Twenty five years experience using bituminous geomembranes as upstream waterproofing for structures

摘要

Since 1978, with minor variations in the structure details, more than twenty rockfill or earthfill dams have been constructed over the last 25 years using a thin bituminous geomembrane for the upstream waterproof facing. This paper illustrates, using the examples of the last two dams built in France, the 38 metre high "L'Ortolo" dam in 1996 in Corsica and the 43 metre high "La Galaube" dam in 2000 near Carcassonne, the details of this construction technique which proves to be an efficient and economical alternative to dense asphalt or clay waterproofing structures.