500 Micron Geomembrane and Tips for Choosing Thickness

In general, geomembrane is divided into two types: textured geomembrane and smooth geomembrane. The two can be told apart visually, as one is smooth and the other rough. So what is a 500 micron geomembrane like?

As it turns out, geomembrane is further divided by thickness. The thickness is chosen based on the size of the containment, and the type of material to be contained is also a basis for choosing the geomembrane thickness.

What Is Geomembrane?

Before going further into geomembrane thickness options, let’s first understand what geomembrane is. Geomembrane is a geosynthetic product made from polyethylene polymer plastic pellets.

The polymer used is high density, at around 0.94 grams / cm3. Geomembrane is also often called High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) tarpaulin. This material is impermeable to both water and gas.

This property is often the reason construction practitioners use it to build containment facilities, such as raw water or waste containment, where geomembrane serves as an alternative to concrete construction.

Geomembrane is usually made from HDPE resin, with a small amount of carbon black and antioxidant additives added.

The choice of resin and additives is another factor that makes geomembrane resistant to varying environmental conditions and gives it its own advantages in terms of durability.

Geomembrane Thickness Options, Including 500 Micron Geomembrane

Compared with ordinary tarpaulin, geomembrane is not water-permeable like a geotextile separator; it is also resistant to high temperatures (around 60 degrees Celsius), corrosion-resistant and has a fairly long service life.

The Indonesian market offers a number of geomembrane thicknesses, one of which is the 500 micron geomembrane. Other variants are 300 microns, 750 microns, 1,000 microns, 1,500 microns, 2,000 microns and 3,000 microns.

Read Also: HDPE Geomembrane Standards for Aquaculture

HDPE geomembrane with a thickness of 300 – 500 microns is commonly used in fish pond and salt pond projects.

Thicknesses of 750 – 3,000 microns are reserved for geotechnical works based on international standard specifications.

Types of Geomembrane

As explained earlier, there are two types of geomembrane: smooth and textured. Besides their appearance, what sets these two apart?

Smooth Geomembrane

The most visible feature of this geomembrane is its slick, smooth surface on both sides. It is relatively cheaper than textured geomembrane, which is why it is also more commonly found on all kinds of construction projects.

Textured Geomembrane

This geomembrane has a texture: with a single side texture, the rough texture is on one side only, while with a double side textured sheet, the rough texture is on both sides.

This type is generally used specifically on projects in sloping and steep areas, where additional friction (anti-slip) is needed. Friction helps keep the liner stable in position between the geomembrane and the soil.

Tips for Determining Geomembrane Size

500 micron geomembrane is often used to build shrimp ponds. This thickness can maintain water quality so it does not mix with soil, mud, grass and other material at the pond bottom.

Read Also: Geomembrane Specifications and Sizes

Determining the geomembrane size is very simple:

• Calculate the area of the pond, then add 30% to account for the pond walls, which also need to be lined with geomembrane.
• Find out the area of geomembrane per roll and compare it with the pond area to work out how many rolls of geomembrane you need.

Closing

You can discuss the 500 micron geomembrane variant from Petra Nusa Elshada with Petra’s engineering team. We will be happy to find the best solution for you, so contact us directly through the contact details on our website!