Abstract: An erosion control barrier for installation in a drainage path in a service environment. The erosion control barrier includes a unitary permeable sheet which is bent along a longitudinal axis to provide an upslope side, a downslope side and a longitudinally extending apex. The permeable sheet is constructed of a degradable material so that the erosion control barrier has a design service life in the service environment and a design material life in the service environment. The design material life is longer than the design service life. The permeable sheet is designed to be sufficiently transversely stiff and resilient during the design service life to enable the erosion control barrier to be self-supporting. The permeable sheet is designed to substantially disintegrate within the design material life.

Abstract: A reinforced networked polymer/clay alloy composite is produced by contacting a monomer/clay mixture with a reinforcing agent. The monomer/clay mixture comprises a monomer, a cross-linking agent and clay particles. An initiator means is used to initiate polymerization of the monomer/clay mixture, while the cross-linking agent concurrently acts to network oligomeric and polymeric species formed during polymerization to produce a networked polymer/clay alloy in the presence of the reinforcing agent. The networked polymer/clay alloy is intimately integrated with the reinforcing agent such that, on exposure to water, the networked polymer/clay alloy swells with substantially no clay separating from the composite.

Abstract: A reinforced networked polymer/clay alloy composite is produced by contacting a monomer/clay mixture with a reinforcing agent. The monomer/clay mixture comprises a monomer, a cross-linking agent and clay particles. An initiator means is used to initiate polymerization of the monomer/clay mixture, while the cross-linking agent concurrently acts to network oligomeric and polymeric species formed during polymerization to produce a networked polymer/clay alloy in the presence of the reinforcing agent. The networked polymer/clay alloy is intimately integrated with the reinforcing agent such that, on exposure to water, the networked polymer/clay alloy swells with substantially no clay separating from the composite.

Abstract: A reinforced networked polymer/clay alloy composite is produced by contacting a monomer/clay mixture with a reinforcing agent. The monomer/clay mixture comprises a monomer, a cross-linking agent and clay particles. An initiator means is used to initiate polymerization of the monomer/clay mixture, while the cross-linking agent concurrently acts to network oligomeric and polymeric species formed during polymerization to produce a networked polymer/clay alloy in the presence of the reinforcing agent. The networked polymer/clay alloy is intimately integrated with the reinforcing agent such that, on exposure to water, the networked polymer/clay alloy swells with substantially no clay separating from the composite.

Abstract: A pressure barrier liner is an assembly of low permeability membranes disposed on above the other. A region is encapsulated between each adjacent pair of membranes. A pressurized fluid such as air or water is introduced into a selected group of the encapsulated regions to pressurize them to a selected pressure or pressures, thereby ensuring that any flow through the membranes or through disruptions in the membranes will be from within the pressurized regions to the regions outside the membranes which encapsulate the pressurized regions, rather than from the fluid storage region above the membranes, through the membranes and into the region beneath the membranes which is to be protected by the linear.