2012 IAL Conference Adelaide By Nick Kastoumis BEng Civil Geosynthetics Consultant

1. Developing an “engineering approach” to design and selection of lining systems for irrigation canals. 2012 IAL Conference Adelaide By Nick Kastoumis BEng Civil Geosynthetics Consultant Part 1 - Analysing results of long term trials to understand failure modes of canal lining systems. nick@geobdm.com.au - Geosynthetic Consulting - Third Party Geomembrane CQA

2. Developing an “engineering approach” to design and selection of lining systems for irrigation canals • The size of water conservation expenditure is huge • A lot of systems on the market – how do we assess them? • Long service life requirements + 25yrs • Conserving water is vital - getting it wrong - is very costly 1. Why do we need this presentation ? nick@geobdm.com.au - Geosynthetic Consulting - Third Party Geomembrane CQA

3. Developing an “engineering approach” to design and selection of lining systems for irrigation canals Educate decision makers on the body of knowledge available Identify forces in canals and liner failure mechanisms - through analysis of these trials Prompt designers and decision makers to consider these forces when selecting a lining system Call out to other organisations to share experiences with canal lining Find funding for research into quantifying the forces and developing an engineering approach to canal lining design 2. The objectives of this presentation – 5 goals nick@geobdm.com.au - Geosynthetic Consulting - Third Party Geomembrane CQA

4. 1991 – Deschutes Canal Lining Demonstration Project; USBR • 1999 – Evaluation of canal lining projects Rio Grande; TWRI • Also considered • 2004 – Open Channel Seepage and Control – Guidelines by ANCID • Done in Australia • 3 year period of trials • Installation procedures were assessed • Long term durability was not assessed – would like to follow up with these irrigators to get updates on performance !! • 1984 - Performance of plastic canal liners – PVC and HDPE Developing an “engineering approach” to design and selection of lining systems for irrigation canals 3. The 2 main reports that were looked at nick@geobdm.com.au - Geosynthetic Consulting - Third Party Geomembrane CQA

5. Funded by USBR – United States Bureau of Reclamation • 34 different lining systems were trialled , installed from 1991 • exposed membranes (16) • Armour/covered systems (11) • Spray ons (7) • Lining systems were evaluated/followed up • During installation • 7yrs on in the 1999 7yr Report • 10yrs on in the 2002 10yr Report • 2011 I have emailed the irrigations districts for feedback on performance • Some 20yr old coupon samples have been taken and tested in 2011 Developing an “engineering approach” to design and selection of lining systems for irrigation canals 4. 1991 - Deschutes canal lining Demonstration Project nick@geobdm.com.au - Geosynthetic Consulting - Third Party Geomembrane CQA

6. Developing an “engineering approach” to design and selection of lining systems for irrigation canals 1991 - Deschutes canal lining Demonstration Project nick@geobdm.com.au - Geosynthetic Consulting - Third Party Geomembrane CQA

7. Conducted by TWRI – Texas Water Research Institute • Two stage of trials and reports were published • TR353 – 2009 Report • 6 different liners were installed in 1999 • PET, PVC, PP, EIA-R, EPDM, PU • Performance was evaluated after 10yrs • TR412 – 2011 Report • Follow up on previously evaluated liners from 2009 , now 12yrs old • New liners were trialled , TPO-R, EPDM-R, PP-R Developing an “engineering approach” to design and selection of lining systems for irrigation canals 5. 1999 – Evaluation of Canal Lining Projects in Rio Grande valley nick@geobdm.com.au - Geosynthetic Consulting - Third Party Geomembrane CQA

8. Developing an “engineering approach” to design and selection of lining systems for irrigation canals 1999 – Evaluation of Canal Lining Projects in Rio Grande valley nick@geobdm.com.au - Geosynthetic Consulting - Third Party Geomembrane CQA

9. Point out an anomaly • We are good at designing liquid containment • Dams, ponds, reservoirs , lagoons, even landfills • We usually get some leaks • Complete system failure is rare • When it comes to canal liners we have much more failures even complete removal • But its not some “aggressive liquid” • Its ONLY WATER!!!!! Developing an “engineering approach” to design and selection of lining systems for irrigation canals 6. Identifying forces on canal liners nick@geobdm.com.au - Geosynthetic Consulting - Third Party Geomembrane CQA

10. Developing an “engineering approach” to design and selection of lining systems for irrigation canals Question: Why do we continue to design canal liners as if they are pond liners ? nick@geobdm.com.au - Geosynthetic Consulting - Third Party Geomembrane CQA

11. Developing an “engineering approach” to design and selection of lining systems for irrigation canals 7. Forces acting on canal liners vs. pond liners nick@geobdm.com.au - Geosynthetic Consulting - Third Party Geomembrane CQA

12. Developing an “engineering approach” to design and selection of lining systems for irrigation canals The moment when the light bulb went on nick@geobdm.com.au - Geosynthetic Consulting - Third Party Geomembrane CQA

13. Developing an “engineering approach” to design and selection of lining systems for irrigation canals 8. All of these Canal lining reports – support tearing and abrasion as the most important failure mechanisms of canal liners nick@geobdm.com.au - Geosynthetic Consulting - Third Party Geomembrane CQA

14. Developing an “engineering approach” to design and selection of lining systems for irrigation canals 9. How did the exposed liners go ? nick@geobdm.com.au - Geosynthetic Consulting - Third Party Geomembrane CQA

15. This is puncture - Hypalon shows excellent puncture resistance. The puncture has NOT progressed for 4 yrs. pg. 94 Deschutes 7yr report Developing an “engineering approach” to design and selection of lining systems for irrigation canals How did the exposed liners go ? nick@geobdm.com.au - Geosynthetic Consulting - Third Party Geomembrane CQA

16. But, unable to resist tearingHypalon suffers severe Tear Damage: 0.9mm Hypalon + geotextile 7yrs old – pg. 96 Deschutes 7yr report Developing an “engineering approach” to design and selection of lining systems for irrigation canals nick@geobdm.com.au - Geosynthetic Consulting - Third Party Geomembrane CQA

17. Developing an “engineering approach” to design and selection of lining systems for irrigation canals This is NOT a PUNCTURE, this is a TEAR - Severe Tear Damage: 2mm textured HDPE after 6 ½ yrs. service – pg. 87 Deschutes 7yr report nick@geobdm.com.au - Geosynthetic Consulting - Third Party Geomembrane CQA

18. Developing an “engineering approach” to design and selection of lining systems for irrigation canals This is NOT a PUNCTURE, this is a TEAR Severe Tear Damage: 1.14mm unreinforced EPDM rubber, less than 8yrs service – pg. 16 TWRI Report 2008 nick@geobdm.com.au - Geosynthetic Consulting - Third Party Geomembrane CQA

19. Table 13.-Coupon Testing of Exposed Geomembrane test sections . From Deschutes 10yr Report pg 191 Developing an “engineering approach” to design and selection of lining systems for irrigation canals Life prediction of exposed liners – be careful !! nick@geobdm.com.au - Geosynthetic Consulting - Third Party Geomembrane CQA

20. Table of lining performance. TWRI Report TR412 pg 13 Developing an “engineering approach” to design and selection of lining systems for irrigation canals Life prediction of exposed liners – be careful !! nick@geobdm.com.au - Geosynthetic Consulting - Third Party Geomembrane CQA

21. Developing an “engineering approach” to design and selection of lining systems for irrigation canals Life expectancy vs Tear , is there a correlation ? nick@geobdm.com.au - Geosynthetic Consulting - Third Party Geomembrane CQA

22. Developing an “engineering approach” to design and selection of lining systems for irrigation canals 10. How did the spray on liners go? nick@geobdm.com.au - Geosynthetic Consulting - Third Party Geomembrane CQA

23. Some points on membranes spray applied to geotextile • I have worked with some spray on membranes and even failed at developing my own • The main problem is LACK OF SATURATION • The liquid is made up of 2 parts • Solvent – the carrier • Solids – the final membrane • 2 main plains of failure • Bonding to substrate – does not occur • Solvent penetrates geotextile but solids remain on the top • No solids saturate the geotextile. The result is • Thin bonding interface between film and geotextile • Porous surface of 3D geotextile • Solids must saturate the geotextile to take advantage of its mechanical strength !! Developing an “engineering approach” to design and selection of lining systems for irrigation canals How did the spray on liners go? nick@geobdm.com.au - Geosynthetic Consulting - Third Party Geomembrane CQA

24. There were 4 types of cover • Unreinforced shotcrete • Reinforced shotcrete • Grout mattresses • Soil – we wont cover this here Developing an “engineering approach” to design and selection of lining systems for irrigation canals 11. How did the covered liners go? nick@geobdm.com.au - Geosynthetic Consulting - Third Party Geomembrane CQA

25. Photograph 122.— Importance of Tensile strength. Close up of 300mm diameter hole in shotcrete lining. Shotcrete is less than 25mm thick. Developing an “engineering approach” to design and selection of lining systems for irrigation canals Unreinforced shotcrete - main failure mechanism of unreinforced shotcrete was cracking – typical of local settlements and inconsistent thickness nick@geobdm.com.au - Geosynthetic Consulting - Third Party Geomembrane CQA

26. Importance of flexibility. Transverse crack is running all the way across the channel Developing an “engineering approach” to design and selection of lining systems for irrigation canals Reinforced shotcrete - main failure mechanism of fibre reinforced shotcrete was cracking – typical of shrinkage and inconsistent thickness nick@geobdm.com.au - Geosynthetic Consulting - Third Party Geomembrane CQA

27. Photograph 103.— Severity of abrasion in canals. Geotextile is deteriorated by abrasion. Note that some of the grout bricks are also missing in this area. Developing an “engineering approach” to design and selection of lining systems for irrigation canals Grout Mattresses - main failure mechanism of grout mattresses is abrasion nick@geobdm.com.au - Geosynthetic Consulting - Third Party Geomembrane CQA

28. Next time you consider a lining system for a canal, past experience shows that to meet long term durability requirements • Exposed membranes – need to be assessed for • abrasion and tearing strength • UV and weathering • For the whole service life !! • Amor and cover systems have issues too • Shotcrete lacks flexibility so a designer must consider • subsurface drainage • Long term differential settlement • Grout mattresses must consider • long term abrasion • Spray on membranes – are yet to be proven as long term effective lining systems Developing an “engineering approach” to design and selection of lining systems for irrigation canals 12. In summary nick@geobdm.com.au - Geosynthetic Consulting - Third Party Geomembrane CQA

29. Developing an “engineering approach” to design and selection of lining systems for irrigation canals Any questions ? Thank you nick@geobdm.com.au - Geosynthetic Consulting - Third Party Geomembrane CQA