Geosynthetic Clay Liner (GCL)

Cherokee offers GCL products that are exceptionally resilient and easy to install. The GCL has the ability to self-seal punctures, burp gasses trapped underneath the liner system, and even heal up to a 2” plug through the system if installed properly. Our GCL consists of two geotextiles encapsulating a sodium bentonite (clay) layer that will swell when hydrated. A 12” sand cover is required to maintain pressure on that layer so that any punctures will result in the clay layer seeping out and around the penetrating object.

With the mandatory sand cover, we will often not recommend a GCL alone if there is a lot of tidal, wave, or channelized flow activity in the containment area as the migration of cover could result in a failure of the system. In these cases, we will often recommend either a different system entirely or the GCL as a form of secondary containment underneath a solid sheet liner that will not be susceptible to scouring.