Containment

The Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) has added the 2009-published book Thermal Analysis of Polymers: Fundamentals and Applications by Joseph D. Menczel and R. Bruce Prime. This book emphasizes the practical uses of thermal analysis. Each chapter guides readers through the applications of thermal analysis for polymer characterization, with detailed examples that show how to perform each step. Learn more here.;

Geosynthetic Materials Association (GMA) managing director Andrew Aho had an opportunity to address the Geosynthetics Committee at the Transportation Research Board’s 90th Annual Meeting on 25 January 2011 in Washington, D.C. His comments on geosynthetic utilization in transportation and coal ash have been republished by Geosynthetics magazine. Read them online. Learn more here.;

In a blog posted at Daily Tech, Jason Mick writes on how Dr. Anke Nellesen and colleagues at the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology in Germany created an elastomeric material capable of responding to stresses with something of a "self-healing" property. While the process cannot be totally self-controlled--it requires external monitoring and input of ions--it does seems possible to automate it. Perhaps discoveries like this will lead to polymeric olefin and synthetic rubber membranes that can respond to stress before cracking and failure. Learn more here.;

The Coeur Rochester mine in Rochester, Nevada produced 4.6 million ounces of silver and 52,600 ounces of gold in 2016. One of the reasons for the success of the...

The Minnesota Erosion Control Association (MECA) is planning its 2010 Annual Erosion Control and Stormwater Management Conference and Trade Show. The event will be held 11-12 March 2010 in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Organizers seek presentations of two types: local projects completed for stormwater management or erosion and sediment control; new innovative products for stormwater management or erosion and sediment control. Abstracts and titles are due by 31 July 2009 to meca@mnerosion.org.

Two years ago, Geofabrics® engaged a leading consulting firm, Parsons Brinckerhoff Australia (PBA), to test a range of geotextiles sold by various companies in Australia and to report independently on whether those geotextiles met with the published specifications about them. The independent testing samples involved at least six grades of geotextiles per supplier. The variations in the data are intriguing.

Jack-Gregor Tcherniavsky, the managing director of Tencate Geosynthetics Africa region, has been quoted in an article about the coming oil industry in Uganda. Geosynthetics will play a role in the country's infrastructure growth andin the oil sector's development. As the former may be reliant on the latter's success, geosynthetics perhaps stand to be of special interest. For example, "there will be a need to build more roads and more infrastructure," Mr, Tcherniavsky said. Learn more here.;

CRIII is the final phase of Hong Kong's Central District Waterfront Reclamation Project and includes the first phase of the Central-Wanchai Bypass Project. The seawall has been the most important innovation of the project, involving seawall foundation, seawall structures such as cooling water pumping stations, bermstones, hand packed rubble, leveling course, seawall blocks, concrete coping and laying of geotextile. Read more. Learn more here.;

The Gruber and Haager families, as well as all Agru Company employees worldwide, are saddened to announce the death of their father & founder, Mr. Alois Gruber Sr., on...

ASTM International Committee D35 on Geosynthetics has revised standard D5199, "Standard Test Method for Measuring the Nominal Thickness of Geosynthetics" as D5199-11. This test method may be used for acceptance testing of commercial shipments of geotextiles and geomembranes, but caution is advised since information on between-laboratory precision is incomplete. Comparative tests may be advisable. Learn more here.;

The Texas Legislature is considering a bill that will eliminate dam safety regulation for over ninety-four percent of the dams in the state. Amendment 21 to House Bill 2694, passed by the House of Representatives on 19 April 2011, will exempt all dams that store less than 1000 acre feet. This will eliminate all public safety requirements for 7013 of the 6631 total dams presently under the regulatory authority including701 high hazard potential dams and 744 significant hazard potential dams.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced $2.6 million in brownfields grants to communities Northern California. Sacramento, Placer County, Nevada City, the Northcoast Environmental Center, Oroville Redevelopment Agency, the Esparto Unified School District and the Rancho Cordova Community Redevelopment Agency are all receiving funding through the Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup Grants program. Across the nation, nearly $80 million in brownfields grants will be used for the assessment, cleanup and redevelopment of brownfields properties, including abandoned gas stations, old textile mills, closed smelters, and other abandoned industrial and commercial properties.

In his latest post from the Uncontained series, construction quality assurance (CQA) expert Glen Toepfer writes on 5 things we in the geosynthetics and affiliated geotechnical and civil engineering...

During the January 2012 Dinner Meeting of the Delaware Valley Geo-Institute Chapter, the Geosynthetic Institute's (GSI) Drs. Robert Koerner and George Koerner will speak on the subject of "Geosynthetics Issues with Marcellus Shale Development." The dinner will be held 17 January 2012 at the Radisson Valley Forge. (Meeting at 5:30 pm; dinner at 6:30; presentation at 7:15.) Learn more about this dinner and GSI's research into geosynthetics and shale gas.

The discipline of liner integrity surveys and assessments (LISA) has changed quickly and has had a dramatic impact internationally on the quality of waste and water-related geosynthetic containment systems....

Flooding in Romania has become a major problem this year. The European Union is now stepping in to assess the situation and relief strategies. Some nations, such as Hungary, are offering immediate help in the way of dewatering pumps, geotextile rolls and other hands-on, water management materials. Learn more here.;

A great deal of attention has been paid to the use of oil booms--a generally small-scale production item that has become central to large-scale containment of oil in the Gulf of Mexico. According to the US government's response website, www.RestoreTheGulf.gov, more than 3.51 million feet of oil booms have been deployed. Another 820,000+ feet are on-hand for deployment. Also in the July 21 numbers: more than 41,000 responders and 4,300 vessels have been involved in the oil zone response. Learn more here.;

Global water supplies are being called by some "the new gold." Concerns with scarcity and pollution have placed a premium on water in many regions, and this has brought about a renewed interest in conservation technologies. At Geo-Frontiers 2011, water management issues will be dicussed. A primary example of the improved methodologies for the containment and conveyance of this precious resource is Wednesday, March 16's 3:00 - 4:30 pm presentation from Carmen Franks with Allen Davis and Ahmet Aydilek. They will address "Geosynthetic Filters for Water Quality Improvement of Urban Stormwater Runoff." Learn more here.;

How do additive packages, resins, HPOIT and OIT testing, and other components and quality control measures to geomembranes affect material durability and performance? Solmax engineer Mathieu Cornellier led a...

The 10th International Conferences on Geosynthetics (www.10icg-berlin.com) will be held at the ESTREL CONVENTION CENTRE in Berlin, 21 – 25 September 2014. And though it is only March as...

Plastics Technology has changed its long-running monthly resin pricing column. The editors will now focus on "benchmark" grades of the four main "commodity" resins: polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, and polyvinyl chloride. The content of this article each month will be based on analysis of global feedstock, resin, and economic trends by resin purchasing consultants at Resin Technology, Inc. (RTI). RTI's input will add new "suggested action strategies" section for resin buyers. Also, a new pricing chart, based on data gathered by Plastics Technology, now focuses on the market prices of just the benchmark grades of commodity resins, supplemented by the latest North American short-term futures contracts from the London Metal Exchange (LME) for benchmark grades of LLDPE and PP. Learn more here.;

GeoMEast 2018 International Congress and Exhibition will be held in Cairo, Egypt from 24 – 28 November  2018 at Marriott Mena House Hotel in front of the Great Pyramids. The theme...

The Board of Directors of AMCOL International Corporation has appointed Ryan F. McKendrick to the position of Chief Operating Officer of AMCOL effective 1 January 2010. Mr. McKendrick has been with the company for a total of 25 years. For the last 11 years he has led AMCOL's Environmental segment, including serving as President of CETCO. The Board of Directors of AMCOL has appointed Bob Trauger to replace Ryan as head of AMCOL's Environmental segment and serve as President of CETCO. Mr. Trauger has been with CETCO since 1991, most recently serving as Vice President, Engineering and International Development. Learn more.

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.

The organizers for GeoMontreal 2013 have released the latest updates for the event, including a reminder of the 31 July 2013 early-bird registration deadline. GeoMontreal 2013 will be held...