Containment

The 11th International Conference on Geosynthetics (11ICG) will be held 16 – 21 September 2018 at the COEX in Seoul, Korea. The program will feature 1,000 geotechnical engineering experts...

On 3 May 2010, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson and U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced a new interagency agreement promoting renewable energy generation and slashing greenhouse gas emissions from livestock operations. The agreement expands the work of the AgSTAR program, a joint EPA-USDA effort that helps livestock producers reduce methane emissions from their operations. Read more.

As reported two weeks ago, organizers for GéoMontréal 2013 have extended the deadline for submission of abstracts to February 1. All interested participants in this event are strongly encouraged to submit their abstracts immediately. The conference will be held at the Hilton Montreal Bonaventure Hotel in Montreal, Quebec, Canada 29 September – 3 October 2013. Organized by the Canadian Geotechnical Society (CGS) in collaboration with the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH/CNC) and the North American Geosynthetics Society (NAGS), GeoMontreal provides an exceptional opportunity to interact with the entire North American geotechnical community. The geosynthetics field should play a strong role in this 66th Canadian Geotechnical Conference. The theme "Geoscience for Sustainability" ties in with much of the current research and marketing of geosynthetic materials.

Gorantla Geosynthetics Private Limited (Chennai) has launched a new website, www.geomembranes-geotextiles.com. The company is a major manufacturer and supplier of geosynthetic products in India. The new website aims to be more comprehensive and user-friendly, offering a host of detailed product information, contact information, and presentations.

Daniele Cazzuffi (CESI SpA – Milano, Italy and also IGS Past President) has been unanimously elected as Chairman of the European Committee for Standardization on Geosynthetics (CEN TC 189) for a period of three years, 2012–2014. The vote was held during January 2012 as postal ballot among all standardization bodies of the 27 countries belonging to CEN. The mandate of CEN TC 189 is to develop standardized test methods for the overall characterization of geosynthetics and mainly to elaborate the harmonized European standards for the various fields of geosynthetics applications. He is the first elected chair from outside of Belgium and the Netherlands.

By Robert Denis - For the past 15 years or so, polyethylene geomembrane material specifications (test methods, test properties and testing frequencies) have essentially been regulated by the Geosynthetic...

Flooding from the overflowing Mississippi River is causing some states and the Army Corps of Engineers to reconsider their flood control strategies. Some suggested options include turning tracts of land into natural wetlands to absorb the flooding, training farmers to shift to practices that avoid contributing to flooding and runoff, and moving away from building levees, dams and spillways and focusing on diverting flood waters away from agricultural land and densely populated areas. Learn more here.;

The International Waste Working Group (IWWG) reports that IWWG members are eligible for a 10% discount on registration for the renowned Sardinia Symposium, which will be held 3-7 October 2011 in Cagliari, Italy. According to the type of registration requested, the discount may amount to as much as 100 Euro. Learn more here.;

CETCO Oilfield Services’ director of business development, Will Fortenberry, is moving from Aberdeen to Kuala Lumpur to support the company’s unprecedented growth in Asia. Earlier this year, Aberdeen-based CETCO Oilfield Services announced it had opened two operational bases in Kemaman and Labuan in Malaysia, and expanded its existing facilities in Kuala Lumpur. Learn more here.;

Terram, a Fiberweb plc company, is pleased to announce the next phase of their development strategy with an order being placed for a brand new, state-of-the-art Needlepunch geotextile line. The investment of over six million euros, follows the acquisition of Boddingtons and Tubex by Fiberweb and the formation of a specialist Geosynthetics Division which includes the Terram business, and represents the largest single investment in new technology for the Geosynthetics business.

For 15+ years, engineers have come to Austin, Texas in April to attend geosynthetics CQA training courses hosted by TRI Environmental. This year, some are wondering where this well-respected...

The December 2009 issue of Waste Age is available online. Learn more here.;

The Middle East will be a leading producer and exporter of plastic resins within the next five years, with polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) capacity in the region slated to more than double by 2015. The Middle East plastics industry is expected to grow 30 percent a year. This phenomenal growth rate, and the consequent further investment and industrial development opportunities presented have prompted the organization of the First GPCA Plastics Summit, taking place at the Grand Hyatt Dubai on 14-16 June 2010.

Mike Brown, a vice president and senior underwriter (Engineering) for Swiss Re, has published an article on potential water damage during construction and methods of prevention. One of the very interesting aspects of this is that he has published the article in Canadian Underwriters--an insurance industry publication. He notes, for example, the use of geotextiles to help stabilized exposed slopes. Learn more here.;

The Senate will vote on a bill to allocate $37 billion for clean water across the country. The bill would earmark $20 billion for low-cost loans for water infrastructure, with another $15 billion for drinking water over five years. The federal authorization for the clean water fund has remained at the same levels since 1987, according to Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. Learn more here.;

After more than five months of closure, the Esquimalt Lagoon bridge in Colwood, British Columbia--on Victoria Island--has been repaired. On the north side of the bridge, the asphalt was removed and fill material excavated out. The area was repacked and the sides reinforced with geotextile to prevent fill material from being drawn out. The repair took less than two weeks. Learn more here.;

Organizers for Geosynthetics Asia 2012 (GA2012) have shared a recap from December's event, which marked the 5th Asian Regional Conference on Geosynthetics (GA2012). The theme "Geosynthetics for Sustainable Adaptation to Climate Change" was well-supported by the technical sessions, sponsoring companies, and distinguished speakers. Learn more.

The inaugural Carbon Management Conference conference from the Society of Petroleum Engineers will focus on engineering solutions to climate change, carbon management in construction and operations, and much more. Drawing professionals from all engineering disciplines, the event will be held 7-9 February 2012 in Orlando, Florida. Perspectives will be presented on greenhouse gas reduction, case studies, life cycle assessment, applicable technologies, and much more. Register by January 16 for the best rates. Learn more here.;

Solmax International has announced updates to the technical datasheets for its textured geomembranes (high-density and linear low-density polyethylene). All products from 40 mils and up will now grant a minimum of 15 mils asperity height. Solmax is also pleased to announce the creation of its new rough textured (RT) series, offering a minimum of 20 mils asperity height. Learn more about these products at the company's website. Learn more here.;

The 9th International Conference on Geosynthetics (9ICG) is offering its very early-bird registration rate through 30 September 2009. Add to it the early booking discount for hotel, and those who take advantage of registering now will save more than $700. The 9ICG will be held 23-27 May 2010 in Guaruja, São Paulo, Brazil, under the auspices of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS). Please register as soon as possible. Learn more here.;

The Fox Waterway Agency, which has been using geotextile tubes in dredging operations on the Fox River and Chain O' Lakes, has applied for a 10-year permit from the US Army Corp of Engineers to expand the use of tubes for sediment removal and dewatering. Approval and active project furthing is expected by early autumn. Learn more here.;

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing next steps on two hazardous waste rules to respond to concerns raised by stakeholders: the Definition of Solid Waste rule and the Emission Comparable Fuels rule. EPA is planning to hold a public meeting to discuss possible revisions to the Definition of Solid Waste (DSW) rule in response to an administrative petition asking the agency to reconsider and repeal the rule. The rule became effective on 29 December 2008. The meeting is planned for the end of June, and a Federal Register notice with the details of the meeting will be published in May.

On Monday, March 14, during the Geo-Frontiers 2011 conference (13-16 March 2011, Dallas), John Lostumbo of TenCate Geosynthetics will present a much-anticipated paper on "Geosynthetic Enabled with Fiber Optic Sensors for MSE Bridge Abutment Supporting Shallow Bridge Foundations." Geotextiles with fiberoptic components provide a resource for monitoring various design functions including strain. Data collected from fiber optic monitoring can be used to determine the functional longevity of civil structures helping to insure safety as well as providing data which may be used for evaluation of design methods. Download the abstract here.

Western Environmental Liner's new fabrication line allows them to continue to be one of the fastest fabricators of liners in the world. Western Environmental Liner has added a new heat welding machine to their already extensive line of wedge welding and heat welding machines to enable them to keep up with their customers expanding needs.

By Ian D. Peggs ** Can geomembrane stress cracking (SC) be eliminated altogether? Probably not. But it can still surely be reduced if we understand its causes a little better. Can SC...