Geomembrane Wrinkles: Solutions and Factory Quality

Geomembrane wrinkles are common when installing a geomembrane. Small wrinkles can crack under pressure. If this simple issue is tolerated, it can lead to significant costs from damage to the geomembrane.

What causes geomembrane wrinkles?

A geomembrane wrinkles because air becomes trapped under it during installation. At first the geomembrane looks flat, but the trapped air expands when it is heated by the sun, and wrinkles form.

Another reason is that the geomembrane arrives from the factory already slightly folded because of an imperfect production process. This leads to large wrinkles during installation.

What can be done once wrinkles form?

There is no easy or cheap way to remove a wrinkle once it has formed. The best option is to cut the panel and re-weld it. Installers and workers must not place loads on top of it, as this will only cause the wrinkle to crack.

Quality is the main factor

So how can wrinkles be prevented? The key is choosing a good geomembrane with consistent production quality, free of folds or depressions. A flat geomembrane without depressions greatly reduces the potential for wrinkles in the field. Even the best installation machines and operators cannot keep a poorly produced geomembrane from wrinkling.

Understanding geomembrane details

The best way to understand geomembrane quality is to know which factory it comes from. Production details make a significant difference when the geomembrane is installed. For example, a geomembrane produced without curvature is less likely to wrinkle than one with curvature. Curvature depends on the alignment process and the rolling time of the geomembrane at the factory.

Other factors that can be controlled

1. Unreinforced geomembrane – wrinkle formation depends on the properties of the geomembrane. A geomembrane that does not meet GRI GM13 is less stable and more likely to wrinkle.
2. Site conditions – timing the geomembrane installation helps prevent wrinkles, for example by installing when temperatures are cool (at night or during the day).
3. Temperature – the temperature during fabrication and deployment of the geomembrane causes thermal expansion. This must be anticipated.

Avoid wrinkles

Ultimately, the best way to avoid wrinkles is a durable, high-quality geomembrane, chosen from a geomembrane factory whose products are developed and manufactured to international quality standards. Besides a high-quality factory, experienced and certified installers also make a big difference.