A LITERATURE REVIEW ON LIFETIME PREDICTION OF THIN HDPE GEOMEMBRANES IN THE EXPOSED ENVIRONMENT

Use of thin ( 0.75mm) high-density polyethylene (HDPE) geomembranes for applications in the exposed environment such as salt evaporation ponds, landfill capping and aquaculture are common in South East Asia. Many have researched on the durability and lifetime prediction of HDPE geomembranes particularly for the landfill industry where the common usage thickness ranges between 1.0mm to 2.5mm depending on the regulation of respective countries around the world. There is however a paucity of industry information on the lifetime prediction of thin HDPE geomembranes used in the exposed environment. This paper seeks to collate available information on the durability and lifetime prediction of HDPE geomembranes for various thicknesses and proposes a way forward to manage the performance risk for project stakeholders where thin HDPE geomembranes in the exposed environment are used.