ABSTRACT
The PVC geomembranes are the most commonly used in dams. The success of geomembranes as barrier depends on field seams quality. Seams have to be evaluated in terms of continuity and mechanical strength, the latter being assessed by peel and shear tests. These tests are generally carried out according to the ASTM D 6392, which, for PVC geomembranes, recommends a testing speed of 50 mm/min, for peel test, and 500 mm/min, for shear test. However, in field, sometimes it is not possible to attain the testing speed suggested for shear test. This raises questions about the acceptance of seams. To address this issue, two thermally bonded PVC geomembrane seams were tested to peel and shear strength at testing speeds ranging from 50 to 500 mm/min. The results showed that shear and peel strengths tend to increase with the testing speed.
