IAGI Installer Member

rLLDPE Floating Cover Liners - FC45 & FC60 | Africa's Floating Cover Specialist

Scrim-reinforced LLDPE floating cover geomembranes for TSF water recovery ponds, potable water reservoirs, effluent dams and biogas digesters - available in FC45 (1.14mm, 20-year) and FC60 (1.52mm, 30-year) grades, each in standard Black/Black or Black/Tan. NSF/ANSI 61 certified. Supplied and installed across Africa by Geosynthetics Africa - one of only 5 IAGI Installer Members on the continent

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Technical Specification of rLLDPE Floating Cover Liners - FC45 & FC60 | Africa's Floating Cover Specialist

A floating cover geomembrane is not a liner - it is a membrane that must span large, unsupported liquid surfaces under continuous biaxial stress, wind uplift, rainfall ponding and UV exposure, while rising and falling with the liquid level beneath it. Standard HDPE and unreinforced LLDPE liners are not designed for this duty - they are rigid or insufficiently reinforced for the repeated flexing and spanning loads of floating cover service. Scrim-reinforced LLDPE - a 9×9 weft-inserted polyester scrim fully encapsulated between two layers of UV-stabilised LLDPE - is specified for floating covers because it is engineered for exactly these conditions.

Floating covers are deployed across Africa's most demanding containment applications: TSF water recovery pond covers that contain tailings liquor and prevent evaporation losses; potable water reservoir covers that protect drinking water from algae growth, UV degradation and contamination; effluent pond covers on wastewater treatment facilities; biogas digester covers that capture methane for energy recovery; and evaporation suppression covers on process water dams in arid mining regions. Each application demands a membrane with long-term outdoor durability, biaxial strength and - for potable water - NSF/ANSI 61 certification.

Geosynthetics Africa supplies scrim-reinforced LLDPE floating cover geomembranes in two grades under our FC product range: FC45 (1.14mm, 20-year outdoor service life) and FC60 (1.52mm, 30-year outdoor service life). Both grades are available in black and tan, NSF/ANSI 61 certified for potable water contact, and designed for direct compatibility with standard LLDPE extrusion welding equipment. Floating cover installation is a specialist scope - panel layout must account for liquid level variation, wind uplift forces, rainwater drainage, access hatch positions and anchor system design before a seam is made. Geosynthetics Africa has installed floating cover systems across Southern and West Africa, and executes every floating cover scope under our IAGI-aligned QA/QC system: full panel layout design, certified installation, seam testing and a signed QA dossier on completion.

Typical Values for GEOMEMBRANE LINERS

FC45 · FC60
1.14mm (20yr) and 1.52mm (30yr) - two grades, matched to project design life
NSF/ANSI 61
Potable water certified - both grades, GRI GM25 compliant
9×9 PET scrim
1000 denier polyester scrim - biaxial reinforcement for floating cover spanning loads
-57°C to +82°C
Operating temperature range - performs across Africa's full climate spectrum

Properties & Dimensions

PropertyTest MethodFC45FC60
Thickness (typical) ASTM D51991.14 mm1.52 mm
WeightASTM D7511,040 g/m²1,069 g/m²
Tongue tear strength ASTM D5884601 N600 N
Grab tensile at breakASTM D70041,557 N1,602 N
Puncture resistanceASTM D4833556 N600 N
Outdoor service life-20 years30 years
Potable waterNSF/ANSI 61CertifiedCertified
StandardGRI GM25GM25GM25 Cat. 1
Colours-Black, TanBlack, Tan

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FC45 (1.14 mm) and FC60 (1.52 mm), Black /Tan , NSF/ANSI 61 certified

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Three Questions To Ask Before You Order

1.Can I use standard HDPE or LLDPE liner as a floating cover?
No. Standard HDPE is too rigid and will crack under the continuous biaxial flexing of floating cover service. Unreinforced LLDPE lacks the tensile and tear strength to span large unsupported liquid surfaces under wind uplift and rainfall ponding loads. Scrim-reinforced LLDPE - with a woven polyester scrim core - is specifically engineered for floating cover duty. Using the wrong liner type is the most common cause of floating cover failure on African projects.
2.Which grade should I specify - FC45 or FC60?
FC45 (1.14mm, 20-year) is the standard specification for process water dams, effluent ponds, TSF water recovery covers and agricultural storage. FC60 (1.52mm, 30-year, GRI GM25 Category 1) is specified where a 30-year design life is required, or where the consequence of cover failure is severe - large TSF water recovery ponds, potable water reservoirs and biogas digester covers. If your project specification or regulatory requirement calls for a 30-year warranty, specify FC60. Contact our technical team if you are unsure.
3.What is the difference between Black/Black and Black/Tan?
Both carry identical scrim construction, mechanical specifications and NSF/ANSI 61 certification. Black/Black (FC45BB, FC60BB) is the standard colour - carbon black provides UV protection through absorption. Black/Tan (FC45BT, FC60BT) has a tan upper surface with lower solar absorptivity than black, reducing surface temperature under direct sun -relevant in high-irradiance African environments. Tan is also preferred where visual identification of the cover surface aids maintenance access, or where a lighter appearance is required for potable water reservoirs.
4.Is the FC range certified for potable water contact?
Yes. Both FC45 and FC60 are NSF/ANSI 61 certified for direct contact with drinking water. This is the certification required for floating covers on municipal and industrial potable water reservoirs. Certification documentation is available on request.
5.Do you supply only, or do you also design and install the floating cover system?
Both. Geosynthetics Africa supplies FC45 and FC60 as material-only with full technical documentation for clients with their own installation capability. For full-scope projects, we design the panel layout, supply the material, execute the installation with IAGI-aligned certified crews and deliver a complete QA dossier on handover. Floating cover installation is a specialist scope - contact us before appointing a general geomembrane contractor for this application.

Specification For The Design, Installation Of rLLDPE Floating Cover Liners - FC45 & FC60 | Africa's Floating Cover Specialist

Floating cover installation begins with design. Before any material is cut or seamed, Geosynthetics Africa produces a detailed cover layout drawing accounting for pond geometry, operating liquid level range, maximum and minimum freeboard, wind uplift loads, rainwater drainage design, access hatch positions, and anchor perimeter detail. The installation method - dry or wet - is determined at design stage based on the structure type and liquid level conditions at time of installation.

Two installation methods are used depending on site conditions. Dry installation is carried out in an empty or dewatered structure - the cover is fabricated and laid directly over the base, with foam floats and ballast tubes positioned per the layout drawing. As the structure is filled, the cover rises with the liquid level, taking up its designed floating geometry. Wet installation is used where the structure is in service or cannot be emptied - the cover is fabricated adjacent to the structure and progressively pulled across the liquid surface as additional panels are seamed. Both methods are executed by Geosynthetics Africa using the same QA/QC standards and deliver the same outcome: a fully floating, anchored and tested cover system

Cover deployment is carried out with the pond at or near operating liquid level to allow the cover to float into position under controlled conditions. Panels are deployed sequentially from one end of the pond, weighted temporarily to prevent wind uplift, and progressively seamed as deployment proceeds. The cover perimeter is anchored to the pond wall or anchor trench using the specified detail - ballast tubes, concrete anchor beams or perimeter batten systems depending on the All field seams are made using extrusion or hot-air welding with compatible LLDPE welding rod. Trial welds are produced and tested before production seaming begins. Completed seams are non-destructively tested - vacuum-box (ASTM D5641) or air-channel pressure test - and destructive peel/shear samples taken per the project QA plan to ASTM D6392. The completed cover system includes closed-cell foam floats for buoyancy, sand tube ballast lines to control drainage geometry, rainwater sump and pump or gravity drainage, and access hatches at specified locations. All penetrations, vents and anchor details are installed and sealed as part of the Geosynthetics Africa scope.

On completion, Geosynthetics Africa delivers a full QA dossier: seam log, NDT test results, destructive test records, panel as-built drawing, penetration and anchor detail records, rainwater system commissioning record, and a signed handover certificate. A cover maintenance guide covering inspection frequency, repair procedures and rainwater pump maintenance is included with every handover package.

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