A pressure barrier liner is an assembly of low permeability membranes disposed on above the other. A region is encapsulated between each adjacent pair of membranes. A pressurized fluid such as air or water is introduced into a selected group of the encapsulated regions to pressurize them to a selected pressure or pressures, thereby ensuring that any flow through the membranes or through disruptions in the membranes will be from within the pressurized regions to the regions outside the membranes which encapsulate the pressurized regions, rather than from the fluid storage region above the membranes, through the membranes and into the region beneath the membranes which is to be protected by the linear. Alternatively, a selected group of the encapsulated regions may be depressurized to a selected pressure or pressures, thereby ensuring that any fluid flow through disruptions in the membranes is withdrawn, thus again preventing fluid escapement from the fluid containment region above the membranes, through the membranes and into the region beneath the membranes which is to be protected by the liner.
In a management system for a water-barrier sheet having a double layer structure with an upper sheet and a lower sheet, the interior space of the water-barrier sheet is hermetically sealed and divided into a plurality of enclosed divisions. A vacuum source introduces vacuum into each enclosed division. Pressure sensors monitor the vacuum condition in the inside of the respective enclosed divisions and a faulty division among them is identified by variation of the vacuum pressure when failure is caused. In response to detection and identification of the faulty division, a repair operation is performed. In case that penetration of water into the ground is not detected, temporary treatment for preventing the water penetration may be made by introducing pressurized air into the faulty division. For permanent repair of the division, water stop material is injected into the faulty division.
A barrier for intercepting a flow of ground water flowing beneath a dump site holding hazardous waste seeping through the ground into the ground water flow. The barrier is formed of a plurality of side-by-side, interlocked wood, concrete, steel or the like sheets which are power driven directly into the ground without first forming trenches. The sheets define a network of horizontal, open channels which communicate with intermittent, spaced apart vertical conduits that extend over the height of the barrier and terminate in open ends. A filter material covers the open channels and is recessed relative to the lower edge of the sheet to prevent it from being damaged when the sheet is driven into the ground. Contaminated ground water flowing into the channels flows through them and the vertical conduits according to prevailing pressure conditions and is pumped from at least one of the conduits for treatment above ground and the removal of hazardous waste contaminants before the treated, hazardous waste-free water is returned to the ground at a location remote from the waste site, e.g., on the downstream side of the barrier.
A geotechnical barrier includes a first barrier layer; a second barrier layer overlying the first barrier layer and spaced therefrom, the first and second barrier layers defining, at least in part, a fluid passageway having an inlet and an outlet; and fluid displacement means for displacing a fluid through said fluid passageway from the inlet to the outlet. The invention extends to method for constructing and operating a geotechnical barrier and to a geosynthetic barrier and a geocomposite geosynthetic barrier.
A monitorable device for sealing off a body, in particular a garbage dump or a landfill, includes two seals sealing off a body and being mutually spaced-apart defining a control chamber between the seals. The control chamber has connections for an inlet opening and an outlet opening and is otherwise closed. A permeable channel or hose is connected between the inlet opening and the outlet opening in the control chamber for carrying a transport medium. A lance which is used for supplying a tracer gas may be disposed outside the control chamber and may face toward one of the seals. A sensor is connected to the outlet opening for detecting the tracer gas. A method for monitoring a device for sealing off a body includes sealing off a body with two seals being mutually spaced-apart defining a control chamber between the seals being closed except for connections for an inlet opening and an outlet opening. A transport medium is passed through a permeable channel or hose in the control chamber between the inlet opening and the outlet opening. If a tracer gas is admitted through one of the seals, an appearance of the tracer gas at the outlet opening is monitored. A leakage site is determined from the monitoring of the tracer gas.
The present invention relates to a pipe having a pipe section (10) which comprises two or more panels (11, 12, 13, 14, 15) which extend longitudinally along the pipe section (10). Two or more connecting strips (16) are provided which are integers independent from the two or more panels (11, 12, 13, 14, 15). The connecting strips (16) extend longitudinally along the pipe section (10) and each of the connecting strips (16) connects a first panel (e.g. 11) to a second panel (e.g. 12). Preferably, each panel (11, 12, 13, 14, 15) is formed by cutting a one piece pipe lengthwise. The present invention also relates to a method of constructing a pipe comprising: manufacturing a pipe with a chosen cross-section; cutting the manufactured pipe lengthwise two or more times to form two or more panels (11, 12, 13, 14, 15); manufacturing the connecting strips (16); transporting the panels (11, 12, 13, 14, 15) and the connecting strips (16) to a site where the pipe is to be constructed; and assembling the pipe by connecting the panels (11, 12, 13, 14, 15) together using the connecting strips (16). The pipe can be used to line or re-line a sewer.
