Containment

After more than two years of seeing a muddy, murky canal bottom instead of a scenic waterway, New Hope was ready to have its Delaware Canal back this summer. A major section of the canal has been relined with a geosynthetic clay liner (CETCO's Bentomat), but the work did not involve the entirety of the area of concern. Now, leaks have been detected and more lining may be needed. Learn more here.;

TRI Environmental, Inc. (TRI), a leading international geotechnical, geosynthetic and erosion control materials services company, has announced the acquisition of advanced testing equipment from the former Bathurst Clarabut Geotechnical Testing (BCGT) office in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Among the noteworthy testing capabilities: a specialized large-scale testing apparatus for analyzing the connection strength of segmental retaining wall blocks, a mobile very large-scale (VLS) shear box—one of a few of its kind in the world—for on-site waste shear strength testing up to 3 ft cu samples, six segmental retaining wall creep frames, and a plain loading device to facilitate bench-scale bearing capacity studies for geosynthetics used in soil improvement applications.

The International Symposium on Sustainable Geosynthetics and Green Technology for Climate Change (SGCC) was held in Bangkok, Thailand 20-21 June 2012 and honored Prof. Dennis T. Bergado, a geosynthetics veteran who is retiring. Prof. Bergado has held numerous leadership positions in the industry, such as serving as President of the International Geosynthetics Society's (IGS) Thailand Chapter, Director of Asian Center for Soil Improvement and Geosynthetics (ACSIG), and Secretary General of the Southeast Asian Geotechnical Society (SEAGS). The event welcomed attendees and speakers from more than 20 countries as critical issues of environmental change were explored in the context of the roles geosynthetics play and can play in mitigating climate change impact.

On August 22, CETCO will hold its next "GCL University" session in Southern California. This day-long geosynthetic clay liner (GCL) seminar will be held at the Costa Mesa Marriott and will focus on methodologies for the practical inclusion of GCLs in the design of landfill cells and caps, mining, coal combustion residual sites and other industrial applications. Expert speakers include Dr. Ed Kavazanjian, Rick Thiel, P.E., Chris Athanassopoulos, P.E., and Joanne Lee. Register online.

The slowdown in new housing construction in Ireland has prompted more home improvement projects, including greater construction of arenas and gallops for horse owners (of which Ireland has many). An article in the Irish Independent discusses how using geotextile separation materials helps keep the sites drain properly during wet seasons and, utlimately, keeps the horses healthier. Learn more here.;

The movement for greater open sharing of engineering technical information, particularly in geosynthetics, continues to grow. One of the champions has been the Australasian Chapter of the International Geosynthetics...

The dates and events for TRI Australasia’s CQA Training Week have been announced. These CQA training courses and certification offerings present a strong opportunity for CQA engineering professionals to...

Containment facilities require multiple geosynthetics, which creates a need to design with a strong understanding of the interface between soils and geosynthetics and between different geosynthetics. The new short...

The organizers of EuroGeo 4--the 4th European Conference on Geosynthetics--would like to remind readers of the early registration deadline (31 July 2008) and of the three technical courses that will be held in conjunction with the event. The technical course subjects are geosynthetics in reinforcement, waste containment and hydraulic applications. Read more.

The News and Advance newspaper in Lynchburg, Virginia is conducting twice-weekly interviews with city council candidates. The April 14 published interaction deals with erosion control rules. Learn more here.;

The design and construction of a replacement dam on difficult foundations was recently completed at a salmon smolt facility in Scotland. RM Doake from AECOM explains how the design process was shaped by working in such an environmentally sensitive area--including through the extensive utilization of geosynthetic clay barriers (also known as GCLs) and thick nonwoven geotextiles for seepage control and soil stabilization. Learn more here.;

By Rebecca Kauten - The Great Lakes and Great Rivers Chapters of IECA represent nine American states (IL, IN, IA, KS, MI, MO, NE, OH, WI) and one Canadian province (ON)....

The membership of the International Erosion Control Association has voted to accept the proposed regionalizationplan. The voting period, which closed May 23, 2011, saw the measure pass withan almost 9 to 1 margin. The accepted regionalization plan will divide IECA membership into two regions. Region One will consist of North and South America and Europe; Region Two will be centered in what has been the Australasian Chapter and include Africa, Oceania and Asia. This move will allow closer management and coordination with each region and better service to IECA's diverse membership.

September through December is a busy time of year for engineering conferences. This is true around the world. Geofabrics Australasia has capitalized on that activity for the latest issue of...

Recently, Pennsylvania State Senator Judy Schwank visited East Coast Erosion Control in Bernville, Pennsylvania to learn about the company's business and the products that provide erosion and sediment control. Pennsylvania possesses both one of the United States' most highly sought energy potential as well as a legacy of environmental struggle due to mismanaged mining and resource extraction controls. Sen. Schwank has been influential in her state's environmental policy discussions. Materials such as East Coast produces are being utilized now to make the current energy tapping and resource extraction boom both economically successful and environmentally sound. Read the release from East Coast.

The Geosynthetics Interest Group of South Africa (GIGSA) invites its members to a tour of the multi-layered, geosynthetic-reinforced embankment at Snake Valley for the Gauteng Rapid Rail Link. The tour will be held on 22 July 2009 at 13:00. Bombela JV has been the contractor for this intriguing project and materials have been supplied by Kaytech. Interested attendees shoulod contact Jo-Ann Hechter, (011) 8798400, or e-mail adminjhb@kaytech.co.za, and ask for a map to the site office. GIGSA is the host chapter of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) for the forthcoming GeoAfrica 2009 conference (2-5 September 2009, Cape Town). Learn more here.;

The International Erosion Control Association (IECA) has announced its University Partners initiative. This initiative creates an informal relationship between IECA and universities and colleges that offer courses in the fields of erosion control, sediment control and stormwater management. The overall objective of this program is to introduce students to IECA and provide a means for them to interact in an educational environment with the industry professionals who make up IECA's membership.

It's said that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. But from the UK comes news that a by-product of beverage production--in this case, whisky--may help speed soil and water cleanup operations. The soon-to-be-commercialized product called DRAM may be a future complement to geosynthetics during contaminated site remediation and containment. The UK currently has roughly 330,000 contaminated sites. Learn more here.;

Bernama has published a story on NAUE's new Bentofix plant in Selangor, Malaysia. The Malaysian Minister of Works, Datuk Shaziman, officiated the opening ceremony. Learn more here.;

By Ian D. Peggs ** Can geomembrane stress cracking (SC) be eliminated altogether? Probably not. But it can still surely be reduced if we understand its causes a little better. Can SC...

ASTM International Committee D35 on Geosynthetics has honored Samuel R. Allen, vice president of TRI/Environmental Inc. in Austin, Texas, with the ASTM Award of Merit and honorary title of fellow. The Award of Merit is the highest ASTM honor for distinguished service and outstanding participation in committee activities. Read more about this well-deserved award.

British non-woven fabrics maker Fiberweb Plc said it expected first-half profit to be hurt by higher raw material costs, but remained confident of making progress in the second half as it increases prices. Also, the company has said it would look for small deals in Western Europe and North America to expand its geotextiles, agricultural fabrics and filtration businesses. Fiberweb operates 16 production sites in eight countries. Learn more here.;

Geomembrane Technologies Inc. (GTI) has finished a project for a large cheese and butter plant in the state of Victoria, Australia, again demonstrating GTI's strength in successfully completing world-wide projects. The dairy processor turned to GTI's experts to design, fabricate and supervise the installation of an odor control cover for an additional lagoon required at an existing wastewater treatment system. The plant required odor control, due to its strong wastewater flow as part of its wastewater treatment system.

Plastemart has published something of a mashup on the waterproof membrane market based upon the presentations planned for the forthcoming Waterproof Membranes 2009, 19-21 October 2009, Duesseldorf, Germany. Some highlights: John Nash of Applied Market Information (AMI), based in the United Kingdom, has just completed a study on the market; Dow will discuss market expansion; the International Green Roof Association will speak; and geosynthetica's Chris Kelsey will speak about flexible solar cells in geotechnical applications. Learn more here.;

Wastewater lagoon lining is becoming more common on large farming operations. Twin City Foods' farm in Ellensburg, Washington is seeking to construct a 40-million-gallon lined wastewater lagoon to process soil-laden water rather than reapply it to fields (the current practice). Numerous permits must be applied for now. The company has to 2012 to execute the proposed project. Learn more here.;