Containment

The construction industry in Europe has been in decline since 2008, with figures from Euroconstruct showing total spend of 1444 billion euros in 2008, 1316 in 2009 and an anticipated 1264 in 2010. Jon Nash of AMI Consulting reviewed this data in a market paper at the annual AMI conference Waterproof Membranes 2010, which took place in December in Cologne, Germany. Around 50% of construction was new build this year. The situation is expected to improve in 2011 with around 1% growth. Civil engineering has been sustained throughout this time frame by government expenditure.

LyondellBasell (NYSE: LYB) today announced that Bhavesh V. (Bob) Patel has been named senior vice president, Olefins & Polyolefins-Europe, Asia and International (EAI), with additional responsibilities for licensing and catalyst sales, effective immediately. Patel will succeed Anton de Vries who has departed from the company. Read more.

The Technical Textiles & Nonwoven Association is proud to announce the release of its latest learning resource on Geosynthetics: a series of informational geosynthetics lectures posted openly on YouTube. The videos address applications for geosyntehtic use and core product functions. Read more.

The Industrial Fabrics Association International's (IFAI) Expo Asia 2011 will include two technical sessions on geosynthetics. The event will be held 22-25 March 2011 at the new Marina Bay Sands Hotel and Exhibition Centre in Singapore. Session one is titled "Geosynthetic Applications for Infrastructure" and session two will be "Geosynthetic Materials for Environmental Applications." Learn more.

Seats are booking fast for the 3rd International Geosynthetics Middle East 2010. Looking at the current bookings so far, this event will be the largest conference on Geosynthetics in the Middle East organised by SKZ Germany. Under the patronage of Abu Dhabi Municipality, the event is taking place from 9-10 November 2010 in Abu Dhabi, UAE and will provide a highly attractive platform for international geotechnical and environmental specialists to exchange their knowledge and experience on geosynthetic related topics.

When the Germany-based organization SKZ first brought its renowned "Lifetime of Geosynthetics" seminar to the United Arab Emirates in 2008, it may have been tough to envision it becoming more than just a seminar filling a void in the region's professional development opportunities. This year, the event--3rd International Conference on Geosynthetics Middle East--marks its gathering with strong international and domestic support, including the patronage of the Municipality of Abu Dhabi City. The impressive program has been announced. Read more.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today released a draft Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL), a mandatory "pollution diet" designed to restore the Chesapeake Bay and its vast network of streams, creeks and rivers. The Bay is a complex ecosystem and an economic engine for the region, supporting a variety of industries from fishing to tourism. The draft TMDL -- which EPA is legally required to produce -- sets limits on the amount of nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment pollution discharged into the Bay and each of its tributaries by different types of pollution sources.

CEMATEX, the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers and the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) have announced a high-level business forum, to take place next year alongside the ITMA 2011 show, in Barcelona, Spain. Read more.

Data gathering work is nearing completion on the pumpback well system evaluation project at the Yerington/Anaconda mine. Pumpback wells were shut off in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the evaporation ponds and to fill in data gaps and further evaluate the project. Pond liners are expected to be repaired or replaced, especially where they use only old clay liners. Learn more here.;

State Route 710, a freeway heavily used by commuters and trucks hauling goods from the nation's busiest port complex, runs 23 miles from Long Beach to an abrupt end just east of Los Angeles. From there, tens of thousands of vehicles a day spill onto Alhambra city streets to reach other freeways. The 4 1/2-mile gap between the end of the 710 and Interstate 210 in Pasadena is a startling deviation from the rule that freeways are king in California. Learn more here.;

US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa P. Jackson shares her memo to the agency regarding her first year at the helm and the now-expanded list of priorities for going forward.

The International Symposium on Geotechnical Engineering, Ground Improvement, and Geosynthetics for Sustainable Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change including Global Warming was successfully held 3-4 December 2009 Bangkok, Thailand. The event included 150 speakers, more than 400 pages of proceedings, and attendees and exhibitors from around the world. Dennes Bergado, the conference chair and president of IGS Thailand, has authored a short write up.

About 25 miles west of Yuma, across the Colorado River in California's sand-dunes country, construction crews work day and night on two gaping basins that will, inside of a year, add another piece to Arizona's increasingly complex water future. Learn more here.;

The Munich-based chemical company WACKER is strengthening its presence in India by opening a technical center in Mumbai. The facility will serve as a regional competence center for developments and applications in the construction, coatings, plastics and textile coatings industry, the main focus being on construction polymers, silicone emulsions, sealants, silanes and silicone resins. The new technical center will enable WACKER to tap the fast-growing markets in this part of the world. The investment is aimed at providing local support to customers for developing new and customized products while promoting internationally recognized quality standards in India. In 2008, WACKER generated annual sales of nearly €50 million with more than 140 employees in India.

IFAI Expo Asia 2011 will be held 22-25 March 2011 at the new Marina Bay Sands Hotel and Exhibition Centre in Singapore, and is being organized to serve the rapidly growing specialty fabrics marketplace in the Asia-Pacific region. There is a tremendous output and consumption of specialty fabrics in the Asia-Pacific region. The current trade shows in India and China focus almost exclusively on the disposable nonwoven industry. IFAI Expo Asia 2011 will now become the first major event in the region that specifically targets as visitors the end-product fabricators who use all types of materials--woven, nonwoven, knit and composite textiles.

The Asia Mining Congress 2010 has announced its speaker list: Donald Lindsay, CEO, Teck, Canada; Sam Walsh, CEO, Rio Tinto Iron Ore, Australia; Nagi Hamiyeh, Managing Director -Investment, Temasek Holdings, Singapore; Fabio Barbosa, CFO, Vale, Brazil; and Ian Pearce CEO, Xstrata Nickel, Canada. Learn more about this event from Terrapinn at the conference website. Learn more here.;

Debate over a Weyerhaeuser landfill proposal in Washington state exemplifies the huge gap in landfill technology understanding between the industry and the public. One public opponent has contended he's pushed a Bic pen through a landfill liner. Not only would one not be allowed to do this on a site, but it would not be possible given the heavy-duty geomembrane used in modern lining systems. Objection is fine; but accuracy and facts are better. Learn more here.;

Dennes Bergado writes on the forthcoming symposium "Geotechnical Engineering, Ground Improvement and Geosynthetics for Sustainable Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change including Global Warming." A list of speakers has been released and is contained in Dr. Bergado's write up. Of note, more than 30 technical speakers will be part of the event. They are coming to the conference from more than 15 countries. Also, a comprehensive technical exhibition will accompany the discussions. The symposium takes place 2-3 December 2009 in Bangkok, Thailand.

Dr. Ian D. Peggs, P.E., P.Eng., has authored an introduction to ISO/TS 13434, "Geosynthetics: Guidelines for the Assessment of Durability." We publish here the sections on historical development, geotextiles, geosynthetic barriers and geogrids. For online readability, we've broken the sections into four pages, but all references have been repeated on each page for convenience of use. Links to the subsequent sections on geotextiles, geosynthetic barriers and geogrids can be found at the end of each part under "Related Sections." Begin here with the section on "Historical Development."

The Asia Mining Congress (23-27 March 2009, Singapore) is has released its full program. Download the program, access speaker information, and more in the latest online newsletter for the conference. Learn more here.;

The latest conference update from the Asia Mining Congress 2009 is available. The current issue includes information on the latest speakers from mining, manufacturing, governments, and investment groups; workshops; sponsors; and the most current event brochure. The conference will be held 23-27 March 2009, Singapore. Read the newsletter online. Learn more here.;

The latest conference update from the Asia Mining Congress (23-27 March 2009, Singapore) is available. Registrations placed before 30 November 2008 qualify for 10% discount. Read the latest on the event in the online newsletter. Learn more here.;

The latest conference update from the Asia Mining Congress (23-27 March 2009, Singapore) is available. The current issue includes information on the latest speakers from mining, manufacturing, governments, and investment groups; workshops; sponsors; and the most current event brochure. Read the newsletter online. Learn more here.;

The Asia Mining Congress 2009 is offering a complimentary seat at the congress's Sustainability Awards dinner with all registrations placed through 11 November 2008. This critical mining conference--the fifth in the series--will feature more than 100 speakers. It takes place in Singapore from 23-27 March 2009. Learn more here.;

The 5th annual Asia Mining Congress will be held 23-27 March 2009 in Singapore. The coordinators are offering free awards dinner tickets with registrations made before November 10. Read the latest update from the conference here. Learn more here.;