There are a large number of geomembrane types and seaming techniques. This guide is intended to help practitioners select the appropriate seam test methods for their material.

Geomembranes are relatively impermeable planar materials sheets that are shipped either as rolls or folded panels. The panels may be seamed in a factory or in the field. This guide provides geomembrane users with the most appropriate seam evaluation techniques for the most common geomembrane materials available on the market.

Some type of geomembrane may not be listed and some seam evaluation techniques may offer a good performance with a given material although this may not be indicated on Table 1. Users that are aware of this situation are invited to contact ASTM to propose an update of this guide.

The relevance of a seaming technique within a particular engineering context is beyond the scope of this guide.

1.1 This guide is intended for use as a summary of test methods necessary to evaluate geomembrane seams. It is intended to guide geomembrane users toward the appropriate evaluation techniques to assess geomembrane seam quality.

1.2 Geomembrane seams covered by this guide are: high-density polyethylene (HDPE), linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), very low-density polyethylene (VLDPE), flexible polypropylene (fPP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), ethylene propylene diene terpolymer (EPDM), prefabricated bituminous geomembranes (PBGM), Ethylene Interpolymer Alloy (EIA) and reinforced geomembranes

1.3 Although a significant effort has been made to gather all types of geomembranes and related evaluation techniques which were on the market at the date of completion of this document, some available materials and technologies may have been omitted. The information presented in this document shall thus be considered to be non exhaustive.

1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.