Wind resistant environmental synthetic cover

Abstract

A system for covering (i.e., closing) various types of sites where waste is deposited comprises a composite of one or more geotextiles that are tufted with synthetic yarns and an impermeable geomembrane, which is comprised of a polymeric material. The geotextiles can comprise polypropylene or polyethylene. The cover can include wind-resistant textured synthetic blade-like elements, such as vertical filaments, secured over a low-permeable polymer liner backing. Advantageously, the system does not rely on piled-on weight to resist wind forces and the cover can be deployed over a large area with little or no ballasting or anchoring. Optionally, the cover includes vertical filaments attached to the liner to break the wind aero-dynamics on the exposed cover. With this system, it is believed that the wind velocity on the impermeable surface (membrane) now becomes turbulent near the surface of the cover, thus greatly reducing the actual wind velocity at the liner surface and decreasing associated uplift.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A synthetic cover comprises:
 a composite of a membrane covered with a tufted textile cover with upstanding synthetic slender elongate elements   wherein the synthetic slender elongate elements comprise polyethylene or polypropylene fibers.   
     
     
         2 . A cover system as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the synthetic slender elongate elements are tufted to have a density of between about 15 ounces/square yard and about 120 ounces/square yard. 
     
     
         3 . A cover system of  claim 1  wherein the membrane is selected from the group consisting of high density polyethylene, linear low density polyethylene or polyvinyl chloride. 
     
     
         4 . A cover system of  claim 1  wherein the geomembrane is sprayed or applied directly on the textile(s) backing of the cover. 
     
     
         5 . A cover system of  claim 1  wherein the membrane is tufted directly on the textile backing of the cover. 
     
     
         6 . A cover system of  claim 1  wherein the synthetic cover comprises UV-resistant material. 
     
     
         7 . The cover system of  claim 1  wherein the flexible synthetic upstanding slender elongate elements comprise vertical filaments attached to a textile(s) backing. 
     
     
         8 . A cover system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the membrane comprises a geomembrane covered with a synthetic turf-like cover with upstanding synthetic slender elongate elements selected to have reacting forces when exposed to wind, so that uplift of the wind-resistant synthetic cover system is prevented when wind loads are applied. 
     
     
         9 . A cover system as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the synthetic slender elongate elements are formed to have a blade length ranging between 0.5 inches and 4 inches. 
     
     
         10 . A cover system as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the synthetic slender elongate elements comprise blade-like elements having the appearance of blades of grass. 
     
     
         11 . A cover system as claimed in  claim 10  wherein the cover is adapted to resist wind uplift by the weight of the material itself without the need for subterranean anchoring and/or ballast system or the conventional sand in-fill. 
     
     
         12 . A cover system of  claim 1  wherein the membrane comprises a geomembrane selected from the group consisting of high density polyethylene, linear low density polyethylene or polyvinyl chloride. 
     
     
         13 . A cover system of  claim 12  wherein the geomembrane is sprayed or applied directly on the geotextile(s) backing of the cover. 
     
     
         14 . The cover system of  claim 1  wherein the flexible synthetic upstanding slender elongate elements comprise vertical filaments attached to a geotextile(s) backing to create wind aero-dynamic conditions that prevent uplift of the exposed cover and impermeable membrane below.