Containment

The latest Week in Review column is available. We look back at the news that shaped the week in geosynthetics, from North American Green's new site to Ian Peggs' piece on electrical leak location versus water balance testing; from Russia infrastructure news to Milliken's acquisition; and so much more. Read it today.

Under the umbrella of the Department of Energy’s renewable energy funding, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced last week that up to $30.6 million in stimulus funds would go into modernizing seven hydropower projects. Read more. Learn more here.;

The latest issue of Compounding World magazine is now available for viewing on-line. Use the link below to see our March 2010 edition in full. This issue includes articles on polymer distribution strategies; developments in antioxidants; the inside story on extruder design; concerns over RoHS revisions; nanotubes are the talk of Tokyo; Chemtura shifts its focus; and more. 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.

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.

The GeoAmericas 2016 Proceedings have been released to the engineering community. The conference, which was the 3rd Pan-American Conference on Geosynthetics, was held 10 – 13 April 2016 in...

By NAUE – The need to mitigate the impact of flooding has intensified as floods have become more frequent and serious. All types of dams are being reassessed. Their...

We would like to thank all of our viewers for your patience with gsa regarding the aftermath of Hurricane Frances. Power was restored to our offices on Wednesday, Sept 15, and we are very pleased to be able to update the site for you as of today. Feel free to contact us with items of interest - specifications (material, installation), employment opportunities, technical articles, products, projects, news, etc. for inclusion on geosynthetica.

AMI's magazine Compounding World has released its July/August 2009 issue. It is available free for viewing online. The current issue contains articles on innovations in clarifiers and nucleating agents; analysis of the Asian masterbatch markets; expert views on compounding nanocomposites; eight pages of news from Chicago's NPE show; BASF reveals restructuring plans for Ciba; and PolyOne announces sustainable developments. View the issue today. Learn more here.;

ASTM International Committee D35 on Geosynthetics has announced that D7748, 12e1 Standard Test Method for Flexural Rigidity of Geogrids, Geotextiles and Related Products has been editorially changed. This test method covers the measurement of stiffness properties of geogrids, geotextiles and geogrid-geotextile composites all of which are referred to as geosynthetics within this standard. Bending length is measured and flexural rigidity is calculated through use of the cantilever test procedure. Learn more here.;

Papers are invited for the Third Symposium on Current and Future Practices for the Testing of Multi-Component Geosynthetic Clay Liners, which will be held 29 June 2012 at the Sheraton San Diego in San Diego, California. Sponsored by ASTM International Committee D35 on Geosynthetics, the symposium will be held in conjunction with Committee D35's June standards development meetings. 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.

Geosynthetics 2009 is the largest geosynthetics industry event in North America. This biennial event will explore important issues affecting water resources, mining, infrastructure development and regulatory communities in the American, Canadian and Mexican markets. Organizers have announced an extention to the early registration rate to 30 January 2009. Register now to secure the best rates. The event will take place 25-27 February 2009 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Learn more here.;

From 1963 - 1977, Maxey Flats in Kentucky accepted nuclear waste for disposal. Since 1977, the site has been an on-going cleanup and monitoring site. A geomembrane cap was installed to prevent further incursion of water after 900,000 gallons of leachate was extracted, and a final cap is planned. Today, the site is considered much safer and is welcoming visitors to observe and learn about the environmental controls. Learn more here.;

The strong registration for the August webinar on "Design Considerations for Coal Combustion Residual Landfills" has prompted a second session to be arranged. On September 14 at 10:00 am CDT, Chris Athanassopoulos, P.E. (CETCO) and John Seymour, P.E. (Geosyntec) will present an encore presentation of their one-hour webinar on the current state of practice related to geosynthetic clay liner (GCL) chemical compatibility and present research on new GCLs with improved chemical resistance to coal combustion residuals (CCRS). Design considerations for vertical/lateral expansions over CCR ponds and landfills will also be covered. Registration is free. Topics: CLs for CCR Containment; Advances in Design of Landfills over CCR Ponds and Landfills Learn more here.;

A section of the Lehigh River towpath in Allentown that had been closed since October has reopened, just in time for joggers, bikers and outdoors aficionados to enjoy Canal Park for the holidays. A breach in the canal forced city officials to close part of the towpath while repairs were made. New clay was added to the towpath and canal channel and a synthetic liner was installed to make the fix watertight. Learn more here.;

The International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) South African Chapter, the Geosynthetics Interest Group of South Africa (GIGSA), has published its latest newsletter. This issue features a lead article from Jonathan Shamrock (Jones & Wagener) on the significant changes coming to the country's waste management facility design regulations. Geosynthetics will play a key role in new designs, but with increased use comes the potentially increased risk of interface failure planes and heightened communication needs in the project cycle. Also of note in the issue: Peter Davies provides a barrier systems information archive recommendation, shale gas extraction is addressed, the winner of the IGS/GIGSA student award is announced, Edoardo Zannoni takes a stab at specifications, and Belinda Mills & Brendon Jewaskiewitz (Envitech Solutions (Pty) Ltd) write on "Geosynthetic Lining System Design versus Practical Installation: Lessons Learned." Read these articles and more in GIGSA's newsletter (PDF).

Geosynthetica welcomes its newest underwriter: Carlisle GeoMembranes. With a renowned supply of reinforced and unreinforced polypropylene geomembranes, EPDM geomembranes, and the GeoRod and GeoFlashing product lines, Carlisle's containment technologies are utilized in aquaculture, agriculture, potable water, mining, and many other application sectors. Learn more at the company website. Learn more here.;

The National Association of County Engineers (NACE) will hold its 2011 conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota from 17-21 April 2011. As the event comes to the North Star state, it will operate under an appropriate theme: "Guiding with Vision." One of the most intriguing sessions that will be held, particularly from the perspective of the geosynthetics fields. One of the key sessions will focus on geosynthetic-reinforced soil (GRS) bridge abutments. These GRS construction approaches have been economical and fast to construct. They abutments themselves have performed wonderfully, and these successes are helping transform the practice.

Governor David A. Paterson today announced the start of construction on a $4.6 million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act-funded project to close and cap the Akey Road Municipal Landfill in the City of Plattsburgh. Crews will seal the site in a safe, environmentally-sensitive manner, saving local taxpayers an estimated $2.9 million in avoided interest expense and protecting local groundwater. Governor Paterson has certified this and seven other clean water projects, totaling $19 million in federal economic recovery funds for the North Country Region.

By Daniele Cazzuffi – RemTech 2013 will be held 18-20 September 2013 in Ferrara, Italy. This marks the 7th edition of a growing international event focused on remediation technologies. The...

In March 2014, I published “A Brief History of Geotextiles” in Land and Water Magazine. (A copy of that article may be downloaded in PDF here.) It would take...

AGRU’s 2018 first quarter is off to a strong start. The company’s XXL Pipe Production Facility in South Carolina equipped to extrude the world’s largest high-density polyethylene pipe. The...

Permathene's December 2009 Newsletter is now available in PDF. The issues contains a review of conferences and events in 2009, issues raised during the year (such as water infrastructure concerns), an impressive project note with gabions in Sydney, an update on the growing use of gabions in landscape architecture, and baffle curtains in New Zealand. Read the latest from Permathene today. Learn more here.;

BERLIN – When the quadrennial International Conference on Geosynthetics (10ICG) convenes at the state-of-the-art ESTREL Convention Centre in Berlin, 21 – 25 September 2014, it will connect multiple geotechnical...