Modular Construction with Geosynthetics in Petroleum Industry

This paper focuses on the use of modular construction techniques for installing geosynthetics in petroleum related applications. The petroleum industry uses geosynthetics for drill pad liners, above-ground and in-ground containment ponds, storage tanks, various impoundments including tailings storage, floating covers, road creation and/or support to remote sites, filtration, lining freshwater storage areas, dewatering, and stormwater management. Accelerating the construction of these facilities and the quality, i.e., no leaks, of the installation will have a positive impact on the financial and environmental aspects of the petroleum industry. Modular construction is a process in which a petroleum containment system is constructed primarily off-site, under controlled factory conditions, using the same design, materials, equipment, testing, and construction quality assurance and control (CQA/CQC) techniques as a field constructed facility – but usually in about one-half the time, for significantly less cost, and with few, if any, defects. This is due to the clean and constant conditions present in a factory setting. For example, installation of a factory-fabricated geomembrane can occur simultaneously while site work is being conducted. With factory fabrication, no destructive sampling and testing of the field welds that join rolls of the geomembrane are needed. As a result, a factory fabricated geomembrane can be installed in at least one-half of the time required for traditional field fabrication and with higher quality. This results in the containment system being utilized sooner, being more protective, and creating a faster return on investment.