Containment

The Canadian Geotechnical Society (CGS) in collaboration with the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH/CNC) and the North American Geosynthetics Society (NAGS) will host GéoMontréal 2013, the 66th Canadian Geotechnical Conference and the 11th Joint CGS/IAH-CNC Groundwater Conference. The conference will be held at the Hilton Montreal Bonaventure Hotel, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 29 September – 3 October 2013. The theme for GéoMontréal 2013 is “Geoscience for Sustainability.” Abstracts are due: February 1

The annual Environmental Connection conference and exhibition from the International Erosion Control Association (IECA) is the premier educational event for the erosion, sediment control and stormwater industry. Environmental Connection, which will next be held 10-13 February 2013 in San Diego, California, combines intense, full and half-day training courses with topic-focused technical sessions and the largest expo of its kind. In our latest update on the event, learn about volunteer opportunities, short courses, a student scholarship, and more.

Geosynthetics veteran Ian Peggs was in Abu Dhabi, UAE in November for the annual Geosynthetics Middle East conference. He writes of the fifth installment of the conference, "One day was devoted to geotextiles, geogrids, and geocells, while another was devoted to geomembranes. Approximately 350 people registered and represented 30 countries including Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, UK, USA, Germany, Switzerland, India, Iran, China, Slovakia, and Poland. There were more than 30 exhibitors. The conference is organized by SKZ (Germany) with the assistance of BMC-Gulf." Read more.

Tetra Tech, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTEK) has announced that it has acquired solid waste management specialist American Environmental Group, Ltd. (AEG) of Richfield, Ohio. AEG provides environmental, design, construction, and maintenance services to solid and hazardous waste, environmental, energy, utility, and other industrial clients. The company has more than 500 employees and approximately $95 million in annual revenue.

Tetra Tech, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTEK) announced today that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Parkland Pipeline (Parkland), an Alberta-based company that serves the oil and gas industry in Western Canada. The company specializes in the technical support, engineering support, and construction of pipelines and oilfield facilities. Parkland has about 900 staff and approximately C$140 million in annual revenue. "Like other previous acquisitions, Parkland enables Tetra Tech to provide additional core water, environmental and engineering work to the pipeline industry while better serving these customers," said Tetra Tech's Chairman and CEO Dan Batrack.

Group CTT publishes a broad resource for the greater geosynthetics and textile industries: Textile Journal. Each issue examines market trends, changes in tests and standards, new opportunities for growth (e.g., nanotechnology), and much more. Read it online. Learn more here.;

ASTM International, together with the Bombay Textile Research Association (BTRA), will conduct a one-day workshop on geotextiles on 22 January 2013, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at BTRA's facilities in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. This free technical workshop will feature two speakers: Sam Allen, vice-president of TRI/Environmental Inc. and a longtime member of ASTM Committee D35 on Geosynthetics; and V.K. Patil, senior scientific officer in charge of the geotextile lab at BTRA. Learn more.

Yamba is a small coastal community on the northern beaches of New South Wales (NSW), Australia. and is known as the "Jewel in the Crown" for Clarence Valley Council, a point which was reinforced when it won "The Best Town in Australia" in 2009. In early 2012, undermining in the southeast corner of Whiting Beach was exposing key infrastructure, including the footpath, road, stormwater pipe work and chamber, pressurized sewer and a car park. ELCOROCK® Geotextile Sand Containers were seen as an ideal solution to fit these criteria and were adopted after consultation with Geofabrics Australasia, Fisheries and Crown Land.

TRI Environmental, Inc. (TRI), a leading international geotechnical, geosynthetic and erosion control materials services company, has announced the hiring of Abigail Beck, a design and CQA engineer with considerable experience in geomembrane-lined containment facilities in waste management and mining. She also has extensive experience with liner integrity surveys (also known as leak location/detection), an increasingly important and required environmental protection service in containment facility construction. In her new position, Ms. Beck serves as a Senior Engineer and will introduce a new role to TRI as its Director of Liner Integrity Services. Learn more.

The International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) has published the third issue of its 2012 volume of newsletter. Issue 28.3 delivers 40+ pages of stories from around the world, summarizing events, detailing opportunities in geosynthetics, profiling society activities, and more. Key stories in this issue include a reboot of the "Educate the Educators" initiative, results from the IGS Elections (2012 - 2016 term), the members-only proceedings library online, and much more.

American Environmental Group Ltd has grown to become one of the largest suppliers and installers of geosynthetic materials in North America, with offices across the country and multiple divisions. The company currently has a Geosynthetics Technical Manager position open at its Richfield, Ohio headquarters. Learn more about the qualifications and expectations here. And please share this opportunity with the geosynthetics experts you know who may be right for the position.

The Stormwater Equipment Manufacturers Association drafted a new Maintenance Agreement for use by state and local government agencies in setting an ordinance requiring the maintenance of all stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs). A sample Operation and Maintenance Agreement is contained in this document that includes templates for inspection checklists for each type of BMP, including water quality buffers. The inspection checklists can also serve as an inspection report for each facility.

The International Erosion Control Association's membership voted to re-elect Charles R. Riling, Jr., and Brock Peters, CISEC to the Region One 2013 Board of Directors. Joining Riling and Peters to the 2013 Board of Directors is new board member Craig S. Benson. The IECA Region One Board of Directors is made up of nine members, each serving a three-year term. Board positions will be decided at the Board meeting to be held at Environmental Connection 2013, IECA's annual conference and expo, February 10-13, 2013, in San Diego, CA, USA.

Terrafix Geosynthetics is sponsoring a workshop with internationally renowned geotechnical and geosynthetics practitioner Dr. R. Kerry Rowe. The event has limited space so pre-registration is a must. Register now for a spot at the January 8 session in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. Contact bherlin@terrafixgeo.com for registration information and visit the event information page for more details. Learn more here.;

On 1 November 2012, Dr.-Ing. F.- Hans Grandin took over as Managing Director of HUESKER Synthetic GmbH based in Gescher (Westphalia). Thus, after just ten months, Mr Grandin succeed Mr Wolfgang Huesker who, from now on, will return to devote his full attention to his tasks in the Advisory Board of the company. Established in 1861, HUESKER today is a company which pioneers the development and production of geosynthetics, agricultural and technical textiles for applications used throughout the world.

Environmental Connection 2013, annual conference and expo of the International Erosion Control Association (IECA), is the world's largest soil and water event. Combining quality education with a world-class expo, Environmental Connection 2013 is the premier gathering place for the erosion and sediment control community. Don't miss out as Environmental Connection comes to San Diego, 10–13 February 2013. Learn more about the short courses, early registration rate, and much more here.

The annual Waterproof Membranes conference from Applied Market Information (AMI) gathers 11-13 December 2012 in Dusseldorf, Germany. This year's program includes a strong mix of geotechnical and architectural influences, covering research and market updates, manufacturing advances, applications, new technologies, and more. The early registration bonus for the conference is significant. This year, attendees who register by November 9 can save €100 on registration. Learn more.

The exhibition area, already extended, has sold out and the international group of expert speakers are ready. The fifth edition of Geosynthetics Middle East, organized by SKZ and being held again under the patronage of Abu Dhabi Municipality, will unfold 19–20 November 2012 at the Rocco Forte Hotel in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. This year's speakers hail from the UAE, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Malaysia, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Italy, United Kingdom, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and Canada. They'll address the transportation infrastructure and environmental solutions theme through case studies, research, new materials and application approaches, and direct interaction with the attendees.

Maccaferri's professional development webinars have built a steady, strong following and addressed topics such as geotextiles and geogrids, MSE wall design and installation, gabions, rockfall protection, and embankment construction. These sessions run roughly 90 min, include expert presenters, provide a non-credit 0.15 CEU certificate, technical document downloads, and ample time for direct Q&A between the listening audience and the presenters. In November, the company is presenting two new sessions, both of which are free to participants. Learn more.

StormCon, the North American Surface Water Quality Conference and Exposition, is now seeking abstracts for presentations at StormCon 2013. The conference will take place August 18 – 22, 2013, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Abstracts are due December 5, 2012. We are seeking abstracts in six conference tracks plus the Coastal Protection Symposium. The six conference tracks are: (1) BMP Case Studies, (2) Green Infrastructure, (3) Stormwater Program Management, (4) Erosion and Sediment Control, (5) Water-Quality Monitoring, (6) Advanced Research Topics. Learn more here.;

THRACE LINQ, a global supplier of woven and nonwoven performance fabrics for a wide variety of textile applications, announces a rebranding to streamline and create a unified look and feel and highlight its identity and cohesiveness across its family Thrace Group.

The Fifth Asian Regional Conference on Geosynthetics (Geosynthetics Asia 2012) will be held at Centara Grand Lardprao Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand from 13 to 15 December 2012. GA2012 will be hosted by the International Geosynthetics Society-Thailand (IGS-Thailand), Asian Center for Soil Improvement and Geosynthetics (ACSIG) and Suranaree University of Technology (SUT) under the auspices of the Internationla Geosynthetics Society (IGS). The theme of this Conference is "Geosynthetics for Sustainable Adaptation of Climate Change".

The Geosynthetics Interest Group of South Africa (GIGSA), which is a chapter of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS), has published the October GIGSA Newsletter. This edition features stories on a new nonwoven manufacturer in South Africa, geocontainers for erosion control, the historical use of geotextiles in the Namibian road system, and more.

Two years ago the International Association of Geosynthetic Installers (IAGI) Board set up the IAGI Installation Awards of Excellence. The first Awards were handed out in 2011. The 2013 I^2 Awards are now open for entry. All IAGI members are reminded that this event, open only to projects on which they've worked, is free for them to enter. Deadline for submissions: 15 January 2013. Learn more.

irestone Building Products Company, LLC, a leading manufacturer and supplier of a comprehensive "Roots to Rooftops" system of building envelope solutions, has made a major investment in innovation with a new Global Technical Center. While construction was completed in spring 2012, the Center is now fully staffed and operational with advanced analytical testing technologies in place. The Center is located in Fishers, Ind., near Indianapolis.