Stainless Steel Mesh as a Geotechnical Barrier

[AustinJC]

My team has been looking into geomembranes that will not degrade from contact with potentially hot oil. We would like the oil and any other fluids to pass through the geomembrane rather than being contained. Through our research and speaking with suppliers, we have determined that the best product for our purpose may simply be a stainless steel mesh layer. The mesh layer is to separate a top layer of quenching stone from the lower level of void stone. It needs to be fine enough to not allow contamination between the different stone types but also strong enough to support the layer of stone above as well as heavy machinery operating above.

Does anyone have any suggestions on a product that will work for our purpose?

(I do not have gradation information for the stone layers currently).

Thank you.

 

[oldestguy]

There also are many mesh sizes of fine screen as we use in separating out various soil fractions in brass, should cost less.

 

[Ron]

OG...it's pretty rare that I disagree with anything you say; however, in this case, I believe stainless steel would be a better option than brass because of corrosion potential. Brass screens tend to corrode more than stainless steel, and there are other fluids that the OP has noted besides oil. The oil would not likely be an issue except that some oils are acidic and would increase the corrosion potential of the brass.

AustinJC...stainless steel can be obtained in almost any mesh size and gauge. Keep in mind that the sheet sizes will be limited and you'll have to splice each sheet to the next by some means. The most likely method would be lapping and wire-tieing.

 

[oldestguy]

Hey Ron: Right on the issue of corrosion. I might add that support of fine screens requires a coarser mesh, stronger wire type. Now I wish I had a solution for a problem I probably have with keeping what I think is algae in diesel oil from plugging my tractor fuel filters.

 

[BigHarvey]

I have already used several times galvanized wire mesh to reinforce a distribution mattress over rigid inclusions (just like a geogrid). It should solve your problem more economically than stainless steel. Cost is about 4 dollars per kilo.