The expansion of coal combustion residuals handling and storage work in the United States, in the wake of new regulations, has led to a strong growth in engineered materials and services developed for CCR work. GSE Environmental developed the GSE CoalDrain, a highly engineered geocomposite designed specifically for coal combustion residuals. The US Patent Office has awarded the company its official patent for the product.
The USPTO lists the CoalDrain patent as #9566775, Geosynthetic composite for filtration and drainage of fine-grained geomaterials. The award recogozies and protects GSE’s R&D investment and material innovation.
WHAT MAKES COALDRAIN UNIQUE
The geocomposite replaces the filter layer and the leachate collection layer in a typical Subtitle D liner system. GSE utilized laboratory and field performance tests to ensure that the geocomposite effectively allowed for the unimpeded flow of liquids while preventing coal ash particles to pass.
The CoalDrain development is part of GSE Environmental’s larger Coal Ash Barrier System, which was developed in collaboration with utility companies, government officials, and researchers from Ohio State University. The system combined the company’s Leak Location Liner, BentoLiner Coal Ash Resistant Geosynthetic Clay Liner, and CoalDrain.
GEOCOMPOSITE MARKET GROWTH
The new patent follows a couple other significant moves from the company related to drainage geocomposites. In the third quarter of 2016, GSE announced that it was expanding geocomposite and geonet manufacturing capacity and capabilities at its Kingstree, South Carolina facility.
“Much of the demand for drainage products is being driven by the coal ash regulations,” the company noted at the time.
And just last month, GSE released its RoaDrain products in the US market. The three-product line includes drainage solutions that include flow channels that direct flow toward the ends of the roll, flow channels that direct flow toward the edges, and drainage control at expansion joints.
Learn more about geosynthetics for CCR management, CoalDrain, and other drainage and barrier solutions at http://www.gseworld.com.
