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Close-up of a welding machine working on the seams of a Naue Carbofol® double-liner sealing system.

Protect groundwater at industrial facilities

Double-liner sealing systems with leak monitoring

Double-liner sealing systems protect groundwater at facilities for storing, filling and transferring (LAU) and for manufacturing, treating and using (HBV) water-hazardous substances. In these applications particularly aggressive substances could otherwise contaminate groundwater. A control (leak-monitoring) system is installed between two Carbofol® HDPE geomembranes, and Secutex® protective nonwovens safeguard the seal against mechanical damage. Typical facilities include tank farms, filling stations, chemical-industry plants and sealed industrial buildings.

At a glance

  • Groundwater protection at LAU (storing/filling/transferring) and HBV (manufacturing/treating/using) facilities handling water-hazardous substances
  • Two Carbofol® HDPE geomembrane layers and Secutex® PP protective nonwoven plus HDPE drainage grid/control geotextile as monitored zone between the membranes
  • WHG (Water Resources Act) and AwSV (ordinance on installations handling water-hazardous substances); DIBt approvals; installation by a certified WHG specialist company
  • Tank farms, filling stations, chemical/industrial production and storage, bunded transfer areas, sealed industrial floors and buildings

Secure industrial containment: from leak risk to monitored certainty

Challenges

  • Aggressive, water-hazardous substances threaten groundwater at industrial sites
  • Mechanical damage during installation or operation can compromise the seal
  • Strict WHG/AwSV requirements for facilities handling water-hazardous substances
  • A defect must be localised and its spread contained quickly before contamination

Solution

  • Two Carbofol® HDPE geomembranes with a monitored control gap between them
  • Continuous or periodic leak monitoring: electro-resistive or vacuum
  • Secutex® PP protective nonwovens prevent mechanical damage to the membranes
  • Systems and installation aligned with WHG/AwSV and DIBt approvals

Result

  • Redundant sealing: a defect in one membrane does not defeat containment
  • Early detection: a defect is signalled before groundwater is affected
  • A durable seal protected against installation and operating loads
  • Sealing aligned with German water-protection requirements

Typical applications for double-liner sealing systems

Double-liner sealing systems are deployed wherever industrial facilities handle water-hazardous substances and require monitored groundwater protection.

  • Tank farms oil industry petrol sation

    Tank farms

    Sealed, monitored containment beneath fuel and chemical storage

  • Waterproofing with bentofix

    Filling stations

    Groundwater protection under forecourts and dispensing areas

  • Barrier against critical liquids

    Chemical industry

    Containment for production and handling of aggressive substances

  • Industrial plant

    Industrial buildings

    Sealed floors and areas where water-hazardous substances are handled

Large industrial site with white storage tanks, with a double-liner sealing system from Naue for groundwater protection.
Large industrial site with white storage tanks, with a double-liner sealing system from Naue for groundwater protection.

How the double-liner sealing system works

A double-liner system places a permanently monitored control zone between two Carbofol® HDPE geomembranes; Secutex® nonwovens protect the seal from mechanical damage. The result is redundant sealing with the ability to detect, localise and contain a defect before any substance reaches the subgrade or groundwater.

Practical benefits:

  • Redundant containment: two independent HDPE sealing membranes
  • Early leak detection before any substance reaches the subgrade or groundwater
  • Localisation of defects via individual test fields
  • Choice of electro-resistive or vacuum monitoring, temporary or continuous
  • Chemically resistant Carbofol® HDPE suited to aggressive substances

Two Carbofol® membranes with a monitored control zone

An HDPE drainage grid between the two Carbofol® HDPE geomembranes maintains a permanent gap which is the monitoring zone. System integrity can be checked both electro-resistively and by vacuum testing, either continuously or periodically. The monitoring zone is usually divided into individual test fields, each with two connections (a suction line and a measurement line), so that a defect can be localised and its spread across the zone contained.

Leak monitoring: vacuum and electro-resistive

The vacuum method maintains a negative pressure in the control zone; a sudden drop in the vacuum signals a defect. Dividing the zone into test fields, each with a suction and a measurement line, allows the defect to be localised. The electro-resistive method places a special control geotextile in the control space, connected by a matrix of measuring points to an evaluation unit that maps the local electrical resistance of the nonwoven; a change in resistance triggers an alarm.

Protective Secutex® nonwoven geotextiles

High-quality double-liner systems require appropriately dimensioned, long-term-durable, mechanically bonded protective nonwovens. The mass per unit of the Secutex® nonwoven selected depends on whether the subgrade or bedding layer is a low-gravel sand (gravel content below 30%) or coarser-grained soils. The nonwovens prevent mechanical damage to the Carbofol® membranes during installation and later operation.

Double-liner sealing systems: frequently asked questions

They protect groundwater at LAU (storing, filling, transferring) and HBV (manufacturing, treating, using) facilities that handle water-hazardous substance. Respective industrial containment application areas are for example tank farms, filling stations, chemical-industry plants and sealed industrial buildings, where particularly aggressive substances could contaminate groundwater.

Two Carbofol® HDPE geomembranes, an HDPE drainage grid (and, for the electro-resistive method, a control geotextile) forming the monitored zone, and Secutex® PP protective nonwovens. No geosynthetic clay liner is used in this application.

For a low-gravel sand subgrade (gravel content below 30%), a Secutex® PP nonwoven of 400 g/m² is sufficient. For coarser-grained soils, mechanically bonded PP Secutex® nonwovens of up to 1,200 g/m² are used, selected per application.

Yes. The system can be monitored continuously or periodically. The electro-resistive method uses a control geotextile and a permanent evaluation unit; the vacuum method uses test fields with suction and measurement lines.

Between the two Carbofol® membranes, an HDPE drainage grid keeps a control zone permanently open. System integrity is monitored either electro-resistively or by vacuum, continuously or periodically. A sudden drop in vacuum, or a change in electrical resistance, signals a defect.

The monitoring zone is divided into individual test fields. With the vacuum method each field has a suction and a measurement line; with the electro-resistive method a matrix of measuring points maps the control geotextile. Either way, a defect can be pinpointed and its spread within the zone contained.

A single seal cannot warn of a defect before contamination occurs. Two membranes provide redundancy, and the monitored gap between them allows a defect to be detected and localised early, before any substance reaches the subgrade or groundwater. Please contact us for support in your system selection process.

In Germany, the WHG (Water Resources Act) and the AwSV (ordinance on installations handling water-hazardous substances) govern LAU/HBV facilities. Sealing systems require DIBt approval, the substances handled are classified by water hazard class (WGK), and installation is carried out by a certified WHG specialist company like Naue.

Carbofol® HDPE geomembranes offer high chemical resistance suited to aggressive, water-hazardous substances. Project-specific chemical compatibility is confirmed by Naue for the substances handled.

Yes. Naue is a certified WHG specialist company and provides engineering support, seam welding and quality assurance (including vacuum and pressure testing of welds) and on-site installation.

Regulations and standards

Double-liner sealing systems for LAU/HBV facilities are designed and installed in accordance with German water-protection law and the relevant approvals. Naue provides engineering support and installation as a certified WHG specialist company.

  • WHG (Wasserhaushaltsgesetz): German Water Resources Act defines requirements for installations handling water-hazardous substances
  • AwSV: Ordinance on installations for handling water-hazardous substances (LAU/HBV); design, operation and monitoring
  • DIBt approval: National technical approval for sealing systems and geomembranes used in these applications
  • WGK (water hazard classes): Classification of the water-hazard potential of the substances handled
  • Certified WHG specialist company: Installation of the sealing system by a certified WHG specialist company
Leak monitoring test of a double-liner sealing system beneath a petrol station. Two Carbofol® HDPE geomembranes provide redundant, chemically resistant sealing, while the monitored control zone enables early defect detection and localisation. Secutex® protective nonwovens protect the liners during installation and operation. The system is designed in accordance with WHG/AwSV requirements and relevant DIBt approvals.
Leak monitoring test of a double-liner sealing system beneath a petrol station. Two Carbofol® HDPE geomembranes provide redundant, chemically resistant sealing, while the monitored control zone enables early defect detection and localisation. Secutex® protective nonwovens protect the liners during installation and operation. The system is designed in accordance with WHG/AwSV requirements and relevant DIBt approvals.
Leak-tightness testing of the monitored control zone between two Carbofol® HDPE geomembranes in a double-liner sealing system at a filling station.
Leak-tightness testing of the monitored control zone between two Carbofol® HDPE geomembranes in a double-liner sealing system at a filling station.

System at a glance

  • Two Carbofol® HDPE membranes for redundant, chemically resistant sealing
  • Monitored control zone enables early detection of any defect, with test-field division for localisation and containment of defects
  • Secutex® protective nonwovens to protect the liners during installation and operation
  • Aligned with WHG/AwSV and DIBt approvals

Geotechnical software

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  • Compliant with industry standards: aligns with AASHTO, and other engineering guidelines.