spray applied membranes – practical considerations … · building lifetime relationships with...

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Spray Applied Membranes –

Practical Considerations for Use in

Landfill RedevelopmentJoseph J. Nemesh, P.E.Cornerstone Environmental Group, LLC

© 2016 Cornerstone. All rights reserved.

Landfill Redevelopment?

• Landfills can be productively reused similar tobrownfields

• Creative opportunities for reuse

• Financial incentives

• >$1 billion tax credits since 2003 in NY

• Integrate remediation with redevelopment

© 2016 Cornerstone. All rights reserved.2

Landfills – Desirable Waterfront Properties


Example List of Landfill Developments


NJDEP 2009 Presentation “Innovative Approaches to Landfill Redevelopment” Frank McLaughlin

Retail / Commercial Sites 28 completed 20 underway

Mixed Residential / Commercial Sites 9 completed 11 underway

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Ashbrook Farm Edison, NJ Residential

Atlantic City Landfill Atlantic City, NJ Retail / Commercial

Federal Business Center Woodbridge, NJ Commercial

Former Emerson Street Landfill Rochester, NY Commercial / Industrial / School

Jersey Gardens Mall Elizabeth, NJ Retail / Commercial

Metlife Standium East Rutherford, NJ Sports Complex

Passaic County Community College Wanaque, NJ School

Salvation Army Kroc Center Camden City, NJ Commercial

Seaboard Point Report North Wildwood, NJ Residential

Somerville Landfill Somerville, NJ Planned Mixed Commercial / Residential

Xchange at Secaucus Junction Secaucus, NJ Mixed Commercial / Residential

Vapor Intrusion?


• Subsoil vapors couldaccumulate in occupiedareas of the building,resulting in:

• Short term safety hazards(explosion)

• Acute health effects (typicaloverexposure symptoms)

• Aesthetic problems (odors)

• Choric health effects due tolong-term exposure to lowlevel vapor concentrations

Source: US EPA.

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Former Emerson Street Example


Typical Vapor Intrusion Mitigation Design


Gas Barrier Membranes

• Sheet Liners (HDPE, Specialty Co-Extruded)


Photo courtesy of W. R. Meadows.

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Typical Sub-Slab Site Conditions


Gas Barrier Membranes

• Sheet Liners (HDPE, Specialty Co-Extruded)

• Spray Applied Membranes (Liquid Boot, GeoSeal)


Case Study - False Positive GasDetections Above Membrane


• Provides gas monitoring above membrane without sensors in first floor(important for residential application)

• Eliminates issues related to settlement. Membrane and monitoringlayer bonded to slab

Case Study - False Positive GasDetections Above Membrane

• Monitoring system located betweenmembrane and bottom of building slab.

• Operation data indicated sporadic methanedetections above membrane.

• Methane not detected within first flooroccupied space.

• High vacuum sampling pump(20 – 40 inches water)

• Low vacuum gas collection system(~0.2 – 0.02 inches water)

• Vacuum differential promoting gasmovement through membrane imperfections


Typical Membrane CQA

• Smoke testing after installation

• Thickness testing (caliper, “boot test”)


Implementation of Non-Typical CQA

• Comprehensive visual/physical inspection

• After placement of protective geotextile and slabreinforcement

• Second smoke test after slab reinforcement installed

• Visual inspection immediately to slab pour


Unexpected Results


Imperfection Frequency


Identified Membrane Imperfections


Separation from pipehanger

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Damage from rebar cutting



Diffuse smoke from overspray notcured to underlying thin membrane

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Overspray not cured to underlyingthin membrane



Cured membrane dissolved byconcrete release agent

Gravel causing shadowing

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Cold Weather Application?

• Application temperature, 40F minimum

• Potentially brittle below freezing


Something New? Ventilated Floor System


Photo courtesy of Geoplast

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Ventilated Floor System

• Modulo, Cupolex, and other similarconcrete forms

• Continuous void space, uniformvacuum field

• Low energy required to generatevacuum field

• 4 inch to 24 inch forms

• Able to reduced fill required belowbuilding

• Reduced concrete andreinforcement

• Robust construction



System Comparison


Barrier SystemTypical Sub-Slab Components

for VI SystemCosts, per

square foot

Range in TotalSystem Costs1

per square foot

Advantages Disadvantages

Sheet Membrane

40 mil LLDPE membrane w/ 8ozgeotextile

$3.00

$4.10Better penetration resistance thanspray-applied liners, better chemicalvapor resistance than spray appliedmembrane

More lengthy to install. Post buildingconstruction repairs more difficultthan spray applied membrane.

Pipe Boots ($150 ea/penetration)2 $0.45

Geovent gas collection pipe3 $0.30

3 inch gravel membrane protection layer $0.35

Spray AppliedMembrane

60 mil Liquid Boot w/protection fabric $4.50

$4.80 Quick to install

Penetrations susceptible to damage,may absorb chlorinated solvents(swell) overtime, potentiallyincreasing emissions.Geocomposite gas collection pipe3 $0.30

Ventilated Floor

Ventilated Floor Blocks, 8 inches tall $3.45

$4.10 $3.25

Provides for more effective gascollection system (easier to achievevacuum distribution, small fan thanother systems), 8 inch less sub-grade stone required. Potential toreduce slab thickness due to blockstructural properties (spread footingbuildings only).

Requires additional sealing aroundpenetrations following concrete slabcure. Post building constructionrepairs more difficult than sprayapplied membrane. Potentially lesseffective barrier during passivesystem operation.

Additional concrete required due to blockshape

$0.50

Penetration sealing after slab pour 2 $0.15

Potential deduct for sub-grade stonesavings

-$0.85

Note:

1 Costs for sub-slab portions of system.

2 Assume 50 penetrations and 17,000 SF building footprint

3 Based on 25 foot row spacing and 17,000 SF building footprint

Interesting Use - Flood Protection



Photo courtesy of River Terminal Development Co.

Interesting Use - Concrete Pavement


Source:FIELD EVALUATION OF CUPOLEX® AS AN INNOVATIVECONCRETE PAVEMENT TECHNOLOGYAleks Kivi, University of Waterloo, 2013

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Summary

• Landfills represent potential redevelopmentopportunities

• Protection of human health is key

• Technology is available to meet these needs

• It’s not rocket science, or is it?

Comprehensive construction quality control programrequired



Joseph J. Nemesh, P.E.Cornerstone Environmental Group, LLC

[email protected]

Phone: (845) 695-0261

Contact Information

Questions?

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