Containment

The 28th International Conference on Solid Waste Technology and Management will be held in Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A. on 10–13March 2013. Participants are expected from over 40 countries. Researchers, educators, government officials, consultants, managers, community leaders and others with expertise in solid waste are invited to submit papers for oral presentation or poster session at the conference. Papers related to all aspects of solid waste technology and management are of interest, including landfill design, energy recovery, regulations, liners, caps, gas and leachate management, ash containment, mining and mineral wastes, and much more.

Colorado Lining International, Inc. is excited to announce the addition of Joe McCullough as its newest Regional Sales Manager. Joe will be located in southern California and will be focused on sales and service for flexible membrane projects in the western United States, including Alaska and Hawaii. He previously worked for Watersaver Co., Inc.

Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (ADS),the world's largest manufacturer of corrugated plastic pipe, today announced plans to open a new manufacturing facility in Watertown, South Dakota. The new plant will be fully operational by late summer 2012. The new Watertown plant is part of ADS' $10 million capital investment announced last August to add significant pipe production capacity to the region.

Manasanat's Mohammad Reza Ashgbousi has shared with us some notes from a pipeline protection project in the Persian Gulf's South Pars/North Dome Gas Field. (With 51 trillion cubic meters of natural gas and 7.9 billion cubic meters of condensate natural gases, South Pars/North Dome is the largest gas field in the world and is shared by Qatar and Iran.) Here, a 650m-long, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipeline for water outfall was protected by a geotextile-backed, flexible concrete block mattress (CBM) system. Read more about this protection application in the oil and gas sector.

Geofabrics Australasia has published Chapter 3 of its lecture series on the use and testing of coastal protection systems using geosynthetics. Here in Part 3, James Carly of the Water Research Laboratory discusses the test models and actual results which resulted in design methodology for the coastal protection system from Geofabrics. The lecture is part of the "Geosynthetics at Work" series produced by Australia's International Fibre Centre. This page also contains the videos from Chapters 2 and 1.

Raven Industries, a leading manufacturer of technologically superior blown and cast films is looking for a dynamic leader to help expand material and product development efforts. Utilizing a deep understanding of polymer processing, polymer science and material properties the ideal candidate will design and develop innovative new products, lead and direct Research & Development and Quality Assurance efforts and assist sales and marketing in product launches. This innovative leader will also serve as a resource to sales and service representatives for technical information.

In case you missed it in the February 2012 issue of Technical Textiles International, here's a link to a PDF copy of TTI's profile of Cooley Group. The company has long been known to the geosynthetics field for its geomembranes, such as polypropylene geomembranes in reservoir applications and specialty containment of oil spills. Read the profile here. Learn more here.;

The Geosynthetic Institute's (GSI) first newsletter of 2012 is, as expected, a crowded issue. This issue includes an overview of multiple research projects being conducted by the Geosynthetic Research Institute (GRI), such as the "Exposed Lifetime of Facing Geogrids Used at Landfill Berms"; an update on special information projects being created by Jamie Koerner (e.g., allowable leakage rate for waste ponds); an update on the Institute's wall certification program; and much more. Read it here (PDF)

Early this year Prof. Robert M. Koerner (Geosynthetic Institute) published the 6th Edition of his seminal textbook Designing With Geosynthetics. As with prior volumes, it comes with helpful test questions after each chapter with answers provided at the end of the book. For this week's meetings at Geosynthetica's headquarters (in Jupiter, Florida) we downloaded the (less than) $3.99 (!!) Kindle volumes of the 6th Edition via Amazon.com to test out an e-reader version. And we're happy to report the the two-volume work flows nicely in its digital version. For geosynthetic engineering that you can take with you, give the e-book a spin. (You can also acquire print copies, of course, in either hard or soft bound versions.) Learn more here.;

Titan Environmental Containment is has announced that it has added Corrugated Steel Pipe (CSP), high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe, and Bolt-A-Plate products to the company's supply arsenal. Learn more about these products and Titan at www.titanenviro.ca. Learn more here.;

rom 20-22 April 1977 the International Conference on the Use of Fabrics in Geotechnics was held in Paris, France. This watershed event included a paper from engineer Dr. J.P. Giroud in which he coined two terms that have become central to the field of geosynthetics: "geotextile" and "geomembrane." The Paris gathering introduced many new users to the fast-developing field of geosynthetics and, perhaps even more importantly, connected many companies, universities, and individual engineers who had already been furthering understanding of the materials—current and needed characteristics, manufacturing potential, applications for adoption, design methodologies, etc.

While it's renowned for its geosynthetic solutions, TenCate also has a very successful synthetic turf division. In the 2012 / 2013 season, the Dutch premier league club Heracles Almelo will be playing on a TenCate turf innovation that increases the durability of the turf system for consistent, long-term performance and increased site sustainability. The construction patented by the company for the Heracles Almelo project is now planned for entry into the general marketplace through TenCate's GreenFields® system.

Kuraray Americas EVAL EVOH layer has been proven to be an exceptional barrier to gases, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In geomembranes, EVOH layer greatly enhance the gas barrier performance of the membranes. (Geomembranes in general are engineered for liquid impermeability. Gas transmission rates can remain elevated; hence, the need for improved gas barrier performance.) Learn more about EVOH's role in this updated introduction to EVOH and Geosynthetics from Kuraray America (PDF).

The Second Pan-American Conference on Geosynthetics, GeoAmericas 2012, is set to take place 1–4 May 2012 at the Westin Lima Hotel & Convention Center in Lima, Peru. While we have looked mostly at the technical program here on Geosynthetica, we want to take a moment to recognize the extraordinary support of so many companies by way of sponsorships of various portions of the event and through participation in the commercial exhibition. See who will be there (including 50+ exhibitors).

The International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) has published its first issue of IGS News for 2012. Issue 28.1 includes a lead editorial from IGS President Jorge Zornberg on IGS's student and young member initiatives, a call for IGS Council member candidates, reports from key technical committees (Soil Reinforcement, Barrier Systems, Filtration), late 2011 event reports, news of international chapter activities, corporate member news, and much more. Read the issue here (PDF).

Leister Technologies AG, a worldwide leader in plastic welding and hot air equipment, has announced that U.S.-based calibration and repair services for its EXAMO tensiometers is now available through Leister USA in Chicago. Yearly recalibration is normally required for all tensile-testing devices in the geosynthetics and civil engineering industries. The new services through Leister USA will enable North American customers to remain compliant with these requirements, while reducing costs and downtime during tensiometer updates.

NAUE's geosynthetics are on full display in the latest issue of GEONEWS, published by Global Synthetics out of Australia. The April 2012 issue includes stories on the utilization of a geosynthetic clay liner (GCL) cap for the closure of a landfill, tunnel works in Brisbane, prefabricated drainage modules, biplanar drainage products in remediation applications, a new information series on GCLs, and more. Read the latest issue here (PDF).

Nordic Waterproofing Group strengthens the position in Nordic Countries by acquiring Nortett AS in Norway. Since the end of the 1970s, Nortett (previously Paus and Paus) has sold and marketed products for roofs, walls and foundations.

A new video from Strata Systems demonstrates how geocell is used to reinforce an unpaved highway shoulder for the Florida Department of Transportation (DOT). The installation was completed by CW Roberts Construction on US 331 on the Florida panhandle where soft soils were causing the roadside shoulder to become unstable at a bridge approach. The 8.5-ft. roadside shoulder was first excavated 6 in., then the subgrade was compacted with a heavy-duty vibration compaction roller. A 6 oz/yd2 nonwoven geotextile was laid next, followed by StrataWeb 30, a medium weight geocell with a 4-in. depth. The honeycomb shape of the geocell is one of the strongest structural shapes proven to solve difficult civil engineering problems associated with load support on soft soils. Lastly, #57 stone was spread over the geocell and compacted inside the cells with 2 inches of overfill. By using geocell and stone fill, the Florida DOT provided a safe, load bearing shoulder, without the expense of paving. WATCH THE VIDEO here.

The International Erosion Control Association (IECA) is calling for submissions for Environmental Connection 2013, annual conference and expo of IECA. Combining quality education with a top-notch expo, Environmental Connection is the premier gathering place for the erosion and sediment control community. The 2013 conference will be held in San Diego, CA, 10–13 February 2013. This year, IECA is focusing on the relevant issues and challenges facing erosion control and stormwater quality management professionals. Abstracts are due 31 May 2012. Read more, including about recommend topics.

The scale and scope of capping oilsands tailings ponds has limited reclamation work in the past. The presence of persistent clay in oilsands tailings has made consolidation of tailings a difficult task and many ponds remain too soft to cap many years after they are full. The tailings pond in this example was a Mature Fine Tailings (MFT) pond. This project profile from Layfield outlines the work done to start the capping of this tailings pond. Learn more here.;

LEED certified buildings require specific products and designs to reduce the building's impact on the local environment. Layfield has a number of key products that can be incorporated into the design of a LEED building to accomplish specific design requirements. Layfield provides a number of products for storm water retention and detention, drainage products for green roofs, and permeable pavements structures. The LEED points available for specific products or product designs can vary by region or source. We invite you to contact Layfield to confirm the LEED points for each product during the design phase of your project. Learn more here.;

The Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI) in collaboration with the Zofnass Program for Sustainable Infrastructure at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design (GSD) unveiled today a new infrastructure rating system, called Envision™. The system is designed to help policy makers evaluate the sustainability of infrastructure, set realistic national priorities, and conduct a national discourse on infrastructure investment. Through a holistic approach, the Envision™ system rates all types and sizes of civil infrastructure projects, and does so in terms of environmental, economic and community benefits.

A junior oil and gas exploration company contacted Layfield for a cost effective solution to provide on site water storage for an on going drilling and completion project in North Eastern British Columbia. This project is part of the ongoing efforts to exploit resources in the Deep Basin shale gas region. The oil and gas exploration company required approximately 1,500 m3 (1.5 million liters) of water storage. Read about the solution here. Learn more here.;

The explosion in Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE) structures designed and installed in the last 20 years has revolutionized the grade separation solutions used in site development construction. Accompanying this dramatic growth (or because of it) there has been an increasing frequency of MSE structure failure (excessive deformation and collapse) despite the fact that we know properly engineered and constructed MSE structures are capable of achieving what we are designing them to do. A new MSE Inspector Training and Optional Certification Exam will be held May 22 at TRI Environmental's Denver Downs Research Facility in Anderson, South Carolina. Read more in this preview.