Containment

The May 2011 issue of CE News includes a Progressive Engineering column on "Advances in Barrier Geosynthetics" by Geosynthetica's editor Chris Kelsey. The article takes a look at the direct shear results guide from ASTM Committee D35 on Geosynthetics; the important role ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) can play in gas barrier performance; and the new utilization of trenchless, anchored, exposed geomembrane caps. Insights from Kuraray, American Environmental Group Ltd., Raven, TRI and CETCO are included. Learn more here.;

Flooding from the overflowing Mississippi River is causing some states and the Army Corps of Engineers to reconsider their flood control strategies. Some suggested options include turning tracts of land into natural wetlands to absorb the flooding, training farmers to shift to practices that avoid contributing to flooding and runoff, and moving away from building levees, dams and spillways and focusing on diverting flood waters away from agricultural land and densely populated areas. Learn more here.;

In Port Motueka, New Zealand, residents and business owners are asking the local council to remove 1995-installed geosynthetic tubes, which were used to construct a soft groyne. The structure has failed by this point and caused significant challenges for boat navigation. Dredging and erosion control are needed. Learn more here.;

From 18-21 September 2011, the 6th International Mine Closure Conference (MC 2011) will gather at the Fairmont Chateau in Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada. This not-for-profit, annual conference is presented annually in various parts of the world by the Australian Centre for Geomechanics (ACG) and the Centre for Land Rehabilitation (CLR). In addition to three days of technical sessions, plenary speakers, networking events and a strong trade show, one of MC 2011's highlights is its impressive suite of short courses.

As part of an ongoing comprehensive review of the structural integrity of coal ash impoundment sites nationwide, EPA has required additional testing to ensure the safety and determine any corrective action necessary for five coal ash impoundments at the Alliant Energy Corporation’s Interstate Power and Light facility in Burlington, Iowa.

This project represents the largest ever emergency installation of a Defencell Flood Wall system in the United States. The Defencell Flood Wall is a geotextile-based system, originally developed for ballistic defenses in military operations, and can be quickly constructed utilizing local fill, sand, or other common aggregates. Within 24 hours of receiving a call from the USACE, Fiberweb delivered three miles worth of Defencell Flood Wall units that, once installed, would provide almost four feet of additional flood protection height to a key stretch of the levee in Smithland, Kentucky.

James Goddard, who recently retired from Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (ADS) as the company's Chief Engineer, has been made an Honorary Lifetime Member of the Plastics Pipe Institute, Inc. (PPI), the major trade association representing all segments of the plastic pipe industry. In recognition of Goddard's contributions to the PPI and the industry, the award was made during the group's annual membership meeting in May 2011.

TenCate Geosynthetics Americas has developed a seven-minute video clip "TenCate at Work Around the Globe" that features several innovative TenCate projects around the globe. These projects illustrate several possibilities and applications using geotextile materials, such as dewatering, steep slope reinforcement, soft soil coverage, and much more.

Mexico is considering ramping up shale gas production to support its petrochemicals sector which has traditionally used feedstocks based on crude oil, the country's energy minister said on recently. Although the prolific shales of Texas are believed to extend across the border into northern Mexico, littlehas been done to develop the deposits due to the state-controlled industry's focus on producing crude oil. Learn more here.;

This year, the Canadian Waste Sector Symposium (CWSS), Canada’s national conference, will be held in conjunction with the Canadian Waste and Recycling Expo (CWRE), Canada’s only trade event serving the waste, recycling and public works markets. The CWSS (November 6-9) is hosted by the Ontario Waste Management Association. The CWRE takes place immediately following with only a slight overlap (November 9-10). Both events will be held in Montreal, though at separate locations. Learn more here.;

North American Geosynthetics Society (NAGS) Executive Director David Suits has announced that NAGS is now an approved provider for professional development hours (PDHs). No additional information has yet been announced, but this is certainly a welcomed development for NAGS members. Learn more here.;

The pipeline industry is continuing to grow worldwide to provide increased security of energy and water supply, and with hostile environmental conditions in many locations, the pipeline protection market is expanding to meet the requirements. Noru Tsalic, Consultant at Applied Market Information, has valued the pipe coating market at around 5 billion euros in 2009 and predicts expansion to 6.5 billion euros by 2013. Tsalic was speaking at the February 2011 annual AMI conference on Pipeline Coating in Vienna, Austria. Read more.

In an effort to enhance the online experiences of its Institutes, ASCE has launched new websites for the Coasts, Oceans, Ports, and Rivers Institute (COPRI) and the Environmental and Water Resources Institute (EWRI). Each site features improved navigation and easier access to the information and services members demand. Discover new research, follow the Institutes' news, track upcoming events, view job openings, and much more. Visit the COPRI website at: http://asce.org/copri. Learn more here.;

In an effort to enhance the online experiences of its Institutes, ASCE has launched new websites for the Coasts, Oceans, Ports, and Rivers Institute (COPRI) and the Environmental and Water Resources Institute (EWRI). Each site features improved navigation and easier access to the information and services members demand. Discover new research, follow the Institutes' news, track upcoming events, view job openings, and much more. Visit the EWRI website at http://asce.org/ewri. Learn more here.;

World of Coal Ash 2011 will be held in Denver, Colorado 9-12 May 2011. WOCA is an international conference organized by the American Coal Ash Association (ACAA) and the University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research (CAER). The 2011 conference will mark the two organizations' fourth joint biennial meeting. It will again focus on the science, applications and sustainability of coal ash worldwide. As such, it will encompass all aspects of coal combustion products (CCP's) as well as gasification products. 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.;

In its latest release, Western Environmental writes: "With geomembrane liner technology advancing all the time, for applications such as landfills, pond liners, oil liners & waste ponds, it is important for the liner company you work with to be up to date with what is available as well. Western Environmental Liner is constantly on the lookout for better products for their customers." Read more.

Raven Industries Engineered Films Division is an approved course provider for the American Institute of Architects Continuing Education System (AIA/CES). Raven's next one-hour AIA/CES course, a live webinar, will be held May 11 at 1:00 (CDT). Subject: "Critical Elements in Specifying Underslab Moisture & Gas Barriers." Learn more. Learn more here.;

EPIC Green Solutions, a UAE-based international water management solutions company specialising in highly efficient sub-surface irrigation and drainage systems, announced today that it has finalised an agreement with Firestone Building Products Company LLC, a subsidiary of Firestone in North America.

Fox Waterway Agency Executive Director Ingrid Danler will leave the agency at the end of May, officials said Friday. Under Danler, the FWA has created two nationally recognized island restoration geo-tube projects, and planned and permitted for a larger island restoration project. It also received the 2008 Project of the Year award from the American Public Works Association for work at Ackerman Island, helped stabilize the shorelines of slowly eroding Pape Island, and opened multiple drying sites for silt dredged from the waterway. Learn more here.;

Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (ADS) is pleased to introduce Advanced Drainage Structures, which is already providing a complete line of custom and stock sanitary and storm water structures for infrastructure projects. Advanced Drainage Structures is located in Greencastle, PA at the former site of Frederick Precast Concrete, Inc. Read more.

In the Geosynthetics Magazine blog, Andrew Aho of the Geosynthetic Materials Association (GMA) writes about the recent National Transportation Product Evaluation Program (NTPEP) meeting in San Antonio. He writes, "Some of the state DOT representatives shared their reasons for wanting better 'traceability' of the primary manufacturers by printing identifications directly on the geotextile fabrics." Read more. Learn more here.;

According to the Philippines' newspaper Tempo, the Belgium-based company Baggerwerken Decloedt en Zoon (BDC), which had spent four years trying to bring a proposed P18.7-billion (USD$435 million) lake rehabilitation project to life, has announced the project has been canceled. The government scrapped the Laguna Lake Rehabilitation Project (LLRP) without further comment. BDC had planned to dredge the lake and store the silt/sand in a newly created, geotextile-lined wetland. Learn more here.;

Leister Process Technologies interviewed Urs Streuli of Sika Bau AG, regarding the New Rail Alpine Crossing (NEAT) construction in the Gotthard Tunnel. This interview is a companion piece to Christophe von Arx and Norbert Tholl's article "At High Speed through the Heart of Europe: The Gotthard Base Tunnel."

The next phase of Biosphere 2 is about to begin. In this next step, the innovative research site in Arizona will enclose soil slopes and investigate how vegetation, topography and other factors affect rainwater's journey through a watershed. One of the tools being studied and used to help make the facility sustainable is solar cells adhered to geosynthetics. Learn more here.;