ABSTRACT
Bitumen is a natural product, in which its use for waterproofing dates back to ancient times. A bituminous geomembrane (BGM) is manufactured by impregnating a polyester geotextile with an elastomeric bitumen compound. The geotextile provides a high mechanical resistance, while the bitumen provides the waterproofing properties and ensures longevity of the framework by protecting the geotextile. The durability of a BGM is measured in terms of how its key components, their mechanical and low permeable properties are subject to biodegradation by bacteria in various buried applications. Some example project applications in the domain of transportation will be described to illustrate these advantages where the bearing capacity of subgrades of over-consolidated soils can be improved by waterproofing unstable foundations in the presence of water. The infrastructure of the main tarmac runway at St. Georges airport in Utah and a railway track in Nebraska, both in USA will be described.
