The clay membrane is an important component of the engineering barrier for contamination. The manifestation of its inherent characteristics of semipermeability can effectively reduce the solute flux and delay the diffusion of pollutants. The study of membrane behavior has important theoretical significance and practical value in the field of solid waste landfill, nuclear waste disposal, water and soil resources protection, etc. In this paper, domestic and foreign research progress of laboratory experiments on membrane behavior is summarized. The formation and mechanism of membrane behavior are briefly analyzed. The advantages and disadvantages of different equipments used in laboratory experiments are compared in detail. The typical laboratory experiments are discussed, with the emphasis of the influence of different sample types on the experiments. Several suggestions about the future study of membrane behavior are put forward, which need to be further addressed.