About Ordering & Installing GCL Pond Liners: Five Essentials to Lock-In Before the Truck Arrives
When you’re lining a farm dam, tailings pond or decorative lake with a Geosynthetic Clay Liner (GCL), the real work begins before the container doors swing open. Run through the checklist below and you’ll hit the ground rolling—literally—when the shipment arrives.
1 | Plan for Transverse Edge Sealing
InfraClay GCLs are manufactured with self-seaming capabilities in their longitudinal overlaps due to the 300mm pre-coated edging strips, but every roll end (the transverse edge) still needs to be closed in the field to form a watertight lap. We’ll supply bags of sodium bentonite powder; simply a wide strip of bentonite over the exposed edge before overlapping the next roll. It’s a quick, no-tools operation—just make sure each overlap is clean and free of debris.
2 | Anchor Trench Details
Pins aren’t required; instead, dig an anchor trench around the crest of the pond (typ. 300–500 mm wide × 450 mm deep). Lay the GCL into the trench with 300 mm extra length, backfill and compact. This locks the liner in place during deployment and prevents wind uplift or slide as the bentonite hydrates.
3 | Unloading the 20 FT Container
Rolls are shipped in a dedicated 20 FT container along with bags of bentonite. The driver can wait up to two hours for you to unload and return the empty. Arrange a forklift rated ≥ 2.5 t fitted with a carpet spike or long fork arm; standard pallet tynes are too short and risk core damage. Clear a level area close to the liner zone so rolls can be set down ready for deployment.
4 | Use a Spreader Bar for Deployment
A simple spreader bar (steel beam with two lifting points spaced wider than the roll) lets the forklift lower each roll onto the prepared subgrade without scuffing the surface. It also keeps the core true so the liner unrolls straight, minimising wrinkles and saving trimming time.
5 | Account for Overlaps—Add 7 %
Project plans often forget the 300 mm overlap on every seam. For a normal shaped dam add an extra 7% to allow for side and end overlaps and wastage. This covers a small contingency for off-cuts, ensuring you’re not caught short once machinery and crews are on site.
