The International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) Technical Committee on Barriers has organized a technical lecture to be included in the GeoAmericas 2016 conference program. The topic: “The Contributions of Barrier Geosynthetics: Durability, Consistency, Performance Benefits, and Sustainability.”
The 3rd Pan-American Conference on Geosynthetics will take place 10 – 13 April 2016 in Miami at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel.
“The technical lecture at GeoAmericas will focus on how geosynthetics have demonstrated excellent performance as barrier materials in multiple applications around the world,” says Boyd Ramsey, a TC Barriers Committee leader and the featured speaker for the session.
“In nearly every case,” Ramsey notes, “geosynthetic constructions offer four primary benefits.”
These include:
- Durability: Excellent lifespans and strong scientific projections of future lifespan
- Consistency: The materials are less variable than traditional construction materials (sand, soils, clay, gravel, etc.) and there are established methodologies for manufacturing quality control.
- Performance: Geosynthetics offer improved barrier performance and shorter construction times and allow for designs and systems that would not be possible with traditional materials.
- Sustainability: Geosynthetics not only improve barriers and offer direct environmental benefits (e.g., groundwater protection), they reduce environmental impact, energy consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions in construction. Furthermore, they reduce transportation/shipping of heavy material (e.g., special aggregates and clays) and lower insurance health and safety burdens.
Case histories and examples of best practices will be central to the lecture. Particular attention will be given to projects, papers, and applications that combine all four of these principle attributes.
IGS & BARRIER GEOSYNTHETICS
The international TC Barriers members have delivered a number of very successful sessions at events around the world. Most recently, the group organized a half-day workshop in Scotland for the 16th European Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering. That session was part of a new IGS initiative for technical committees to create biennial workshops for incorporation into other conferences.
With GeoAmericas 2016, the TC Barriers returns to a training lecture format that draws upon the latest information.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Boyd Ramsey is the Asia-Pacific Division Technical Director for GSE.
Ramsey is an elected member of the IGS Executive Council and serves as the organization’s Chairman of the Finance and Audit Committee. He is also a founding member and leader of the IGS Technical Committee on Barriers.
Learn more about technical lectures and panel discussions at GeoAmericas 2016.
