Containment

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.;

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 India-based Business Coordination House (BCH), which is involved in, among other things, the creation and promotion of geotextile and geosynthetic seminars, has released its April - June 2009 newsletter. This issue includes an article on page 35 on "Textiles for a Built Environment." This includes a section on landscaping materials, such as root barriers, soil stabilization materials, and greenroof support. Read it in PDF today. Learn more here.;

The ongoing, rapid development of South and Central American infrastructure and the heavy concern with sustainability and energy innovation throughout the Americas will be key topics when engineers, contractors, regulators and other construction professionals gather in Lima, Peru for the GeoAmericas 2012 conference and exhibition. To be held May 1-4, GeoAmericas 2012 marks the Second Pan-American Geosynthetics Conference and Exhibition and will take place under the auspices of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS). The exhibitor space has sold out for the event, and many attendees are now turning attention not just to the strong technical sessions planned for the event but the exceptional short and long courses that have been announced. Featuring expert and internationally renowned instructors, these courses will provide an in-depth look at some of the hottest topics in geosynthetics and current engineering design.

Brecon Beacons National Park in south Wales was the scene of a rather dramatic canal breach last year. Almost a year to the day later, an $8 million repair scheme is moving quickly and erosion control measures are installed and a 25 km stretch of canal is being improved. The most at risk areas are being lined with geosynthetics. Concrete is being placed atop. Learn more here.;

Pennsylvania and the city of Philadelphia have signed a $2 billion plan to begin building a sustainable stormwater-management system in the city over the next 25 years. The green infrastructure plan includes installing porous pavement, roadside plantings and green roofs to collect rainwater runoff. The project is expected to prevent up to 8 billion gallons of water from entering the sewer system. Learn more here.;

A great deal of attention has been paid to the use of oil booms--a generally small-scale production item that has become central to large-scale containment of oil in the Gulf of Mexico. According to the US government's response website, www.RestoreTheGulf.gov, more than 3.51 million feet of oil booms have been deployed. Another 820,000+ feet are on-hand for deployment. Also in the July 21 numbers: more than 41,000 responders and 4,300 vessels have been involved in the oil zone response. Learn more here.;

By Mathieu Cornellier - Natural gas extraction from shale formations has grown exponentially in the past few years in the United States, and all signs show that this trend...

The Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) has announced the keynote speaker and three plenary speakers for FOAMS 2010, which will be held 28 September - 1 October 2010 in Seattle, Washington. The first two days will focus on the FOAMS 2010 Tutorial tracks. The last two days will focus on the topical conference. The event is sponsored by SPE's Thermoplastic Materials and Foams Division and Pacific Northwest Section. A special advanced registration rate is available for those who register before 10 September 2010. Read more.

There are two ASTM International standards updates to report for 8 April 2013 from Committee D35 on Geosynthetics: * Committee D35 on Geosynthetics has published a new standard, D7853 -...

The latest issue of Water & Wastes Digest includes Mark Oriol's article on protecting pipes with engineered liners and coatings. He underscores quickly just how major of a need this preventative measure is: there are nearly 1.2 million miles of sewer lines in the United States alone. Among the liners he highlights you'll find GSE's StudLiner, a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) embedment liner that uses extruded studs rather than ribs for anchor points. A system of this sort can deliver more than 50 years of service. Learn more here.;

A new training program from international barrier system manufacturer Solmax aims to increase user understanding of conductive geomembrane. The three-day training will be held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada...

The site chosen for a new Walmart location was a difficult north-facing site on the side of a steep forest/meadow area along State Route 443 in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. The project involved cutting into a steep slope and moving 550,000 cubic yards of soil to create the new store pad, parking area, and access driveway. The cut and fill operation resulted in terraced 2:1 (H:V) slopes above the store pad and similar slopes below the site. Erosion control was essential, but a degradable product was demanded. Read more.

Plastics Information Direct (PID)--part of Applied Market Information (AMI)--is having a book sale. The company hopes to make greater room on its shelves for 2009's new editions. This means it is getting rid of some special texts that will not be replaced. Visit the bookstore online. Learn more here.;

An update, now, on CETCO's growing presence in the Middle East. We posted news last fall on CETCO Oilfield Services move into the Libyan market, and an update has emerged. The company has signed a deal with the Libyan services agent company APSCOP (Althuraya Petroleum Services and Supplies) to provide water treatment services to the Libyan oil and gas industry. CETCO's other divisions include lining and waterproofing technologies, such as geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs) and geomembranes. Learn more here.;

During the Geosynthetics 2009 show, geosynthetica's Chris Kelsey had the good fortune to meet Stan Slifer of Watersaver. Stan was traveling with new business cards: ones that noted he was now Watersaver's president. Congratulations to Stan on the promotion! Learn more here.;

Geosynthetica publishes employment opportunities for the geosynthetics and affiliated geotechnical engineering community. Please contact Chris Kelsey, Editor or Elizabeth Peggs, Director for information on posting. Prospective candidates are encourage...

A July 15, 2020 post on the SCS Engineers website provided some nicely experienced perspective on why temporary landfill caps are increasingly welcomed on landfill sites. Dr. Ali Khatami,...

TIE Technologies, Inc. (Pink Sheets:TTCS), an information technology, security and telecommunications company, and Geocomp Corp., a global leader in geo-engineering, today jointly released the details of the OilDam® product designed to mitigate damage from the Gulf oil spill. OilDam® is a comprehensive solution--utilizing geosynthetics--which can be immediately deployed to provide a reliable means to keep the oil from reaching the shore, contain it and enable its removal.

While geosynthetic providers have hoped for more market studies, few have been issued. But Principia, a business consulting firm, has issued a new study on plastics in construction. A section of the report includes an analysis of geosynthetics, and to judge by the release, the study pays closer attention to water containment. Learn more here.;

India-based Fibre 2 Fashion has published an interview with Suresh Kannan, Vice President, SRF Limited. Mr. Kannan comments on the importance of growing sectors in India. Of note, he cites Indian government support for research and development and new spending initiatives to produce an infrastructure capable of sustaining growth. Road construction, waste management, airport runways and coastal erosion control are expected to be major sectors. Agrotech also shows promise. Read more. Learn more here.;

The 6th AMI international conference, Waterproof Membranes 2012, will take place at the Hotel Nikko in Düsseldorf, Germany from 11-13 December 2012. On the first evening there will be a welcome reception and registration, followed by a 2-day programme of presentations. A specialist exhibition will run alongside the conference. The construction and civil engineering industry is responding to the drive for green building and greater sustainability. Extra demands are being placed on waterproofing as functions are added to the membrane, such as warming and cooling, energy generation (particularly solar), chemical resistance in landfill, and horticultural resources on roofs and also facades. Read more.

A Cheyenne refinery says it plans to fight the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's nearly $7 million fine levied in late September for allegedly dumping hazardous waste into a pond designed to hold storm water. The EPA cited the company for having an inadequate liner. But company spokeswoman Kristine Boyd has said Frontier Oil Corp. has spent $15 million to improve the pond this year. Learn more here.;

TOLEDO, Ohio – CQA Solutions, Ltd., an expert construction quality assurance (CQA), geosynthetics, earthworks consulting firm, recently led the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) in a day-long professional...

The Ontario Waste Management Association (OWMA) is very pleased to announce the details for a very unique facility tour in Southern Ontario and New York State to visit various waste management facilities. There will be seven facilities on the tour representing new and innovative technologies and/or management practices. The tour will take place 29 and 30 September 2009. Read more about it.