Recent research undertaken by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) into the
temperature effects on the durability of flexible membrane liners (FML) (Legge, 2005) show that
temperatures in excess of 60oC at the waste/liner interface of a landfill may result in certain FML’s
having a practical lifespan of some ten years whilst temperatures in the range of 40–50oC have very
little on liner durability.