After being approached for advice on a leaking farm dam in Tzaneen, Limpopo, Kaytech solved a number of problems by supplying only one product, the versatile Geosynthetic Clay Liner (GCL) EnviroFix.
Kingdom Plant Hire was employed by the farm owner to seal the leaking dam and to make it look as natural and aesthetically pleasing as possible. As it would be used for recreational swimming and fishing as well as for an animal watering hole, an HDPE liner would make it difficult for animals to drink from and people to climb out of, the contractor approached Kaytech for an alternative solution.
Having conducted a site visit, Kaytech representative Danie Herbst proposed using EnviroFix X1000, explaining that: “EnviroFix is the most effective and economical liner available and will function as a durable barrier to the water.” Once installed, EnviroFix would be covered with a minimum of 300 mm of cover soil.
A proudly South African manufactured GCL, EnviroFix is produced by distributing a uniform layer of sodium bentonite between two durable outer layers of geotextile. Sodium bentonite is a naturally occurring clay mineral that swells considerably upon hydration. When this occurs under confinement, a lining is formed with a permeability so low it equates to that of approximately one metre of compacted clay.
Realising the many benefits of using EnviroFix, the farm owner agreed to the project and, as he suspected the largest leak to be situated in the dam wall, initially requested the wall be lined first. Fortunately, after preparation of the area, it was discovered that the roll length of EnviroFix supplied allowed for a much larger area to be lined and effectively sealed. Kingdom Plant Hire used machinery to place 3 500 m2 of EnviroFix X1000.
By needle punching fibres from the upper nonwoven geotextile through the sodium bentonite layer into the lower geotextile layer during the production process of EnviroFix, a completely uniform, reinforced GCL is produced which offers extremely high shear resistance. Thermal Lock, a proprietary heat treating process, is then used to modify and more permanently lock the fibres into place resulting in the unique properties of EnviroFix such as greater installation durability and long-term creep resistance.
Besides providing exceptional liquid containment in various applications, EnviroFix can partially or even completely replace thick, multi-lift compacted clay layers in composite landfill linings and caps, and due to the ease of installation, can be used as a secondary containment barrier in above-ground tank impoundments.
The intensive, quality control programme under which Kaytech’s EnviroFix is manufactured ensures the longevity of the dam lining and gives the farm owner peace of mind that EnviroFix was undoubtedly the best choice.
