Seismic behavior on lined fill structures

Geomembrane liners are a common feature in modern civil engineering designs for such diverse structures as solid and hazardous waste landfills, water storage reservoirs, drainage canals and ditches, and for industrial and mining process structures such as tanks, ponds, pipelines, tailings impoundments and leach pads. Reclaimed fill structures may also include geomembrane liner caps to prevent natural precipitation from infiltrating into the underlying fill materials. The primary purpose of the geomembrane liner for these type of structures is to create a relatively impervious barrier for full containment or diversion of liquids. Earthquake movements in seismically active regions are a concern for liquid containment structures. This paper presents a general discussion of the historic performance of fill structures under seismic conditions, the major types of geomembrane-lined fill structures being constructed in recent times, and the seismic risk associated with these lined facilities.