Design Method to Prevent Geomembrane Failure in Tank Corners

How close to the corner of a tank should a geomembrane be installed to prevent bursting of the geomembrane when the tank is being filled? This paper provides a method to answer this question based on the following parameters: the allowable tension and strain in the geomembrane, the maximum pressure exerted by the liquid on the geomembrane, the interface friction between the geomembrane and the walls of the tank, and the angle of the corner. Alternatively, when a geomembrane is installed at a certain distance from the tank corner, the method presented in the paper makes it possible to determine (with a factor of safety, if required) the maximum height of liquid that the geomembrane can withstand. The method also makes it possible to design a rounded corner or a chamfer to prevent rupture of the geomembrane in cases where the geomembrane cannot be installed close enough to the corner. As the use of the method is complicated, graphical solutions are provided to help design engineers, and examples are presented to illustrate the method. A comparison based on the proposed method shows that chamfers are less effective than rounded corners.