Geotex Membrane for Ground Contamination Scenarios

Before construction and landscaping projects can commence, ground contamination in, on or under the land is an issue that has to be addressed to standards deemed satisfactory by local authorities, in accordance with the Environmental Protection Act.

Sometimes this must be controlled and contained, other times a simple warning system is sufficient.

Depending on the type of contamination present, removal, containment or control of the particles/minerals must be achieved, or a combination thereof.

There are types of ground contaminating minerals that must be controlled and prevented from pushing up towards the surface or from contaminating ground water. In most circumstances we strongly advise speaking to an industry expert before authorising purchase of product.

Typically, one effective solution for prevention of contamination pushing up through the land is a heavy duty non-woven geotex membrane, usually needle punched, along with a bright geotex warning layer.

A perfect example of this would be asbestos. To stop upward movement of the particles a strong 300gsm non-woven membrane is required. The weight and durability of this geotextile reinforces separation and allows water to permeate. However, above this, a layer of high visibility orange geotex would be laid to provide a warning layer, indicating that excavation should not take place past that point. Similar situations may include hydrocarbon pollution, for which we offer a specialist geotex membrane with precise hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties, forming an inherent oil retention structure.

Not all circumstances require a heavy grade of geotextile to solve the problem; a simple alerting barrier of hi-vis geotex will suffice in situations where the minerals and/or particles aren’t potentially hazardous or likely to deviate.

These are just examples of what we can offer. However, we are happy to work with clients to exact a solution for any ground contamination problem.