GEOSYNTHETIC CLAY LINER (GCL)

Geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs) are factory manufactured hydraulic barriers to water, leachate, or other liquids and sometimes gases upon proper hydration. It consists of a layer of bentonite or other very low-permeability material supported by geotextiles and/or geomembranes, mechanically held together by needling punching to increase the internal shear resistance.

As such, they are used as replacements for either compacted clay liners or geomembranes, or they are used in a composite manner to augment the more traditional liner materials.