Containment

The Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) has added the December 2008-published DVD presentation "Utilizing FTIR, DSC, TGA and Ash to Identify Polymer Types" to its store's offerings. This DVD presentation deals with the basic identification of plastics by the use of FTIR analysis, DSC, TGA, and muffle furnace ash. The operation of each instrument is explained, as are the results that can be obtained and the conclusions that can be drawn from each of the tests. Learn more here.;

The Business Coordination House (BCH) in India has released its latest quarterly newsletter. The wide-ranging issues include finding your product and service demand in the Indian market, Indian GDP, news of a forthcoming geotextile workshop, and much more. Download a copy here.

30 October, 2013 – Varennes, QC – Solmax, a worldwide leader in the manufacturing of geomembranes, would like to take this opportunity to mention its involvement in the Geosynthetics India...

Ian Peggs writes from Dubai: "One resin manufacturer, a geomembrane manufacturer, a design engineering representative, and a liner installer attended and participated in lively discussion during the day-long post-conference workshop on HDPE geomembrane. These workshop participants came from Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates and the workshop was led by Dr. Ian D. Peggs (I-CORP). Key topics included liner leak statistics, consequences of leakage, action leakage rates, finding the responsible leaks, and estimating the remaining exposed geomembrane lifetime." Read more.

The demand for performing geoelectric integrity surveys as the final stage of liner construction quality assurance (CQA) has significantly increased. This has been spurred not only by regulator understanding and wide-spread use in the waste management sector but also by other closely monitored, environmentally concerned industries such as mining, wastewater and fuel/oil storage. This in-demand skill is taught at only one place in the United States, and the next opportunity takes place during CQA Week (April 12-16) at TRI's Austin, Texas campus. Read more about it here.

Plastemart reports that metallocene LLDPE resins and demand in China may pressure mLLDPE film and sheet, including geomembranes, below even simple LDPE. While mLLDPE was once difficult to process efficiently, newer developments, overcoming of technical hurdles and new activator technologies are making metallocene catalysts cheaper to use. Additionally, processors have modernized their equipment. Asia's capacity to produce mLLDPE is expected to increase significantly in the next two years. Learn more here.;

Stormwater industry leaders Craig Beatty, John Moll, and David Mongeau have co-authored an introduction to the newly formed Stormwater Equipment Manufacturers Association (SWEMA). They write, "The stormwater sector needs to band together for a common cause. We need to support the regulatory and engineering communities, as well as the individual cities and states now grappling with how to implement Clean Water Act and other stormwater regulations." Read more in their message and about SWEMA here.

The Australian Chapter of the International Geosynthetics Society (ACIGS) is offering a seminar on "Geosynthetic Filtration & Failutres" with renowned geosynthetics expert Dr. J.P. Giroud as the primary speaker. Warren Hornsey (Geofabrics Australasia) helps lead the seminar as well as provides an overview of geotextile testing in the region. The first of the presentations has just taken place in Brisbane (Oct 26), but three more sessions are still available. Learn more.

By Bruno Pedroni and Chris Kelsey – The BW Expo is Brazil's most important gathering for service and technology presentations regarding the sustainable management of wastes, water, wastewater, energy,...

Leakage from Alaska Electric Light & Power Co.'s Bart Lake Dam is plaguing the Lake Dorothy Hydroelectric Project. Bart Lake is part of the Lake Dorothy Hydroelectric Project, which provides about 20 percent of Juneau's power. Learn more here.;

More than two Europeans in three see climate change as a very serious problem and almost 80% consider that taking action to combat it can boost the economy and jobs, a special Eurobarometer survey published today shows. The poll, carried out in June 2011, found that the European public is more concerned about climate change than it was in 2009 - and that climate change remains a greater worry than the economic situation. Read more.

The 6th edition of AMI's Waterproof Membranes conference will be held 11-13 December 2012 at Hotel Nikko in Düsseldorf, Germany. This annual gathering focuses on the exchange of technical information on geomembranes and roofing/architectural membranes. Research updates, market data, case studies and manufacturing advances are presented. Learn more about the event, registration, and sponsorship opportunities at the event website. Learn more here.;

Approximately 50 km southeast of Melbourne you'll find the Brookland Greens, a developing area in which residents now fear for gas explosions from the landfill. The waste facility approved as recently as 1996 but side liners were not required. As such, gas has migrated laterally, and lacking proper venting controls, the site has become quite dangerous. Making matters worse, a Victorian council approved home construction as close as 200 meters from the active landfill zone--ignoring the previous rule that no homes be constructed within 500 meters of both active and inactive, capped waste cells. Learn more here.;

The Netherlands-based Royal Ten Cate has announced a net profit increase of 92% in 2010. The Geosynthetics and Grass sector played a substantial role, with EBITA having increased by 87%. With its Georgia-based American opertaions leading the way, the company reports seeing recovery in the American geosynthetics market, which in terms of size is Ten Cate's most important. In its release, Ten Cate notes that, "The improvement resulted from an increase in the number of infrastructure projects and intensive targeting of the South American market. Sales in the Asian geosynthetics market continued to grow (autonomous+7%). In Europe sales remained stable, although the number of infrastructure projects declined." Read more. Learn more here.;

Video has become an increasingly important medium online for disseminating geosynthetics information. The international manufacturer NAUE, an ISO 9001-certified group of companies, has recently produced numerous videos that showcase geosynthetic applications, testing, installation procedures, specific materials, and systems. The latest video is a general overview of geosynthetics in use and being installed. From runways to railways and from walls to the waterfronts, geotextiles, geomembranes, GCLs, geogrids, and other polymeric materials are improving infrastructures, reducing construction costs, and decreasing the carbon footprint of construction activities. See the video online. Learn more here.;

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has announced that it will release details from its 2009 Report Card for America's Infrastructure on 28 January 2009--two months ahead of the full report's release. The association has decided to release some information now, as the new Congress and incoming presidential administration have both placed new infastructure projects high on the list of priorities for the United States. ASCE will release letter grades and short conditions summaries for each of 15 categories, solutions for infrastructure improvement, and an overall cost to improve the nation’s infrastructure. Read an important letter from ASCE president D. Wayne Klotz on the report card (and renew your membership!).

The Geosynthetic Institute (GSI), based in Folsom, Pennsylvania, and National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST) in Taiwan have announced that the first international GSI-Asia Geosynthetics Conference will take place 16-18 November 2010 in Taichung, Taiwan. NPUST currently is the home of GSI's Taiwan office (GSI-Taiwan). GSI's Geosynthetic Research Institute (GRI) annually holds an international event in North America. That event is nearing its 25th anniversary. The launch of an international forum serving the Asia region is exciting news. Read more about its highlights.

Calling the first year of the massive Fox River cleanup process a surprising success, project officials said progress made in 2009 could shorten the $700 million project by an entire year. Geosynthetics are playing a significant role in dewatering and capping. A 10-mile section of the river is being cleaned of PCB contamination stemming from decades of paper mill operations on the water. Learn more here.;

The Performing Arts Center in Pinellas Park, Florida is sporting two brand new parking lots designed to be friendlier to the environment and more efficient with the use of city property. Porous pavers with geotextile separation fabric and sand underlayers are being used. As the project manager notes, this type of low impact design essentially uses the parking lot like a retention pond. Stormwater infiltrates straight through to the water table rather than runs off. Learn more here.;

The Fabricated Geomembrane Institute (FGI) held its first course on "Constructing with Fabricated Geomembranes" on 23 October 2009. "The attendance exceeded our expectations for this course," stated Tim Stark. The short course was attended by 66 people and covered the design, specification, testing, manufacturing, fabrication, installation, inspection and field testing of fabricated geomembranes in a variety of applications. The course was moderated by Tim Stark and 16 other speakers presented various components to the course. One goal of the course was to give attendees a wide range of experts from which to draw from.

The Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) has appointed Willem (Wim) De Vos as its new Chief Executive Officer. He succeeds Susan Oderwald, who left SPE in December. Willem De Vos comes to SPE after serving as CEO of the Vitalo Group, a global supplier of plastic packaging and thermoformed products. Previously he managed compounding and processing units of Recticel, an international producer of polyurethane automotive components. He entered the industry in 1991 with technical and sales positions at Eurocompound, a supplier to the textile and automotive industries.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 4 today has approved the Tennessee Valley Authority's (TVA) selected cleanup plan for the next phase of coal ash removal at the TVA Kingston site in Roane County, Tenn. The cleanup plan requires TVA to permanently store on site all of the ash being removed from the Swan Pond Embayment. The embayment area will then be restored to conditions that protect human health and the environment. After careful review of all comments received between January and April, TVA, EPA and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), agreed that the selected cleanup plan provides the best option to protect public health and the environment. According to the release, for the new perimeter dike TVA "will place dry ash atop an engineered base layer of sand, gravel and geo-fabric."

REMINDER: TRI Environmental's renowned classes on geosynthetics QA / QC in containment installations and with compacted clay liners and geosynthetic clay liners will be offered for the first time...

The 185-mile-long, historic Chesapeake and Ohio Canal--more familiarly known as the C&O Canal--was compeleted in 1850 and served as a major transport corridor for goods such as lumber and grain. Today, it is a national park surrounded by more than 12,000 acres of land. Not long ago, a towpath began to fail when drainage pipe broke. The saturated slope gave way and exposed a main water line for Arlington County, Virginia. Repair of the slope was key both for the preservation of this historic canal and for the safety of Arlington's water supply. Maccaferri's Green Terramesh® system was selected to provide slope stability and vegetation for the natural look park patrons and officials seek along the C&O. Construction was quick, economical and effective. Read Pino Cignarella's case study.

The deadline for sending an offer of a paper at Middle East Plastic Pipes 2010 is fast approaching. Please send a short summary and speaker name to me before 15th November 2009 at sh@amiplastics.com. Middle East Plastic Pipes 2010 will be held from 17-19 May 2010 at the JW Marriott Hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.