Containment

The Wall Street Journal reports that L2 Capital has acquired Landfill Service Corp., a landfill operator with interests in erosion control and hydro seeding. Among its many products and services, the company offers its Posi-Shell environmental coatings. Learn more here.;

During the Geo-Frontiers 2011 conference, there was some whispering that Mark Smith, who founded Vector Engineering (now Ausenco Vector) would be coming out of retirement to retake the reins of his old firm. This is not true, Mark reports. While he may be taking up more engineering-related speaking engagements in 2011, he is not retaking a management role at Vector. He continues to be most active with the Smith International Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to opening dialogs between the resource industries and the communities they affect. Visit the Foundation on Facebook. Learn more here.;

In recent large-scale channel testing by the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials' National Transportation Product Evaluation Program (AASHTO-NTPEP), North American Green's new ShoreMax® Soft Revetment Scour Protection Mat pushed turf reinforcement mat (TRM) performance to a new level. As one of the newest additions to Tensar's North American Green erosion control line, the ShoreMax® Mat delivered unprecedented unvegetated results in NTPEP's ASTM channel testing, withstanding shear stresses up to 8.6 lbs/ft2 and velocities exceeding 19 ft/sec. Tested with a Vmax3® P550 TRM underlayment, the completely unvegetated ShoreMax system actually exceeded the level of performance provided by many fully vegetated TRMs.

During the Geo-Frontiers 2011 event, the Geosynthetic Institute (GSI) held not only its 24th Geosythetic Research Institute event (GRI-24) but the institute's general assembly. This week, Jamie Koerner, GSI's Special Projects lead, has released details on the GSI Board of Directors 2011-2013. See the list here.

Atlantic Poly Liners Inc. has been awarded a CAD $1.2 million contract for the supply of a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) geomembrane liner. The liner will be used for a multi-mine waste rock capping project. The 20-year-old company is well-involved in installation and supply of geosynthetics, though for this particular project the company reports that it will not be involved on the installation side. Learn more here.;

The former limestone quarry in Batavia, Illinois has been leaking 250,000 gallons per day despite the thick soil and clay layers beneath the 43,000 square foot swimming area. Removal of a Fox River dam has changed the hydrostatic pressure acting on the site and lowered water levels, thus increasing the leakage. Engineers from AECOM have recommended installation of a geomembrane. Learn more here.;

Dredging Today reports on the disappearance of numerous islands in the Chesapeake Bay due to erosion. One island, Poplar Island, is bucking the trend thanks in part to a dike system made of sand, geotextile and armor stone. With this protective barrier, the island is rising a few feet per year. Learn more here.;

The Geo-Institute's 2012 annual congress will focus on the "State of the Art and Practice in Geotechnical Engineering." The event will be held 25-29 March 2012 in Oakland, California and will feature numerous state-of-the-art and state-of-the-practice presentations. Among the many topics to be explored is geosynthetics. This conference represents a unique opportunity for geotechnical engineers from around the globe to advance their professional career and goals and uncover the latest and most beneficial knowledge and technologies. A call for abstracts is expected shortly. Learn more in the first flyer (PDF). Learn more here.;

From 10-14 December 2012, the next Geosynthetics Asia will be held. Organized by IGS Thailand and the Asian Center for Soil Improvement and Geosynthetics (ACSIG), and held under the auspices of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS), the event's theme will be "Geosynthetics for Sustainable Adaptation to Climate Change." Abstracts are due by 31 May 2011. Download the call in PDF. Learn more here.;

During the Bernard Myles Memorial Session, TenCate Geosynthetics' Tom Stephens delivered both an entertaining story of Bernard going for an unexpectedly very long run in Vicksburg, Mississippi many years ago and a sweeping look at how far geosynthetic tube technology has come since those early pilot projects in Vicksburg. It was fascinating to see how the utilization of products has grown, from early small-scale hanging bag test to better understand the dewatering performance to massive installations for beachfront protection and wastewater treatment. Learn more about TenCate technologies on the company's website. Learn more here.;

Following the press release of 15 November 2010, Ten Cate Geosynthetics Asia announces the successful closing of the acquisition of the geosynthetics activities of Emas Kiara Industries Berhad, a publicly listed company based in Rawang, Malaysia. The completion of this transaction provides TenCate Geosynthetics with a significantly larger position in the supply of geosynthetics solutions to the Southeast Asian markets.

The story of Mattex Geosynthetics is a strong example of what in recent years we've noted here on Geosynthetica in news, event reviews, and general discussions: how the Middle East, North Africa and Gulf region is transitioning from a top role in raw materials supply to being a mature source for finished products, including geosynthetics.

Dr. Ian. D. Peggs, P.E., P.Eng., of the Ocean Ridge, Florida-based geosynthetics design and consulting engineering firm, I-CORP INTERNATIONAL, Inc., announces the sale of the company's geosynthetica.net division to a Texas-based media group. The move is in line with I-CORP's general philosophy of finding new technologies for introduction to the geosynthetics sector, developing them, providing them as a service, teaching others how to use them, then moving on to find the next new technology. Learn more here.;

An inflatable dam has been set up to allow engineers to inspect a quake-damaged bridge in New Zealand. The 50m-long dam is filled with river water and holds back water from the bridge foundations. RST Environmental Solutions project manager Graham Brown said it was only the third time this particular product (the Aquadam) has been used in New Zealand. His company brought the technology from the United States in 2009. Learn more here.;

Raven Industries Engineered Films Division announces Dura-Skrim® Textured K-Series; a new geomembrane product line specifically engineered for the geosynthetic industry. Dura-Skrim Textured K-Series is a unique textured reinforced geomembrane available in polyethylene or flexible polypropylene and is the first of this type in the industry. Dura-Skrim Textured K-Series is manufactured utilizing a cast extrusion process to achieve a consistent core thickness with uniform asperity heights. Raven's exclusive GeoGrip™ surface technology consists of a durable random spike pattern with bidirectional bars to provide uniform stabilization and an increased friction between various soil and geosynthetic layers allowing for steeper slope designs. Dura-Skrim Textured K-Series is designed for applications requiring exceptional slope stability such as landfill caps, mining leach pads and containment ponds to name a few.

Global construction output will grow to US$ 12 trillion by 2020, a +70% increase on this year's figure of US$ 7.2 trillion, according to a new report by Global Construction Perspectives and Oxford Economics. The report, Global Construction 2020, goes on to say that half of the US$ 4.8 trillion increase will come from China, India and the US. Learn more here.;

In only a few days, the first International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) members will arrive in Dallas, Texas for the Geo-Frontiers 2011 event. The conference itself takes place 13-16 March, but starting on the 11th and carrying through the event the IGS will hold a number of meetings and lectures, most of which are open. Key gatherings include the new technical committees, continentally focused committees, the North American chapter's meeting, a corporate members reception and much more. Download the complete IGS itinerary in PDF.

Video has become an increasingly important medium online for disseminating geosynthetics information. The international manufacturer NAUE, an ISO 9001-certified group of companies, has recently produced numerous videos that showcase geosynthetic applications, testing, installation procedures, specific materials, and systems. The latest video is a general overview of geosynthetics in use and being installed. From runways to railways and from walls to the waterfronts, geotextiles, geomembranes, GCLs, geogrids, and other polymeric materials are improving infrastructures, reducing construction costs, and decreasing the carbon footprint of construction activities. See the video online. Learn more here.;

Naisoso Island developers undertook a major project resulting in hundreds of sandbags running the length of the island, replacing the role of mangroves. The barrier system also incorporates a 'berm' or mound which is built to a height of four metres above sea level with a geotextile mat under the western slope. Learn more here.;

Mickey Markey Park in New Orleans will reopen shortly, following lead contamination fears. Materials Management Group conducted a remediation of the park. The mitigation procedure included placing geotextile fabric over the existing soil in areas which exceeded current soil standards, and then covering these areas with six inches of low lead clean soil. Learn more here.;

At the 42nd conference and expo of the International Erosion Control Association (IECA) held in Orlando, FL, 20-23 February 2011, the IECA Board of Directors installed Beth Chesson, CPESC, CPSWQ, as a new officer and held elections to determine new positions. The IECA Board of Directors is made up of nine members, each serving a three year term. Learn more.

Writing for HydroReview, Chuck Cooper notes that while more hydropower projects are being designed and constructed using plastic pipe, most dam designers have never been trained on the behavior of plastics. In these constructions, designers must make decisions on the use of plastic pipe by weighing the cost, operating requirements, dependability, and long-term performance. Learn more here.;

The Netherlands-based Royal Ten Cate has announced a net profit increase of 92% in 2010. The Geosynthetics and Grass sector played a substantial role, with EBITA having increased by 87%. With its Georgia-based American opertaions leading the way, the company reports seeing recovery in the American geosynthetics market, which in terms of size is Ten Cate's most important. In its release, Ten Cate notes that, "The improvement resulted from an increase in the number of infrastructure projects and intensive targeting of the South American market. Sales in the Asian geosynthetics market continued to grow (autonomous+7%). In Europe sales remained stable, although the number of infrastructure projects declined." Read more. Learn more here.;

TenCate Geosynthetics (Booth 607) will release new products, design software and details of their new paving warranty during Geo-Frontiers 2011. To learn more, visit one of their many mini-sessions, to be held in the TenCate exhibit hall booth on March 15 and 16. The schedule includes GeoDetect® (Tues. 1:00-1:30 pm, Wed. 10:00-10:30 am), RSi Intro (Tues. 2:00-2:30 pm, Wed. 11:00-11:30 am), MiraSpec (Tues. 3:00-3:30 pm, Wed. 12:00-12:30pm), and Warranty (Tues. 4:00-4:30pm, Wed. 1:00-1:30 pm). Learn more here.;

During the Bernard Myles Memorial Session (Tuesday, March 15, 1:00 - 2:30 pm), Tom Stephens of TenCate will present "Development and Evolution of Key Industry Dewatering Tests (HBT, Cone, RDT, GDT) and Their Accuracy in Predicting Full Scale Results." This is one of many key presentations at Geo-Frontiers 2011 that will focus on dewatering tubes. These technologies are being utilized in beach restoration, wastewater treatment plants, mining operations, and many other applications. Learn more here.;