Long-term efficiency of clay geosynthetic barriers

Clay geosynthetic barriers (GBR-Cs) are factory- manufactured hydraulic barriers consisting of a mineral and geosynthetic com-ponent. The mineral component is usually bentonite clay belonging to the group of swelling soils. The purpose of this study is to identify potential changes in the properties of bentonite clay as the result of installation into landfill covers including the changes taking place within the GBR-Cs. The analyses will be made on the samples taken from the final cover of a landfill site in Croatia. They were installed into the final cover system for the period from three to nine years. Characterization of the ben-tonite clay will be done by identifying its chemical composition, physical and index properties. The study will contribute to a better understanding of the behavior of bentonite clay and GBR-Cs during their long-term use in the protective systems of land- fill sites.