Research Activities – Geosynthetics Mats

Department of Materials and Rheology

Research, development and production of geosynthetic liners

TATRABENT and CEMTEX

The use of geosynthetic clay liners (GCL) has become a standard practice in protecting the subsoil and the surrounding area and ground water from a contamination mainly in the construction of landfills for more than 15 years. GCL is a product consisting of a thin layer of swelling bentonite sandwiched between two layers of geotextile. Exclusively sodium bentonite in natural or activated form is used as a sealing component. The similar industrial product – geosynthetic cement-based liner (GCBL) is manufactured by technological procedure closely related to that of GCL, but a special cement blend as the mineral filler is kept between geotextiles instead of bentonite.

The collaboration between our institute and Tatrabent Company, Kežmarok resulted in the GCL TATRABENT (1997) and GCBL CEMTEX (2003) development. TATRABENT and CEMTEX are manufactured as a prefabricated sandwich-type liners that are consequently transported by trucks on the construction sites. Main utility properties, figures from field (TATRABENT, CEMTEX) and research (CEMTEX) are reviewed herein

Geomat CEMTEX – utility properties

Property tested

Value measure

Weight of surface layer (g.m-2)
STN 80 0845 (STN EN 965) *
Thickness of hardened CBM (mm)
STN 80 0844 (STN EN 964-1)
Tension strength (kN.m-1), STN 80 6130
Plunger pull-in resistance (kN), STN 80 6111
Disturbing force CBR (kN), STN EN ISO 12236
Compressive strength (MPa), STN EN 196-1
Resistance to climate attack, STN 73 1215
Resistance to chemical attack, STN EN 206-1
Resistance to biological attack, STN 72 4310
Resistance to steel corrosion, STN 73 134

4 500 + 10 %

9 ± 10 %

> 10
1.3
> 2.0
> 15
satisfactory *
satisfactory *
satisfactory *
satisfactory *

* still under long-term evaluations

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Geomat CEMTEX after production, producer Tatrabent Company, Kežmarok
Dimensions of CEMTEX geomat for field applications
Width: 0.3 – 3.5 m Length: max 10 m
Thickness: 9 ± 10 % mm Ball weight 15 – 165 kg

Repair of pipe-line – protection by CEMTEX geomat Geomat can be used also underwater. “Washout effect” of the filler bound between two geotextiles is eliminated.

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Underwater „bridging“of Ondava river ( 2003)

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Batch of pipe-line by crushed aggregate after application of CEMTEX geomat

Passivation ability of CEMTEX geomat after one-year exposure in model aggressive soil electrolyte,bottom steel sample was wrapped around by CEMTEX

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Protection of steel by non-permeable polymeric coat, in the middle steel without protection

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Layer of corrosion products on the surface of non-protected steel, no corrosion under polymeric coat

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No steel corrosion of the sample protected by CEMTEX geomat, no corrosion also under polymeric coat