Bituminous geomembrane

[4] In 1926, successful experiments were conducted by the South Carolina Highway Department in which cotton fabric was installed on-site in combination with hot bitumen for road surface treatment.

Continued experimentation and practical experience led to the development of prefabricated hessian woven fabrics with factory coated bitumen.

By controlling the moisture content to maintain subgrade strength, this early geomembrane was credited by General William Slim to have played a significant role in the advance of the Burma campaign, a theater famous for its challenging jungle terrain and wet weather conditions.

[5] Bitumen emulsion applied to polypropylene geotextiles was reported to have been used in a Nevada heap leach mining installation as early as 1973.

Published literature describing the modern development of the bituminous geomembrane can be traced back to the first double-liner system conceived of in 1974 by geosynthetics pioneer, J.P. Giroud.