Containment

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 September/October 2012 issue of Land and Water magazine is available. View the digital version online. This issue's stories include: Stormwater volume reduction retrofits; Improving vegetation establishment in surface mine reclamation; The Los Vaqueros Reservoir Expansion; Construction site BMPs; and more. Learn more 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.

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.

On Monday, 24 September, Deltares started a unique experiment with geotextile on the IJkdijk in Groningen on behalf of the Rivierenland Water Authority and with co-financing from the Room for the River program. A 15 m wide and 0.5 m long GeoDetect® filter and detection system, provided by TenCate, was positioned vertically in the clay layer of a test dike. The week-long test was engineered to see if this design approach could counteract piping. Sensors and water-pressure meters were used for monitoring. GeoDetect®, a unique sensor-enable geotextile, was developed to detect and interfere with internal erosion processes within hydraulic structures; but using it to deal with piping is an entirely new application. This latest experiment at the IJkdijk has shown for the first time in the field that geotextiles can actually stop piping.

On November 15 at 1:00 pm EDT, Maccaferri will host a webinar on "Gabions and Reno Mattresses in Hydraulic Applications." Topics for this engineers, planners, developers and contractors-oriented session include channel bank protection; drop structures; culvert inlet and outlet protection; and bridge abutment scour protection. Attendees will receive a non-credit 0.15 CEU certificate following the webinar and a link to download handouts, technical data sheets, product specifications, product installation guides, a gabion installation video, case studies, and design software. Learn more here.;

High-strength turf reinforcement mats made from vegetative or synthetic materials (or a combination of both) are used to prevent soil erosion in drainage areas and on steep slopes. A proposed new ASTM International standard, ASTM WK38408, Specification for Turf Reinforcement Mats, will be focused on mats made only with geosynthetics (no organic materials). ASTM WK38408 is being developed by Subcommittee D35.05 on Geosynthetic Erosion Control, part of ASTM International Committee D35 on Geosynthetics.

Congratulations are in order! Just prior to EuroGeo 5 in Spain, NAUE Geosynthetics' Andreas Dürbaum competed with teammates Christoph Dieker and Inga Hormann in Portugal at the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) World Single Driving Championships. Not only did the overall German team—which was comprised of three squads—win the team gold, but Andreas and his partners won the individual gold medal. Read more.

The Ijkdijk large-scale research program in the Netherlands is currently investigating the role sensor technologies can play in predicting earthen dike failures. In August and September this year, failures were precipitated, and the experiments showed that embedded sensors, such as in enhanced geotextiles like TenCate GeoDetect®, yield data that can predict failure well in advance.

The US Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) has been engaged in an extensive levee reconstruction program throughout the New Orleans, Louisiana (NOLA) region ever since 2005's Hurricane Katrina. Geosynthetics have been an important part of the geotechnical solutions. In this case study from Colbond, we take a look at how wick drains have been used to prepare and stabilize the area's very soft soils in order to allow levee reconstruction.

Italian geosynthetics manufacturing expertise is headed to India, one of the world's biggest infrastructure markets and a nation in which geosynthetics are getting a strong push from international and domestic companies, new engineering journals, and professional development events. On October 18, the India-based Business Co-ordination House (BCH) and the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers (ACIMIT) will hold a one-day symposium on "Woven Technologies for Technical Textiles – Special Focus on Fabrics for Filtration & Geotextiles." The event will take place at the Park Hotel (Parliament Street) in New Delhi. Learn more

Carlisle Energy Services, which has spearheaded solar energy-generating exposed covers on landfill cells in the United States, announced in an August 30 letter to clients and industry partners that...

Maccaferri, Inc. is pleased to announce the launch of their new website: www.maccaferri-usa.com. The new website offers a more contemporary look and feel, and provides users with a comprehensive overview of the solutions and products that Maccaferri offers to the civil and environmental engineering fields. Users will find the functionality and navigation to be more streamlined. New site features include: an interactive map to view case studies by location, access to LinkedIn and YouTube, and a searchable documents section for viewing and downloading brochures, design software, and a variety of other technical documents and drawings.

In-Line Plastics is proud to provide extensive expertise in the geomembrane sector, with manufacturing and large-panel fabrication services housed within a single company. Furthermore, we are located in Houston, Texas--the heart of the polyethylene manufacturing industry and directly accessible to the Port of Houston. Learn more about our capabilities and experience via our website or contact us directly. Learn more here.;

As we approach the opening of EuroGeo 5--the Fifth European Regional Conference on Geosynthetics--Germany-based HUESKER Group has announced a new organizational structure. Implemented in July in conjunction with the company's celebration of its 150th anniversary, the new strategy combines the continuance of its well-established customer support services and product lines with a drive towards innovation and high-quality, customized solutions.

Maccaferri has posted a new video with a series of images and application information from installations around the world. From geogrid used for debris control in a Swedish mining tunnel to rockfall netting/mesh in Australia; and from 20m+ high crusher walls in Africa to leachate containment in Peru--the video presents a strong range of applications and geosynthetic and affiliated-technology solutions. It's a nice overview. Learn more here.;

On the first full day of technical sessions at EuroGeo 5, Daniele Cazzuffi (CESI SpA, Italy), José María González (TRAGSATEC; ATEBA, Spain), and Ian Peggs (I-CORP INTERNATIONAL, Inc., USA) will chair a major session on Hydraulic Structures. This is also the IV International Symposium on Water Reservoirs.

In the latest issue of Erosion Control magazine, regular contributor Carol Brzozowski writes on flood control, streambank restoration, and creating public space. Among the experts she interviews is Fiberweb's Brian Whitaker, who shares thoughts on important design considerations.

It's been said that a "picture tells a 1000 words." This image from Kingscliff (NSW, Australia) says quite a bit more about the impact of geosynthetics. Geofabrics Australasia was part of this installation of geobags from earlier this year to correct severe beachfront erosion outside a surf life saving club. Note the traditional chunky riprap and its warning sign. And note the beach-goers resting comfortably against the newer, softer (yet stronger) beach protection measure.