# Pond liners



## rino1494 (Jan 31, 2006)

We are bidding the site work for a new gas and acetylene plant. The retention pond will be completely dug into the ground with a 30,000 yd cut and zero fill. It will be 16' deep and will continuously hold 10' of water. There is a concrete box with a pump. The pump will feed the buildings fire suppression system in case of a fire. There is a pressure line and return line that has not be designed yet. The soils we will be digging in, is sand and gravel and may hit shale with solid rock. The engineers require a liner consisting of a minimum 35mil or clay with benotnite. What I am worried about is digging 16' deep in sand and gravel and underground spring popping the liner. We thought about digging a curtain drain, but there is no place to take a drain since we are completely dug into the ground. Does anybody have any experience with this type of system ??

I am thinking about checking into Firestones rubber pond liners or talking to the engineer about using shotcrete.

Oh yeah, the company wants a 20 yr guarantee that it will hold water.


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## genecarp (Mar 16, 2008)

i think the firestone stuff is 40 mil, not sure, not my field , but cant you do test hole to see if underground spring is an issue? i know different times of the year produce diff underground conditions, maybe thats why a test hole wont be conclusive...G


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## dayexco (Mar 4, 2006)

rino, do you anticipate getting into the actual aquafier? or just some perched water in thin sand lenses in your clay?


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## tgeb (Feb 9, 2006)

Gas plant? Have they not already done some test borings there?

Can you make the spring an extra in the contract as an unforeseen issue, same as rock?

I would definitely go with the poly/rubber liner over the clay/bentonite.


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## denick (Feb 13, 2006)

rino,

Why do you think God created engineers for? This type of job.

If owner doesn't want to pay for the engineer see if the pond liner company will engineer it. Any warranty would be the pond liner company's. You would only warranty you did the work to the specification of the liner company.

Both liners can do the job. Bentonite clay is awesome stuff. It is what most toxic waste dumps are made of. Google Bentonite clay. 

We did two small ponds with B. clay. You need to follow the directions. Get the supplier to help you.

Just install a pipe as a pressure release from underneath.


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## tgeb (Feb 9, 2006)

Is that you in the boat, Nick?


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## denick (Feb 13, 2006)

No! That's YOU! TOM


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## tgeb (Feb 9, 2006)

Oh, yeah. I zoomed in on the picture and you're right, It looks just like me.:laughing:


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## denick (Feb 13, 2006)

Gee Tom,

I spent a long time trying to get a good artistic rendering of you. Your a very complex subject matter.


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## rino1494 (Jan 31, 2006)

I think we are gonna pass on this project. We picked the plans up on Wed and they wanted a bid by Monday. The plans were on a 10x13 sheet and it was hard to read. We called the engineering company for a bigger set and they said, "you mean they are bidding that already, we aren't even done there yet." Seems like a puss case. Not too sure that we wanna get involved with that pond with that 20 yr guarantee. Especially, when it holds over 2 million gallons.


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## Kgmz (Feb 9, 2007)

If you are still thinking of bidding on this job later. You need to get together with a pond liner company. You do all the dirt work, prep, etc. and they do the liner and guarantee it.

And there is a lot more to choose from than a rubber sheet.

Cetco makes their Akwaseal liner which is bentonite clay sandwiched between 2 textiles and stitched together. It is self healing. They also make several other geosynthetic clay liners.

http://www.cetco.com/

Another good manufacturer is GSE, Gundle/SLT Enviromental

http://www.bentoliner.com/

At both of these company websites you can look for distributer/installers in your area.


Great Basin Enviromental does the majority of the installations around here, and it looks like they have a office in your neck of the woods.










*Great Basin Environmental, Inc.*
Pete Ochse 
30607 Oldfield Street, Suite 2
Hermiston, OR 97838
541 564 0800 
541 564 7875 - Fax 
[email protected] 

Regional Sales Office 
Pete Ochse 
270 Renninger Road 
Perkiomenville, PA 18074
610 754 1300
610 482 9247 - Fax
[email protected]


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