Exhumation and performance of an Antarctic composite barrier system after 4 years exposure

• Published in: Canadian Geotechnical Journal
• Main Authors: McWatters, R.S., Rowe, R.K., Di Battista, V., Sfiligoj, B., Wilkins, D., Spedding, T.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 2020
• Subjects: Civil and Structural Engineering; Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology; Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarc*
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cgj-2018-0715; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/full-xml/10.1139/cgj-2018-0715; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/cgj-2018-0715

An Antarctic biopile using a composite liner (high-density polyethylene geomembrane (GMB) over a geosynthetic clay liner (GCL)) was constructed on a coarse granular subgrade to contain hydrocarbon-contaminated soil and leachate. The soil was remediated after 4 years and the biopile was decommissioned. The liner was exhumed to assess the properties and performance of the GMB and GCL. There was no significant change in the GMB index properties. Although cobbles and coarse gravel of the subgrade had left indentations in the GMB, implying tensile strains that could impact long-term performance, there were no holes. There was significant variability in the hydration of the GCL (from 10% to 220%) and in the underlying subgrade soil water content (from 5% to 30%). This reflects the complexity of the subgrade and groundwater flow in the Antarctic environment. The exhumed GCL specimens had low hydraulic conductivity (1 × 10 −11 to 7 × 10 −11 m/s) at 13 kPa. Soil samples from below the composite liner showed no detectable hydrocarbons and confirmed no migration through the barrier. It is concluded that the composite barrier contained the leachate and biopile soil over the 4 years in service in the extreme Antarctic conditions.