On June 7, 2024, the Chinese Highway Society, in which our company participated, officially released the standard "Highway Sodium Bentonite Anti Seepage Mat" (T/CHTS20042-2024). This standard will come into effect on June 21, 2024.

Highway sodium based bentonite anti-seepage pad is a multi-component en_gcl developed by our company based on the application environment of highway subgrade. From developing GCL suitable for highway use to establishing product standards, after many twists and turns, we finally received strong support from Professor Liu Ying from the Highway Institute of the Ministry of Transport, who agreed to lead the application for standard approval at the China Highway Society. This standard took 5 years from its establishment to official publication. The "Highway Sodium Based Bentonite Anti Seepage Mat" is compiled based on the summary of research results and engineering application experience of highway sodium based bentonite anti seepage mats, in accordance with the "Standard Writing Rules of the Chinese Highway Society" (T/CHTS 10001-2018). In order to collect experimental data and verify application effects, with the full support and selfless efforts of Director Liu Ying of the Highway Institute, Director Zhang Pengcheng of the Shanghai Geological Survey Institute, Professor Liu Zhibin of Southeast University, Professor Hou Juan of Shanghai University, and Chief Engineer Liu Jie of Xinjiang Exploration and Design Research Institute, we conducted scientific experiments in extreme environments such as Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang, Qinghai, and other high-altitude and saline alkali environments, and conducted online surveys of the experimental effects year-round. The results show that the sodium based bentonite anti-seepage pad developed by our company has a good blocking effect on frost heave and salt heave, which can effectively protect the safety of the roadbed. At the same time, this product can be used for slopes, with both slope protection and greening functions, laying a solid foundation for the establishment of standards.

The chief editor of this standard is the Highway Science Research Institute of the Ministry of Transport, and the participating units are: Tianjin Zhonglian Green Technology Development Co., Ltd., Shanghai Survey and Design Institute Co., Ltd., Xinjiang Beixin Road and Bridge Group Co., Ltd., Southeast University, Inner Mongolia University of Technology, Guangxi Transportation Science and Technology Group Co., Ltd., Xinjiang Transportation Planning Survey and Design Institute Co., Ltd., Heilongjiang Transportation Planning and Design Institute Group Co., Ltd., Shandong Tianhai New Materials Engineering Co., Ltd., Tai'an Hongyuan Geotechnical Materials Co., Ltd., Shanghai Yingfan Engineering Materials Co., Ltd., Shanghai University, Urumqi Herun Technology Development Co., Ltd., Qinghai Transportation Investment Co., Ltd., and Jiqing High speed Railway Co., Ltd.

Highway sodium based bentonite anti-seepage pad is a blanket like material with anti-seepage and isolation effects made of sodium based bentonite and multi-layer geosynthetic materials using needle punching or needle punching film covering technology, abbreviated as GCL-R. Its characteristic is to add a layer of non-woven geotextile on the outer side of the woven geotextile of the needle punched sodium based bentonite waterproof blanket or needle punched laminated sodium based bentonite waterproof blanket, in order to improve the mechanical properties, contact surface friction properties, and bottom drainage performance of the product, providing anti freezing, anti puncture, anti-seepage isolation, and drainage functions for highway subgrade engineering. When used for highway slopes, it can provide excellent reinforcement, protection, isolation and anti-seepage performance.

In June 2022, our company, in collaboration with the Highway Science Research Institute of the Ministry of Transport, Shanghai University, Southeast University, and the Engineering Testing Center of Shanghai Survey and Design Institute Co., Ltd., set up a 200m test section at K127 of the Gemang Highway in Qinghai to test the applicability of GCL-R in saline alkali and high-altitude environments. The product has a width of 5m and is made of powdered sodium based bentonite. The product specification is 5100g/m2. At the same time, multiple sensors are installed in this experimental section to monitor real-time changes in indicators such as temperature, humidity, and geological deformation in the lower layer of the material. Combined with conventional highway detection methods, the application effect of GCL-R on highway subgrades is comprehensively tested.

GCL-R Layout Plan for Gemang Highway in Qinghai Province