a leak, which is precisely why experience is required in handling and installing CPLs.
D&E is proud of its long track record of geosynthetics installations, including many concrete protection liner installations. Visit our project gallery for examples of our work.
