Containment

Advances in energy conversion, architecture, geotextile design and sensor technologies are leading material design Rachael Wingfield into urban gardening. Her "Metabolic Media" is an attempt to synthesize what has been discovered in other fields and material classes to create technologies that will enable more urban farming. Learn more here.;

With the expected economic recovery in 2010, do Québec entrepreneurs really believe that the effects of the economic crisis are behind them? What real issues have they faced in the past 12 months? What is their outlook for 2010? The next Confidence Index - Solidarity Fund QFL will shed some light on these questions. The questions and more will be discussed on December 4 in Québec. Among the speakers will be Groupe Solmax's Jacques Côté.

Germany-based polymeric materials machine manufacturing firm KraussMaffei Berstorff reports that LCC Polytar, a plastics processing subsidiary of Russian giant Gazprom, will install a polyolefin sheeting line at its Salavat Production Plant. The single extruder line will initially produce up to 2.5m-wide, 40mm-thick sheeting, including geosynthetics (such as for waterproofing applications). The KraussMaffei line retains the capacity to be retrofitted with multi-layer oriented coextrusion technologies too.

The Interstate Technical Group on Abandoned Underground Mines (ITGAUM) is issuing a call for papers to be presented at its 8th Biennial Workshop. The workshop is scheduled for 21-24 September 2010 in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Abstracts are due by 7 May 2010. Learn more.

The former Morgan County dump that operated for decades Great Cacapon, West Virginia will be capped and sealed off by state landfill experts in summer 2010. The 12-acre dump, which has not accepted trash or debris since 1991, has been on a waiting list for the state’s Landfill Closure Assistance Program for years. A cap and drainage management system will be installed, then two feet of clean soil will be added. Learn more here.;

The USGS estimates that the Arctic holds about 22 percent of the world’s undiscovered conventional oil and natural gas resource base, 30 percent of the world’s undiscovered natural gas resources, 13 percent of the world’s undiscovered oil resources, and 20 percent of the world NGL resources. Access, exploration, mining and environmental preservation are issues to be discussed at the Arctic Technology Conference 2011 (7-9 February 2011) in Houston. Abstracts are accepted through 1 August 2010. Learn more here.;

HUESKER Synthetic GmbH hosted a special conference on 19 and 20 January 2012 in Düsseldorf and welcomed representatives of subsidiaries, numerous national and international business associates and partners of the company as well as representatives of engineering companies, testing institutes, authorities and universities.

Presenters and paper topics for GeoAfrica 2009 (2-5 September 2009, Cape Town, South Africa) have been posted at the conference website. It is an interesting mix and bodes well for discussion. View it online today. Learn more here.;

Another article has appeared regarding the cleaning of the Cocheco River's muddy flats in New Hampshire. Geotextile mats are being laid to help confine the polluted sediment. The geotextile capping system will be monitored by the University of New Hampshire for two years and the performance of the system will be weighed against more common approaches such as dredging and sand-only caps. Learn more here.;

The International Erosion Control Association’s (IECA) annual Environmental Connection conference will gather February 16 – 19 in San Antonio, Texas. Geosynthetica will be in the international exhibit hall in...

The Australian Antarctic Division has been involved in exceptional soil remediation works at Casey Station. Fuel spills have occurred at the site over the years. Very large volumes of...

THE first grains of sand have started spilling on to Mooloolaba Spit along Australia's Sunshine Coast from a new pipeline that will deliver about 10,000 cubic metres of sand over the next two months. The beach replenishment program is part of a series of measures aimed at saving the severely eroded Spit. Other steps include dune stabilisation and construction of a geotextile sandbag wall. Learn more here.;

National Geographic reports on the closure of "Little Blue Run," the largest coal ash pond in the United States. The 1,700-acre site does not have any geosynthetic lining system and has operated since 1974. Groundwater testing near the site has discovered that arsenic, sulfates, and chlorides have leached into the water from the coal ash reservoir. The United States still has no official policy on coal ash management, though the 1.1 billion gallons that spilled from an unlined Kingston, Tennessee facility in 2008 put the issue of coal ash regulation in the public eye and organizations such as the Geosynthetic Materials Association (GMA) have helped inform environmental agencies and policymakers on the how geosynthetic lining systems protect municipal solid waste facilities and could protect coal ash storage too. Learn more here.;

Brecon Beacons National Park in south Wales was the scene of a rather dramatic canal breach last year. Almost a year to the day later, an $8 million repair scheme is moving quickly and erosion control measures are installed and a 25 km stretch of canal is being improved. The most at risk areas are being lined with geosynthetics. Concrete is being placed atop. Learn more here.;

The International Association of Geosynthetic Installers (IAGI) has published its first newsletter of 2012. This issue includes a welcome note from new IAGI President Todd Harman, an article on the Certified Welding Technician (CWT) "Renewal Process 2.0," an update to the IAGI Buyer's Guide, industry news, a call for entries for IAGI's awards, and an article from Elizabeth Peggs on the beta testing of Geosindex.com. Read the newsletter here (PDF)

E&A Ltd have announced that its subsidiary Fabtech SA Pty Ltd has formed a strategic alliance with Layfield Geosynthetics & Industrial Fabrics Ltd. The production and distribution agreement focuses on geosynthetic lining solutinos for applications such as water conservation, floating covers, and storage dams. From Business Spectator. Learn more here.;

On 27 February 2009, the Geosynthetic Institute will deliver the 22nd installment of its GRI conference series. GRI-22 has been formed under the title "It's All in the Details." These shorter, discussion-prompting presentations will group under the headings of materials and testing, field installation, field performance, and new devices, concepts and presentations. Though a one-day event, GRI-22 is going to be as full as one would hope. Seventeen presentations will be given, as will time for discussion. It's a can't miss event in the geosynthetics field. We encourage everyone to attend--GRI-22 is co-located with Geosynthetics 2009 (Salt Lake City, 25-27 February 2009). Here is the final program for the event, courtesy of Drs. Robert and George Koerner of the Geosynthetic Institute.

Bob Drake, editor of CE News and Rebuilding America's Infrastructure, has announced a new magazine contact email address: bdrake@zweigwhite.com. This updated address is the result of ZweigWhite's reacquisition of CE News and other publishing properties from Stagnito Media. Phone and physical address are: Bob Drake (Editor), CE News, 6170 Sandy Ridge Cir. NW, North Canton, OH 44720. Phone +1 330 966 2454. Learn more here.;

The Company confirms that its Annual General Meeting will be held on 29 March 2012 at The Cumberland Hotel, Great Cumberland Place, London, W1C 1LZ, commencing at midday. A notice convening that meeting has today been posted to shareholders (and submitted to the National Storage Mechanism) together with a copy of the Company's Annual Report for the year ended 30 November 2011. In accordance with section 311A of the Companies Act 2006, certain information concerning the AGM is given on the Company's website at www.lowandbonar.com.

ASTM International Committee D35 on Geosynthetics will hold a seminar on geosynthetics in India 2 – 4 December 2015. The event will be held at the Bombay Textile...

Tensar's main United Kingdom office has been awarded the North West Greater China Business Award. The Blackburn-based firm was presented with the award at the North West Greater China Business Awards at a banquet hosted by UK Trade and Investment and the North West Regional Development Agency (NWDA). The awards recognize businesses and organizations that are cultivating strong trade links with China. Learn more here.;

While it still focused almost exclusively on more temporary erosion control mats (such as coconut or jute-based), the Philippines geotextile manufacturing industry has restarted in the wake of landslides that claimed a number of lives. Weak demand for even coconut-based materials led to the closing of many facilities in recent years. Learn more here.;

In late 2019, the GeoEngineering Centre posted a video presentation from Queen's University PhD student Vanessa Di Battista. The topic, “GCLs and Antarctica: Effects of Subgrade on Hydration and...

CQA Solutions, creator of the SuperTek software validation system for construction quality assurance work in geosynthetics, has earned Microsoft Gold Certification for the product’s developer, NextSphere Technologies. The recognition is a...

By Chris Kelsey – This is Part 1 of 2 of a profile. Part 1, based on an interview with HUESKER North America's first president, Tom Collins, looks at...