Will Bentomat GCLs shrink in the field upon deployment?
As shown in TR-339, both laboratory and field data have demonstrated that Bentomat deployed at its as-manufactured moisture content (25 to 40%) will not shrink upon drying. Thiel (2005) found that GCLs can experience shrinkage when subjected to repeated cycles of wetting and drying (full hydration followed by complete desiccation). However, as discussed in TR-338, reasonable measures can be implemented to prevent this from occurring.