6. Mechanical properties

6.1 Tensile behavior

The tensile strength of geomembranes is a property that is often mentioned because it is easy to understand and because it is a simple way of checking the mechanical integrity of a geomembrane. However, tensile strength is not an essential property of geomembranes, as it is generally preferable for geomembranes to adapt to deformations in the substrate rather than for them to forcibly resist applied forces.

Geomembranes only need to have a high tensile strength in a few specific situations.