The runout spreads the anchoring force through friction under the cover soil before the sheet turns down into the trench. Too short a runout concentrates stress at the trench edge, while too long wastes material and space at the crest. Runout length and trench depth are sized together to hold the panel under placement and cover loads.
Heard on the job
Runout is three feet on the plans and they've got eighteen inches before the trench, so stop and recut it.
Also heard as
- runout length
- crest runout
Related terms
Anchor trench
Trench along the top of a slope where the edge of a geosynthetic is buried to hold it in place.
Panel
One continuous piece of geomembrane as deployed, numbered and tracked through seaming and testing.
Geomembrane
Low-permeability polymer sheet used as a liquid or gas barrier in liners, covers, ponds and tunnels.