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Bentofix
THE GENIUS BEHIND
ENGINEERING
IQ
The Inventor of
Needle-punched Geosynthetic
Clay Liners. Outstanding Quality
and Longest Experience.
Bentofix - The Original!
Bentofix IQ addresses four subjects key to understanding geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs): Technics,
Quality, Application and Ecology. It describes the intelligence and importance of this product type,
which was invented by NAUE in 1987, and highlights the intelligent use of needle-punched GCLs in
sealing applications. Today, the Bentofix IQ approach is guided by the classical elements of water,
fire, earth and air as critical issues such as proper GCL production, design, application and installa-
tion. Bentofix IQ encourages GCL users to utilize these classical elements to understand those four
key GCL subjects: Technics (water), Application (earth), Quality (fire) and Ecology (air).
The high-quality, high-swelling
powdered sodium bentonite in
Bentofix geosynthetic clay lin-
ers makes Bentofix an excep-
tional barrier against liquids. The
durable, robust nonwoven geo-
textile outer layer increases shear
strength and interface friction
angles. Whether installed in dry or
wet conditions, Bentofix provides
a cost-effective, long-term barrier
for canals, infiltration-preventing
caps over landfills, composite liner
system containment support, and
other applications requiring strong
hydraulic performance.
Hydraulic conductivity:
When hydrated with fresh water,
the powdered sodium bentonite
in Bentofix swells to form a low
permeability gel layer with a hy-
draulic conductivity equivalent to
or better than a thick compacted
clay liner (CCL). This conductivity
is exceptional even under low
confining stress and high water
heads. In fact, the higher the con-
fining stress over the Bentofix
GCL, the better it performs. Even
after freeze-thaw or dry-wet cy-
cles the Bentofix still performs
as a barrier. Furthering the security
of any barrier installation, Bento-
fix takes full advantage of the
swelling power of bentonite pow-
der. Panel overlaps are treated with
an extra 50 cm of bentonite along
the longitudinal edges. No extra
seaming or welding is required to
secure these overlaps as both the
weight of the material and the
swelling properties of bentonite
provide the effective, long-term
seal. Where appropriate for the
design, e.g. water proofing, pond
applications, intimate contact to
other membranes, Bentofix BFG
with extra bentonite impregnated
during manufacturing across the
entire surface of Bentofix is the
solution. Regardless of the situa-
tion, the strong hydraulic con-
ductivity of Bentofix possesses
the durability and swell capacity
to serve a great range of hydrau-
lic installation conditions and
gradients. If requested Bento-
fix coated, the GCL with an ad-
ditional polymer sheet, will help
to improve the performance.
The magic of bentonite:
The unmatched swelling cha-
racteristics of bentonite make
it seem like a
magic product.
When hydrated
and permeated
under confine-
ment with fresh
water the ben-
tonite layer
swells and
forms a gel-like
low permeable
barrier. A uni-
form layer of
p o w d e r e d
sodium ben-
tonite encapsu-
lated between
geosynthetics
and thermally locked with nee-
dle-punched, nonwoven staple fi-
bres does not even need much
water to hydrate. It can absorb
the water content of soil. In cases
of accidental puncture of the the
GCL, the bentonite will swell to
fill the puncture or swell around
and seal any object that has be-
come lodged in the bentonite
layer. In long-term applications,
even where desiccation can occur,
the high-grade bentonite of
Bentofix maintains its strong
swelling capacity and can rehy-
drate to repair micro-cracks that
may have developed. It sounds like
magic but it is the bentonite in
Bentofix.
Chemical compatibility:
In combining synthetic and nat-
ural materials, geosynthetic clay
liners provide a versatile, highly
engineered solution for a large
range of liquid containment
applications and environments.
From landfill caps to river em-
bankments, and environmental
protection beneath roads/rails to
secondary containment beneath
fuel tank farms, the range of hy-
draulic barrier scenarios solved
by Bentofix is significant. Under
normal stresses and hydrated ini-
tially with fresh water, the ben-
tonite in GCLs will establish an
outstanding, long-lasting, con-
sistent barrier against liquids of
varying concentrations of con-
taminations. Also, the availability
of different types of Bentofix,
such as the use of a polymer
coating on one side of the GCL
and the needle-punched nonwo-
ven fibres on the other, and the
use of composite system designs
with other geosynthetics enables
design specific adaptations to
ensure proper performance with-
in differing chemical environ-
ments.
Bentofix IQ
Hydraulic
Bentonite and water:
the capacity for greatness.
Fig. 1
Hydraulic
conducti-
vity in
correla-
tion to
confining
stress.
The IQ of Technics: Excellent hydraulic barrier, high shear performance, robust components, durable geosynthetics
Mechanical Protection
The quality of a geosynthetic clay
liner is proven first in the testing of
its components in controlled labo-
ratories. The methods of verifying
the quality of components and the
methods used to manufacture and
test the finished products provide
strong support for how materials
will perform. Effective GCL perfor-
mance depends on much more than
the uniformity of the bentonite
encapsulated between the geotex-
tile cover and carrier layers. Each
piece of the product, down to the
fibres used in the needle-punching
process, must be carefully selected
and vetted in order to provide true
mechanical protection. This is an
area in which Bentofix excels.
Needle-punching:
The needle-punch method of manu-
facturing was invented by NAUE in
the late 1980s. The process bonds
the central, uniform layer of ben-
tonite and the outer geotextile layer
with the strength of more than two
million needle-punched nonwoven
fibres per square metre. This ben-
tonite fibre reinforcement and en-
capsulation across the entire surface
of Bentofix panels revolutionised
the GCL field. The process trans-
ferred shear stresses to the geotex-
tile layer and resulted in extraordi-
nary shear strengths that expanded
the range of GCL applications. And
most of all the shear strength trans-
fer within Bentofix is directionally
independent and uniform in all
directions.
Peel bond:
As composite materials, the compo-
nents of geosynthetic clay liners
must be firmly bonded in ways that
ensure their performance as a single
material. Resistance to peel is es-
sential, as the layers are designed
to work together. Tensile and peel
testing confirms the strength and
security of the bond. NAUEs tech-
nical experts have developed a cor-
relation between the standard peel
test and the internal shear strength
of Bentofix, to provide further
confidence and understanding of
the specification and proper use of
GCLs. Peel strength values are much
easier to determine than the stan-
dard shear test and give a first in-
dication of the shear performance.
One of the chief ways in which the
internal strength of Bentofix is en-
sured is through the needle-punch
method of manufacturing, which
provides a firm lock between the
geotextile outer layer and the ben-
tonite core. In the field, as shear
forces are applied in the soil and
the bentonite hydrates, the bond
between the Bentofix components
will hold and last for the designed
purpose. A project-specific analy-
sis, including direct shear testing,
should also be performed, to con-
firm slope stability calculations.
Thermal Lock:
The Thermal Lock Process is a pro-
prietary heat-treating process used
to modify and more permanently
lock into place the needle-punched
fibres. Properties of Thermal Lock
and needle-punching include in-
creased fibre pull-out resistance,
higher internal shear values, excel-
lent interface friction values and
secured long-term creep resistance
for steep slope applications. The
application of heat in combination
with the needle-punching of syn-
thetic fibres creates a perfect bond-
ing between the needle-punched
fibres and the carrier geotextile.
They provide significant resistance
to pull out and, thus, creep. Advan-
ces like this in the production of
Bentofix have helped to achieve
long-term shear resistance charac-
teristics that significantly outper-
form traditional compacted clay
liners in critical slope and capping
applications.
Puncture resistance:
The bentonite used in Bentofix
is also known for its sealing char-
acteristics. The powdered sodium
bentonite of Bentofix swells im-
mediately in contact with fresh
water and acts as a barrier. Addi-
tionally the sealing quality pro-
vides an important protection in
the event that a GCL role is han-
dled poorly on site and somehow
punctured. The bentonite will swell
around the object and maintain
an effective barrier. However, more
than the bentonite comes into
play. The robust, synthetic fibres
that are needle-punched across
the surface of Bentofix and the
scrim-reinforcement standard with
Bentofix rolls provide additio-
nal, high-quality resistance to
puncture.
They who test and know
how to test, they are wise.
Follow them.
Bentofix IQ
Mechanical
Fig. 2
Minimum expec-
ted shear stress
correlated from
Bentofix peel
values differen-
tiated into three
confining stress
categories.
The IQ of Quality: High-swelling bentonite, quality-controlled components, superior manufacturing method, years of research experience
Physical Stability
The physical stability of geo-
synthetic clay liner designs
is strongly dependent upon
appropriate matching of the
specified GCL to the site char-
acteristics, such as the type of
liquid that may hydrate the
bentonite core, slope angles,
soil types and potential points
of interface between the GCL
and other types of geosynthe-
tics and soils. Of chief inter-
est is the GCLs resistance to
creep and shear forces. Also
of consideration is the inter-
face strength of the GCL.
The needle-punched nonwoven
standard in the production of
Bentofix provides an answer
for all of these concerns.
Creep resistance:
Because of NAUEs history of
nonwovens manufacturing, in-
stead of using another com-
panys nonwoven geotextile
NAUE selects the individual,
especially for Bentofix,devel-
oped, nonwoven staple fibres
used to manufacture the non-
woven layers of Bentofix GCLs.
NAUE has even developed special
needles and needle-board pat-
terns to maximize the in-
terlocking effect of all layers,
to perfectly encapsulate the
sealing bentonite core and
ensure high internal shear
strength. In combination with
the proprietary Thermal Lock
method which further secures the
fibres, a key level of performance
results in the field. The internal
shear resistance of Bentofix
develops as the shear stress is
transferred to the nonwoven sur-
face. The pull-out of the individ-
ual fibres across the surface is
strongly reduced. Without that
strength in the fibre layer, the
bentonite would be at risk for
migration, which in turn could
lead to shear failures as resist-
ance diminishes. The thermally
fixed, staple fibre matrix ensures
long-term, dependable perform-
ance with high shear strength
and resistance to creep.
Shear strength:
The importance of good inter-
nal shear strength cannot be
overstated. Shear strength is
what makes a Bentofix GCL
safe and suitable for installa-
tion along slopes, such as in
landfill caps and levee em-
bankments. While the ben-
tonite encapsulated in Bento-
fix possesses extraordinary
swelling characteristics and is
an outstanding barrier, bento-
nite itself has very poor shear
strength after hydration. With-
out the geosynthetic encapsu-
lation and protection, even
high-quality bentonite would
not perform as well as thicker
traditional clay. But bonding
together powdered sodium
bentonite and the cover non-
woven geotextile fibres in
NAUEs needle-punch method
transfers shear forces from the
bentonite to the carrier geo-
textile, which is designed to
resist them. This largely eli-
minates failure concerns with
the core, leaving only the outer
layers of Bentofix and the
subsequent interfaces with
soils/geosynthetics to be ad-
dressed.
Interface friction:
The frictional properties of a
geosynthetic clay liner panel
are of great signifi-
cance, particularly in
regards to slopes in
designs. Nonwoven
geotextile outer lay-
ers, or a nonwoven
geotextile on one
side and a slit-film
woven geotextile or
other suitable geo-
synthetic on the other
side, allow the in-
crease of the inter-
face friction angle. In
systems with a struc-
tured geomembrane,
for example, the interface fric-
tion (and the stability of the
design) is exceptional, as the
nonwoven fibres interlock with
the textured surface. The non-
woven outer layer on Bentofix
GCLs also provides exceptio-
nal interface friction with soils.
Bentofix IQ
Physical
Time creeps along, but
Bentofix wont creep
with time
Fig. 3
Creep performance
of a Bentofix
GCL (permanent
hydrated con-
ditions; 30 kN/m
confining stress;
inclination of 25).
The IQ of Applications: Resists high water heads, ideal environmental protection, ideal barrier for landfills, versatile sealing applications
Geosynthetics are engineered for
particular functions, and variations
on product classes address the
needs of particular applications.
Though the quality of the raw ma-
terials and the advanced manufac-
turing methods used to produce the
end products needs to be under-
stood and stressed, material dura-
bility is what really matters in the
final judgement of any application.
For geosynthetic clay liners, with
their high-swelling capacity yet
sensitive bentonite cores, durability
is even more important. Bentofix
GCLs are engineered with the
strength-enhancing safeguards
and confirmed with the stringent
testing regimes necessary for as-
surance and long-term performance.
Long-term resistance:
The use of needle-punched fibre re-
inforcement across GCL panels has,
without question, changed and im-
proved the field. Nonwoven, staple
fibres have become the preferred
component of the cover layer geo-
textile for bentonite security, punc-
ture protection, increased interface
friction, just to mention a few
advantages. But what many do
not realize is that the nonwoven
geotextiles performance is highly,
but not only, dependent upon the
long-term oxidation resistance of
the individual synthetic fibres in
the nonwoven layer. During produc-
tion of Bentofix,
NAUE puts these fibres through
extensive testing (fibre strength,
elongation and HALS additive
package) to ensure strength and
oxidative resistance.
Peel/Shear correlation:
Geosynthetic clay liners are com-
posite materials. Therefore the risk
of product components separation
must be eliminated. The advent
of needle-punched nonwoven re-
inforcement fibres across GCL pan-
els went a long way towards this
goal, in that it transferred the
shear strength responsibility from
the low shear strength bentonite
to the high shear strength of the
nonwoven geotextile while lock-
ing them together. Confirming
that shear strength with testing
requires a significant amount of
time. To help the
field improve its
understanding of
GCL durability, NAUE
developed the key
correlation between
short-term peel
tests and long-term
shear results. The
confidence inspired
by this innovation,
which was also con-
firmed in long-term
studies, led to many
GCL applications a
lot of them even
with approvals.
Stability against erosion and piping:
If the bentonite is poorly encapsu-
lated, high water pressure can in-
duce bentonite particles to migrate.
The Bentofix fibre reinforcement
holds the bentonite powder latterly
in place under confining or hydrau-
lic pressure. This way the uniform
bentonite distribution is main-
tained. Under high hydraulic gra-
dients there might be a risk that
under high water heads and coarse
subgrades bentonite could migrate
out of the GCL. Together with the
dense needle-punching, the Ther-
mal Lock process and either a
scrim reinforced nonwoven geotex-
tile carrier layer or a firm slit-film
woven, Bentofix GCLs show a
strong resistance against possible
piping effects. This process pro-
vides a high-strength, durable
matrix of staple fibres that resists
fibre pull-out and, thus, protects
and restrains the bentonite. In
the lab and in the field, Bentofix
performs.
Field performance:
The needle-punched nonwoven
carrier geotextile provides excep-
tional puncture protection, shear
strength and frictional character-
istics. The scrim reinforcement
guards against installation dam-
age and panel shrinkage from acci-
dental, early hydration. The uni-
form layer of powdered sodium
bentonite provides immediate, void-
free swelling and outstanding
barrier performance. And the sec-
ondary geosynthetic outer layer,
whether nonwoven, woven or one
that uses a special polymer coat-
ing, provides application or site-
specific qualities to ensure long-
term stability against erosion. All
of this has been tested, even under
long-term conditions.
After all is said and done, quality and
durability are what really matter
Bentofix IQ
Durability
Fig. 4
Precipita-
tion, drai-
nage run-off
and permea-
tion values
of GCLs un-
der 1 m cover
soil in Ger-
man climate.
The IQ of Ecology: Reduced energy costs in production, long-lasting designs, low transportation costs; reducing carbon footprint
Bentofix Thermal Lock geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs) are needle-punched, reinforced composites that combine two durable geo-
textile outer layers and a uniform core of high-swelling powder sodium bentonite clay. This construction forms a shear-
resistant hydraulic barrier with self-sealing characteristics. When hydrated with fresh water, the bentonite swells and forms a low per-
meability gel layer, the hydraulic performance of which is equal to or better than traditional, thick compacted clay liners.
Additionally, the proprietary heat-treating process Thermal Lock permanently locks the needle-punched fibres, increases the pull-
out resistance of the fibres and ensures long-term shear resistance. Bentofix GCLs are impregnated with a 500 mm wide, uniform layer
of bentonite in both longitudinal directions. This enables an immediately sealed overlap without the need for further bentonite ad-
dition on site. Bentofix BFG is also impregnated with an additional, uniform layer of sodium bentonite powder across its nonwoven
surface. This advance is ideally suited for pond and waterproofing applications, since the outer layer of the nonwoven geotextile
creates an intimate contact zone in overlap areas, such as with concrete surfaces.
Bentofix GCLs are part of an important trend toward the combined use of geosynthetics and clay materials in barrier
applications as a stand-alone liner system and in the synergistic use of GCLs and geomembranes to maximise liner system efficiency.
Bentofix Thermal Lock GCLs are utilized in but not limited to the following applications: landfill caps and lin-
ers; environmental protection under roads, railways, and airports; dam and dyke sealing;
vertical barriers; ponds; waterproofing; and secondary containment.
NAUEs most recent GCL development, Bentofix X, exemplifies
how modifications to GCL product design can be made to anticipate
the special challenges of a particular site. Bentofix X is a polyolefin
polymer-coated GCL. The woven fabric is coated with a low-permeability
polymeric polyolefin coating to achieve an immediate barrier prior to hy-
dration. Bentofix X is an advance for GCLs in some specific applications, such
as waterproofing, oil and gas tank farms, landfill capping and cover systems or
where high hydraulic gradients are present.
The information contained herein is the best to our knowledge, true and accurate. There is no implied or expressed warranty.
2011 by NAUE GmbH & Co. KG, Espelkamp-Fiestel, Germany All rights reserved. Status 11.02.2011

and Bentofix are registered trademarks of NAUE GmbH & Co. KG.
NAUE GmbH & Co. KG
Gewerbestrasse 2
32339 Espelkamp-Fiestel
Germany
Phone +49 5743 41-0
Fax +49 5743 41-240
E-Mail info@naue.com
Internet www.naue.com
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