Containment

ASTM International Committee D18 on Soil and Rock has announced a work item: WK33799, "Revision of D6528 - 07 Standard Test Method for Consolidated Undrained Direct Simple Shear Testing of Cohesive Soils." According to the rationale: "The standard has an 07 date and is due for review and potential revision. As the technology has changed over the years and we have gained experience there will most likely be some technical revision to the standard." Learn more here.;

Work on the new $5.2 million cell at the Alcoa-Maryville-Blount County Landfill (Tennessee) is almost complete. The cell will go into use later this fall, said Alcoa Public Works Director Kenny Wiggins. Learn more here.;

Green Group Holdings, LLC has announced plans to invest $40 million in Waller County, Texas to build Pintail Park, a mixed-use development and industrial park that will be anchored by Pintail Landfill. The proposed landfill will have multiple layers of groundwater protection, including a compacted clay liner, a 60 mil HDPE liner, and an extensive drainage system to remove rainwater and liquid away from the waste 24-hours a day. Learn more here.;

Otis Road Landfill, LLC is seeking Jacksonville, Florida City Council approval for a recycling landfill intended largely for construction and demolition debris, with land reserved for debris from disasters. The site includes a planned liner, which would be the first for this type of landfill in Jacksonville. Learn more here.;

The worlds foremost experts on storm and surface-water quality will get together in Anaheim, California August 21 - 25 to explore the newest water pollution prevention and mitigation technologies, share their recent experiences and discuss which strategies are most effective in minimizing surface water pollution. With NPDES compliance in mind, StormCon 2011 brings together municipal and government officials, builders and contractors, site inspectors, civil engineers, designers, regulators, enforcement officials, planners, consultants, researchers, educators, EPA officials, property executives and other water quality professionals under one roof to focus on this critically important topic.

The Fire and Emergency Services Department for Clayton County, Ga. has concluded its investigation into the fire that destroyed plastic products stockpiled in the external storage yard of the Tensar Plant in Morrow, Ga. They have concluded that the fire started accidentally as a result of sparks or heat generated when the plastic material or the metal basket in which it was being moved by a fork lift in the yard, came into contact with the concrete pavement.

Following the successful launch of the International Tunnelling Awards in 2010, New Civil Engineer in partnership with sister title, Ground Engineering, is now calling for entries for the 2011 awards which will this year take the exciting global programme to Hong Kong (30 November 2011). The closing date for entries is the 5 August 2011. Learn more. Learn more here.;

Federal officials have approved Monsanto Co.'s plans to expand mining operations in southeast Idaho's phosphate patch after concluding that a $30 million liner and drainage system would adequately protect nearby streams and rivers from selenium and other harmful minerals. The geosynthetic lining system was key to the project's approval. Learn more here.;

The deadline to submit abstracts to GeoAmericas 2012 is closing quickly (June 30). Building upon the success of GeoAmericas 2008, this event will provide significant networking and knowledge exchange opportunities for the major roles geosynthetics are playing in the expanding Latin American infrastructure. This Second Pan-American Geosynthetics Conference and Exhibition will be held 1-4 May 2012 in Lima, Peru. The official languages of the conference are English and Spanish.

Chattanooga-based Propex Operating Company, LLC announced today that Craig Martin has been appointed Vice President and Business Unit Leader for Geotextile Systems by Propex. Craig will report to Ralph Bruno, Executive Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing. "This is an exciting time of growth for the company and the Geotextile Systems Group specifically," says Bruno.

The Global Waste Research Institute (GWRI) of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, announced today that it had been awarded a $372,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to acquire an Optical Interferometry System to help research and analyze material surface characteristics for a variety of civil engineering, bio-medical, manufacturing, micro-electromechanical, and aerospace engineering applications. Example applications in waste and byproduct management areas will include quantification of surface characteristics of textured geomembranes used in containment systems and characterization of inclusions made of recycled materials such as tire chips, fly ash, glass, and plastics.

Thousands of Minot, N.D., residents were told to leave their homes as the Souris River swelled and threatened severe flooding. The water is expected to breach a dike system built in 1969 after severe flooding that year. New dikes are being built and others are being reinforced. Learn more here.;

The International Erosion Control Association (IECA) has announced that Barry Fagan, PE/PLS, CPESC, is being recognized with the 2011 Presenter of the Year Award. This award recognizes an outstanding presenter that demonstrates excellence in presentation skills, educational delivery and content preparation. The winner is determined through the review of presenter evaluations received at IECA's annual conference and expo.

Baku, Fineko/abc.az Azerbaijani-Russian joint venture Azrosprominvest with the support of the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank in Azerbaijan is to construct a geosynthetic clay liner (GCL) production factory. The plant’s capacity will reach 12,000 sq m of mats for 8 working hours. The volume of investments will depend on commercial business plans. Reportedly, the plant will produce Bentomat, which is a trademark held by CETCO. Learn more here.;

According to data collected by the International Energy Agency, bioenergy utilization has grown to be more than twice that of nuclear. Fossil fuels still account for 81% of world energy use, but bioenergy has grown substantially, particularly in developing regions of the world (Asia, Africa and Latin America).

Education at the International Construction and Utility Equipment Exposition (ICUEE 2011) will feature new "industry keynote" presentations, new workshop and certification programs and expanded input from leading industry associations. New this year, the International Erosion Control Association (IECA) will be conducting some sessions at the event. ICUEE will be held 4-6 October 2011 in Louisville, Kentucky.

Terrapinn's Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Mining Congress 2011 conference has released its official program. Considerable focus seems to be on operations/regulations in specific countries, supported by success stories from major international companies. View the program online. The event will be held 24-27 October 2011 in Dubai, UAE. Learn more here.;

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.

For the erosion-ravaged coast along Noosa Spit in Australia, tenders for the $1.6 million council first-stage plans, which involves geotextile bags and rock groyne, close this week. Learn more here.;

China invests 9% of its gross domestic product on infrastructure, Europe 5% and the U.S. 2%. Low U.S. infrastructure spending has led to deterioration of power-generation and water systems. It's estimated that repairs could cost $1 trillion. Learn more here.;

The Board of Directors of Sika AG has elected Paul Hälg to succeed current Chairman Walter Grüebler. Paul Hälg will assume office following the next Annual General Meeting on April 17, 2012. Jan Jenisch has been appointed new CEO of Sika AG. Jan Jenisch, who is to take up his new position on January 1, 2012, will be replacing Ernst Bärtschi.

Dave Presby, of Presby Environmental, Inc, based in the North Country town of Whitefield, has been in the wastewater treatment business a long time. His dad started the company in 1948, and Dave Presby began installing septic systems at the age of 15, which gives him 45 years experience. He's now designed a pipe system that treats effluent as it passes through. Learn more here.;

The Eagle River Preserve (Eagle County, Colorado) is now open to vehicles from dawn to dusk daily, following a closure to allow for winter wildlife habitat and installation of a pond liner this spring. Learn more here.;

Repairs to flood-protection infrastructure along the Mississippi River could cost up to a $1 billion, says the Army Corps of Engineers. However, the Corps' budget is just $210 million. "[W]e'll have to prioritize the efforts," said Col. George Shepard Jr., deputy commander of the Mississippi Valley Division of the Corps. "There are going to be some tough decisions on how to rack and stack those priorities with public safety at the top." Learn more here.;

With the erosion of Portsea Beach intensifying, local and regional officials sought a long-term, durable solution that could offer a slightly softer, more harmonious construction than traditional hard armour methods. They chose the ELCOROCK sand-filled geotextile containers from Geofabrics Australasia. The project and local news coverage has been captured nicely in this video on YouTube. Learn more here.;