The first practical experiences with exposed geomembranes in hydraulic projects were unsuccessful in general terms because of the lack of knowledge and the poor quality of the products. Asphalt membranes are not suitable as barriers or protection against surficial erosion. The availability of geomembranes made of CSPE, PVC and HOPE together with a better knowledge of their performance has made it possible to use them to reduce leakage to a large degree and as protection against erosion in agricultural canals, reservoirs for treatment and recycling of waste waters, ponds for aquaculture, and evaporation reservoirs. The main concern of the users resides in the durability of the products when exposed to the environment since there is no direct relationship between the laboratory test results and the service life of the materials. It has been considered that the polymeric geomembranes will behave satisfactorily provided a quality design and installation is achieved.
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