Containment

Like most segments of our global economies, professional associations and societies have suffered during the current downturn. Civil engineering and affiliated professional associations have certainly not been spared. But the work they do is important to our collective work. We encourage you to take a moment to check on the status of your memberships and to renew them if you find they've lapsed. (Continued.)

The International Erosion Control Association (IECA) is offering a new benefit for members: Expert Chats. The first offering of this online-hosted, interactive event will be held 29 May 2009 from 2:00-3:00 pm (MDT). Phil Handley, REM, CPESC, of the San Antonio Water System will serve as the first expert in the informal chat series. (Continued.)

Don't forget to submit your abstracts to the International Erosion Control Association's (IECA) next Environmental Connection event. EC10 will be held in Dallas, Texas 14-17 Februrary 2010. Abstracts will be accepted through 29 May 2009. "Hot Topics" for 2010 are LEED for new construction, sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation and design process. Learn more here.;

The Institute of Engineers (India) is co-organizing a one-day national workshop on 29 May 2009 for "New Technology and Prospects of Its Commercialisation for Rural Development." Among the many technologies to be discussed: geotextiles for infrastructure. The Indian market must grow quickly to meet the needs of the nation's large population and rapidly expanding economy. Geosynthetics and affiliated technologies are currently underutilized in the overall infrastructure. Learn more here.;

Plastics Information Direct (PID) is a division of Applied Market Information (AMI) LLC. Three interesting titles are now available: "Industry Guide to Polymer Nanocomposites"; "Energy Management in Plastic Processing: Strategies, Targets, Techniques and Tools"; and "Cost Management in Plastic Processing (2007)." Learn more about these books.

The chair of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) Thailand Chapter, Dennes Bergado, has issued a call for abstracts for December's International Symposium on "Geotechnical Engineering, Ground Improvement, and Geosynthetics for Sustainable Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change including Global Warming. The event will be held 3-4 December 2009 in Bangkok, Thailand. A draft copy of the brochure is available here in PDF. The conference welcomes your abstracts and any interested speaker suggestions.

A large fire destroyed a facility owned by Martek Inc., Burlington, Ontario, Canada. Among the many products carried by Martek are erosion control blankets and geotextiles. Fire officials noted that the size and intensity of the fire was in part fed by the straw and coconut fibers in the ECBs. The polypropylene fibers in some geotextile products also proved to burn quickly. Investigators are still determining what started the blaze. The type of materials stored, however, may indicate that spontaneous combustion played a role. The natural materials present in the construction products mirror those found in barns that experience the same type of sudden fires. Learn more here.;

SKZ, with scientific committee support from Cemagref and the Geosynthetic Institute (GSI), announces the 3rd International Symposium on Geosynthetic Clay Liners, to be held at the Fortress Marienberg in Würzburg, Germany 15-16 September 2010. Abstract and papers for oral or poster presentations are invited on the following topics: Application / case studies (Landfills, Canals, Reservoirs / Dams, Transportation Infrastructure) • Durability / Lifetime • Laboratory testing • Performance (Cation exchange, Desiccation, Experience from excavation • Regulations / Approvals. Abstracts must be submitted via e-mail to: gbr-c2k10@skz.de no later than 30 September 2009. View the flyer in PDF.

The following is a letter sent by Andrew M. Aho, executive director of GMA, to GMA members, regarding the proposed separation geosynthetics study. geosynthetica encourages its readers to contact GMA for more information on how you can help; and we encourage you to send a letter to applicable state and federal officials in support of this important study. Links to sample letters are provided in the article.

During the week of 10 May 2009 the T-CLIC liner integrity survey and assessment (LISA) course was taken on the road to Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Nine people from Atlantic Lining, Elliot Construction, and Jaques-Whitford (now Stantec) attended the one-day classroom session, a one-day hands-on session in three test cells, two days of "production surveys," and a 90-minute written test presented by Dr. Ian D. Peggs. (Continued.)

In Oak Ridge, Tennessee the first contracts connected the Recovery Act (or stimulus) funds are going out. The Department of Energy, working through Bechtel Jacobs, is awarding subcontracts for a DOE nuclear landfill expansion. Bids on the geosynthetic lining system are still being solicited. Learn more here.;

The 2010 edition of the Techtextil North America Symposium will be held 18-20 May 2010 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia. The Symposium will have the theme "Moving Forward - Innovation and Technology drive the Future" and will run concurrent with the annual Techtextil North America exhibition. A Call for Papers and Presentations has been issued. Read more.

Hong Kong-based Earthmate Geosynthetics has announced that testing conducted by the independent laboratory FITI Korea has certified its Enviromate Geosynthetic Clay Liner (GCL). FITI's laboratory has been approved by the Geosynthetic Research Institute (GRI). Earthmate's GCLs have been tested striclty according to ASTM Standards. View the test results at Earthmate's website. Learn more here.;

The Advertising Standards Authority has upheld a challenge made by NAUE that questions whether certain claims in a brochure published by Tensar International could be substantiated. The brochure, "TriAx: A Revolution in Geogrid Technology," detailed the properties and performance advantages of Tensar TriAx geogrids. Within the information in this brochure, Tensar talks about the research that has evolved into a "revolutionary change from a rectangular to a triangular grid aperture." It goes on to say: "This was a revolution in geogrids technology with significant, new improved benefits over the biaxial geogrids." (Continued.)

The Justice Department and US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have announced that Georgia-Pacific has agreed to perform $13 million in remedial work at a Kalamazoo River Superfund site in Allegan and Kalamazoo Counties, Michigan. A geosynthetic capping system will be installed. Read more.

ASTM Committee D35 on Geosynthetics' Sam Allen and George Koerner remind readers that proposals are welcomed for the Geosynthetic Research Institute (GRI) / ASTM Workshop on "Geosynthetic Material Durability: Field and Laboratory Experiences," to be held 29 January 2010 in San Antonio, Texas. This important, new workshop will immediately follow the two days of D35's winter meetings. The four segments of the workshop will focus on long-term field experiences; accelerated weathering studies; polymers and additives packages; and a panel discussion. Abstracts for presentations will be accepted through 30 September 2009. Read more about the event.

The International Erosion Control Association (IECA) has extended the window for proposals to EC10 through 29 May 2009. IECA organizes its work into 8 technology sections: slopes, stream restoration, vegetative establishment, stormwater management, wetlands, erosion and sediment control, beach and shoreline stabilization, and wind erosion. The "Hot Topics" for 2010 are LEED for new construction, sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation and design process. EC10 will be held in Dallas, Texas 14-17 February 2010. Read more at IECA's site. Learn more here.;

Barrick Gold's North Mara mine in Tanzania has encountered some leakage problems that villagers believe is the cause of some cattle and fish deaths. In a May 14 statement, the company notes that theft at the site involved vandalism and damage to key geomembrane liners. Rains have also caused increased acidic runoff from a temporary ore stockpile. 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.;

GeoAfrica 2009 is the first African regional conference on geosynthetics. The event, to be held under the auspices of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) and hosted by the Geosynthetics Interest Group of South Africa (GIGSA), will take place 2 - 5 September 2009 in Cape Town. Organizers have just announced an extension of the early-bird registration rate to 30 June 2009. The conference is shaping up to be a grand one, with more than 100 papers over three days, a sold-out exhibit hall and plenty of networking opportunities.

With an estimated 15 million tons of additional polymerization capacity coming on line in the Middle East in the next three years, the region stands to become a major plastics processing center. Will geosynthetics be part of this boom in production? How will the Middle East's growth affect global markets? Applied Market Information (AMI) is presenting a one-day seminar to tackle this subject: "The Middle East Plastics Industry Strategy Seminar." AMI's Strategic Research Manager John Nash writes on the event, which will be offered three times (In Dubai and Brussels in June; and in Cologne in October). Read more.

In the 14 May 2009 Business Week S&P Ratings News, Thomas Nadramia writes on how the drop in construction spending was faster and steeper than anticipated; and how stimulus funds might help the industry's recovery. He notes that original stimulus estimates would be close to $300 billion for infrastructure; but that the actual impact may be closer to $130 billion. A focus on roads and water is apparent. And states like California and Texas are sure to benefit more than others. Learn more here.;

NEIKER-Tecnalia, en colaboración con Sergal, Uaga y Consejo Vasco de Agricultura y Alimentación Ecologica (ENEEK), ha puesto en marcha un estudio para combinar tecnologías y procesos de cara a convertir las excretas ganaderas en un sustrato garantizado y fiable para su empleo en la agricultura ecológica. Actualmente, los insumos necesarios para este sector, uno de los más dinámicos de la agricultura vasca, son difíciles de encontrar y proceden en muchas ocasiones de zonas alejadas de las explotaciones, algo que va en contra de la propia filosofía de este tipo de producción.

Neiker-Tecnalia, the Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development, in collaboration with Sergal, Uaga and the Basque Board of ecological agriculture and food (ENEEK in its Basque initials), has launched a research programme the aim of which is to combine technologies and processes in order to transform animal husbandry excretions into a substrate that is guaranteed and reliable for use in ecological agriculture. Currently, the elements required for this sector, one of the most dynamic in Basque agriculture, are difficult to find and, on many occasions, come from areas distant from the farms - precisely against the philosophy of this type of production.

Applied Market Information (AMI) has released the program for Waterproof Membranes 2009, which will be held in Duesseldorf, Germany from 19-21 October 2009. On the geotechnical side of things, the speaker list includes Chris Kelsey of geosynthetica, Vladimir Nosko of Sensor, Gottfried Niederkrattenhaler of Agru Austria, Catrin Tarnowski from GSE, Roland von Ah of Leister, Jose Miguel Munoz Gomez of Sotrafa, and Stefan Ultsch of Dow (Europe). See the full list in the program PDF. Learn more here.;