GeoSynthetica was kind enough to track down an interesting case study in the use of geosynthetics at a new de-icing facility at Cleveland's Hopkins International Airport. Ethylene Glycol and Propylene Glycol are commonly used de-icing chemicals. Most de-icing is done at the gate to avoid flight delays, but it also increases the chance of environmental contamination. In the design of a new dedicated de-icing facility at the airport, geosynthetic clay liners (GCL), Geocells, geotextiles and geocomposites were all used to handle chemical-laden runoff as well as regular runoff during the non-icy times of year. Also there is a problem with high water table and a resulting detrimental effect on the pavement subgrade. This is where the aggregate-filled geocells were used. Read on for the link. (Photo by Spiritwood Images)

Link directly to the PDF. I recommend taking a look at the Typical Cross-Section. This is one of the more interesting drainage details I"ve come across. I couldn't figure out exactly what was going on until I read the article. But in case you don't want to take the time, the larger drain is actually to handle a shallow groundwater table which, depending on the season, can apparently rise to within a few feet of the ground surface. There is a geomembrane or GCL separating that drainage layer with the one that handles the chemical laden runoff and is therefore collected and transported to various tanks for disposal and/or recycling. Pretty slick. 

Related Items:

• ASTM Updates - 5/7/07
• Geosynthetics Manufacturer Posts Product Videos
• New Publications in Geosynthetics
• New Report - Geosynthetics in Civil Engineering

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