Containment

The Freedonia Group's latest study on the geosynthetics market forecasts a 4% growth between 2006 and 2011 with the greatest expansion being in waste management and erosion control. Learn more here.;

The landfill in Cloivs, California is going through a reclamation process. Only, unlike other celebrated remediation projects, this one is not looking to transform the site into a new use. Rather, they are reclaiming waste stored for a long time in unlined cells and moving to lined cells. The process is allowing them to extend the facilities life while simultaneously mitigating long-term environmental risk. Learn more here.;

Keeping cattle healthy in times of drought and bad weather requires shrewd stock and feed management. Also, as the University of Kentucky's Aimee Nielson writes on the Cattle Network, these balancing measures should also be supported by such practices such as building cattle feed lots with geotextile separation to reduce detrimental waste. Learn more here.;

Terram, a Fiberweb plc company, is pleased to announce the next phase of their development strategy with an order being placed for a brand new, state-of-the-art Needlepunch geotextile line. The investment of over six million euros, follows the acquisition of Boddingtons and Tubex by Fiberweb and the formation of a specialist Geosynthetics Division which includes the Terram business, and represents the largest single investment in new technology for the Geosynthetics business.

TRI/Environmental hosts a few Construction Quality Assurance (CQA) and Training Weeks each year at its Austin, Texas campus. The next CQA Week has been announced for the week of 2-6 May 2011, and this installment will include two two-day professional development offerings (though any single-day event can be taken as a standalone, one-day course). Read about the events here.

The deadline for engineering professors to apply for a seat in the International Geosynthetics Societey’s non-commercial Educate the Educators program (4 - 5 December 2017, Kingston, Ontario) is approaching. All...

The European Parliament has passed a resolution that stresses a priority should be given to a significant increase in investment in agriculture, aquaculture, rural development and agribusinesses in developing countries. The measure comes in reaction to rising food prices around the world and includes language regarding access (which may mean roads) and fair trade. Though 75% of the world's population lives in rural areas, only 4% of development aid concentrates on agriculture. Learn more here.;

The City of Kansas City, Mo., has agreed to make extensive improvements to its sewer systems, at a cost estimated to exceed $2.5 billion over 25 years, to eliminate unauthorized overflows of untreated raw sewage and to reduce pollution levels in urban stormwater, the Justice Department and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have announced. Thought to be one of the largest green infrastructure plans in the country's history, it also sims to encourage the city to use natural or engineered "green infrastructure," such as green roofs, rain gardens and permeable pavement, to minimize stormwater burdens on the improved system.

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.

The International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) has issued a Call for Abstracts for its IGS Young Members Session. This special event, which recognizes contributions from IGS members aged 35 and...

Day 2 of APWA's Sustainability in Public Works Conference has come and gone, and it provided significant fodder for discussion on infrastructure upgrades and the need for new designs to accommodate the potentially devastating impact of climate change--which, regardless of whether one supports the term "climate change" simply means that today public works departments must combat both increased risk for drought and flooding. The morning session featured introductory remarks and agenda setting. Later on, smaller sessions gathered. Geosynthetica's Chris Kelsey attended sessions on impacts of climate change on public works and the utilization of BMPs in low-impact development (LID). Read more in his day two report.

Five research projects have been awarded $4.8 million grants under the Environment Technology Research Programme (ETRP) to develop waste management solutions for Singapore. One of the five main projects involves research at Nanyang Technological University to study bottom ash utilization, landfill stabilization and geomembrane lining systems. Read more. Learn more here.;

Though green technology adoption is all the rage, retail and restaurant spaces account for only 1.5% of LEED-ready projects. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. Some of the needs: green roofs, better stormwater management, rainwater conservation tanks, better parking lots, and more. Learn more here.;

Milfoil is a dense vegetation the has affected rivers and lakes in the United States for more than 100 years. It is largely a surface problem, depriving water of oxygen and trapping sediments. In the Sandpoint area in the Northwest, milpoint has been a debated topic, with some advocating chemical treatment and others geosynthetic barrier solutions that would smother the milfoil infestation. The use of PVC and road fabric has been advised. Learn more here.;

The Global Waste Management Symposium (GWMS) is a bienniel, global gathering of specialists from within and industries intersecting with waste management. Take advantage of this international networking opportunity. Learn from industry leaders. Listen to an exciting keynote address, tour the United States’ first landfill solar energy cover system, and learn about cutting-edge technologies in the exhibit hall. Register by September 10 to save on registration. Use code AA13 when registering to receive the discounted pricing. Learn more here.;

By Chris Kelsey - In mid-2006 I was providing freelance editorial services for Geosynthetica. At the time, the publication was owned by the geosynthetics engineering consultancy I-CORP International. The...

After a four-year legal battle, a mining company has paid the government a record $1.79 billion to settle claims for hazardous waste pollution across 19 states, federal agencies announced Thursday. Officials said the payment on behalf of the company, the American Smelting and Refining Company, or Asarco, was the nation’s largest environmental bankruptcy settlement. Learn more here.;

Engineers, contractors, architects and other construction professionals are always in need of more professional development credits and new skills. We have two offerings to remind you of you today: EPDM Installation Training (from Firestone) and the Civil Applications and Design Seminar (from Tensar). All dates are in August and September.

After 50+ years in the engineering field, a career in which he witnessed and contributed to the rise of geosynthetic technologies, Paul Barker is retiring. His professional path brought...

Geofabrics Australasia's Albury facility has reached an exceptional milestone in workplace safety. The company has surpassed 500 days without a workplace injury. This is a significant mark and continues...

Iran has announced that it has launched its first underground natural gas storage facility. The Qom reservoir, which is located in the Sarajeh region, has the capacity to store 3.3 billion cubic meters of natural gas a year. Iran has the world's second largest gas reserves after Russia but has struggled for years to develop its oil and gas resources. Learn more here.;

Jute in the form of Jute Geotextiles (JGT) are used in road construction. JGT is not being used for modern lifestyle products. The specific areas of its application are: Road construction, especially medium and low volume roads; River bank erosion control; Stabilisation of flood and road embankments; Hill slope erosion control; Soft soil consolidation; and Watershed management.

The 3rd Pan-American Conference on Geosynthetics (GeoAmericas 2016) will be held 10 – 13 April 2016 in Miami at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel. The event's organizers have announced...

The 2010 edition of the Techtextil North America Symposium will be held 18-20 May 2010 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia. The Symposium will have the theme "Moving Forward - Innovation and Technology drive the Future" and will run concurrent with the annual Techtextil North America exhibition. A Call for Papers and Presentations has been issued. Read more.

In this second report from the National Association of County Engineers (NACE) annual conference and trade show in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Geosynthetica's editor Chris Kelsey reports on the geosynthetic-reinforced soil (GRS) bridge abutment technology session. Evidence from the session reveals both a tremendous need to utilize this process in modernizing infrastructure and a tremendous advantage (cost and time) in doing so.