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The canal irrigation system in the Indian state of Gujarat loses roughly half of the water it carries because its smaller canals do not have linings, a study has revealed. Research was conducted by the Indian Institute of Management - Ahmedabad (IIM-A) and the Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT). Recent breaches of canals under construction have revealed the difficult soil situation and how quickly erosion and scour can undermine an embankment in the Gujarat system. Learn more here.;

The National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) in the South America nation of Guyana is nearing construction. The first two of three bids for construction oversight and activities have been published in Guyana's major newspapers. The third bid part is expected to be issued soon and will address the supply of geotextile material for the construction and the associated drainage. The project is identified in the bids as the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) Northern Relief Channel. Learn more here.;

A recent report on a study of the expected lifetime of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipes containing chlorinated potable waters adds a new, and perhaps primary, parameter to the conventional parameters of stress-cracking resistance (SCR), oxidative induction time (OIT), and carbonyl index (CI) for the determination of remaining lifetime of HDPE piping. The new parameter is the oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) of the water which seems to be more proportional to HDPE lifetime than any of the other parameters. Lifetimes in excess of 100 yr in properly designed and installed piping systems are proposed. This ORP approach should also be applicable to HDPEs in contact with landfill leachates and waste waters. It will also most likely be applicable to fPP geomembranes and may, in fact, be the key to understanding the durability problems experienced over the last 10 to 15 years in potable water reservoir fPP liners and floating covers.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced more than $16 million in supplemental funding for cleanup efforts at contaminated sites known as brownfields. Communities representing 27 state or local governments were chosen to receive the supplemental funding, which will help them carry out cleanup activities, redevelopment projects, and create jobs for people living near brownfields sites. Brownfields are sites where expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.

ASTM International Committee D35 on Geosynthetics has issued work item WK29717, Standard Test Method for Index Puncture Resistance of Geomembranes and Related Products. This is a work item revision to existing standard D4833-07. Learn more here.;

ASTM International Committee D35 on Geosynthetics has issued work item WK29735, New Practice for Laboratory Immersion Procedures for Evaluating the Microbial Degradation of Geomembranes. Learn more here.;

ASTM International Committee D35 on Geosynthetics has issued work item WK29737, Guide for Identification, Storage, and Handling of Geomembrane Rolls. Learn more here.;

Writing for the business blog BNET, Jay Steinfeld (CEO, Blinds.com) notes that the best leaders don't need to get their hands dirty. It's tempting to try to do everything and make every decision yourself, he writes, but leaders who don't learn to let go eventually become a constraint on their company's growth. Relax and learn to delegate and you'll be able to focus on the big picture. Read "How to Become an Effective Delegator" online. Learn more here.;

The North American subsidiary of the SOPREMA Group is pleased to announce the opening of new sales offices in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and in Melbourne, Australia. Already active in these thriving regions for some time now, SOPREMA management has decided to begin operations there permanently thanks to growing interest in its high quality waterproofing materials.

The Sydney Tar Ponds Agency (Nova Scotia, Canada) has released a tender for the construction of a protective cap over treated tar ponds sediment. The cap will lead to the reclamation of nearly 240 acres of land. Construction of the multi-layer protective cap will begin in the fall, and is scheduled for completion in summer, 2013. It will include a grading/bedding layer, a geosynthetic clay layer, a geocomposit drainage layer, protective fill, topsoil and hydro seed. The government of Canada and province of Nova Scotia committed $400 million to ensure the Tar Ponds and Coke Ovens cleanup is completed by 2014.

on the success of the first two IFAI Advanced Textiles conferences (in Berlin and Brussels), IFAI presented a third successful edition in Paris 16-17 June, in the modern Congress facilities of UICP (right next to the Eiffel Tower). The Industrial Fabrics Association International hosted 70 participants from Europe and the U.S. at the 2010 conference, which focused on major applications of technical textiles and investigated new technology solutions and material aspects. Twenty-three exciting lectures gave insights into interesting applications in the areas of medical, architecture, protection and security; as well as sports and agriculture. Read more.

Just prior to the opening of IFAI Expo Americas 2010 (27-29 October 2010, Orlando, Florida) a special business track will be held. A session of note within the business track is "Sustainable Design Green Roofs and Landscapes." It takes place Tuesday, October 26, from 6:00 - 9:00 pm at the conference site in Orlando. Presenters include Marco Sanchez (Azoteas Verdes), Allan Wingfield (Colbond Inc.), Bruce Dvorak (Texas A&M University), and Nicole Eisenhardt (Tecta America Corp.). Both Sanchez and Wingfield bring considerable experience in geosynthetics to the session. Learn more.

Dr. Sherri L. Dunlap, MBA, D.Eng., CPESC, of Houston, TX, passed away on June 25, 2010 at the age of 54. Dunlap was the Applied Technology and New Product Manager for the Harris County Flood Control District in Houston. While her specialty was erosion control -- vegetative and engineered and combinations of the two, she introduced technology to HCFCD by coordinating seminars and webinars. She made technology more available for HCFCD, its engineering consultants and others by sponsoring the creation of design manuals such as the HCFCD Design, Installation, and Maintenance Manual for Gabion Structures. Read more about her.

TransLink in British Columbia, Canada will install three materials to try and mitigate the noisiness of the expansion joints of the Golden Ears Bridge near Vancouver. Three materials are: a neoprene elastic-type product, similar to wetsuit material, that it already installed in one of the joints at the north end of the bridge; a spray foam made in Japan by a subsidiary of Mageba, the Swiss firm that made the steel expansion joints; and a geotextile fabric. Learn more here.;

Four ongoing construction projects in Iowa were selected to study ways to improve concrete overlay construction. Seven research objectives for improving concrete overlay construction were investigated across the four projects, including the installation of geotextiles for bond breakers. The study so far recommends using a geotextile bond breaker for unbonded concrete overlays; and when using them, reduce the potential for wind/traffic damage by installing the geotextile less than one day before paving. The April 2010 Tech Transfer Summary publication from the Iowa State University Institute for Transportation summarizes the project. Learn more here.;

Even among construction professionals, it's widely believed that building green adds 10% or more to the cost of new projects -- but analysts say such beliefs have little basis in reality. Experts say that although about two-thirds of construction-industry professionals believe there's a hefty green-building premium, studies suggest that in fact going green brings negligible costs or a premium of as low as a 1% to 2%. Learn more here.;

SIBUR is starting to actively conclude contracts with buyers for the supply of expandable polystyrene, which the company shall manufacture in accordance with the state-of-the-art Austro-Norwegian production technology SUNPOR. The new facility, with a design capacity of 50 thousand tonnes per year, is located on the site of the CJSC "Sibur-Khimprom" and will be commissioned in late 2010. To date, work has been completed with respect to the installation of equipment, and test work is currently being conducted. Among the sectors for which materials will be produced is building insulation.

This study provides an in-depth understanding of the market for five types of construction materials in Mainland China which reduces a building’s energy load, termed "Green Building Materials (GBM)." The report is based on a study of the production, sales, distribution and application of five green building materials that are representative of all green building materials across multiple regions and industry sectors (target market). Included is a quantitative and qualitative assessment of the market’s size, trends, development, key participants and opportunities. Target products are Expanded Polystyrene (EPS), Extruded Polystyrene (XPS), Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC), Photovoltaic Roofing Membrane (PvRM), and Low-E Glass. Learn more here.;

A table graphic from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report, "EPA's Estimated Costs to Remediate Existing Sites Exceed Current Funding Levels, and More Sites Are Expected to Be Added to the National Priorities List." It shows that new additions to the NPL (or, Superfund) in the next 5 years lean mainly towards the state of New Jersey.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published a Superfund analysis report that forecasts both funding shortfalls and estimated additions to the National Priorities List (NPL) in coming years. The report, "EPA's Estimated Costs to Remediate Existing Sites Exceed Current Funding Levels, and More Sites Are Expected to Be Added to the National Priorities List," involved surveys of EPA officials. Learn more here.;

Melissa MacBeth, who worked on a number of features in Microsoft Outlook 2007, writes about ways to ensure higher quality communication in email. With easy-to-digest dos and don'ts, and useful sections such as on creating effective distribution lists (and when to use the bcc function properly), MacBeth's article is a nice piece about communication in an electronic world. Very useful for business. Learn more here.;

ASTM Committee D18 on Soil and Rock has revised standard D7014, "Standard Practice for Assembly and Placement of Double-Twisted Wire Mesh Gabions and Revet Mattresses," as D7014-10. Gabions and revetment mattresses are used to achieve soil stability and prevent soil erosion and are also used as retaining wall structures to resist movements due to gravity. Learn more here.;

ASTM Committee D18 on Soil and Rock, WK29134, is a work item for "New Terminology for Hydraulically-applied Erosion Control Product (HECP)." The scope is to provide a definition for an hydraulically-applied erosion control product (HECP). A material definition is important to the consumer so that they purchase a product that will meet their intended need. The definition would be built into material specifications for hydraulically-applied fiber products. DOTs, landscape architects and civil engineers would utilize the definition in drafting material specifications. Learn more here.;

The Middle East is one of the world’s real growth zones in polymeric materials production right now. The region has been a traditional, key supply point for raw materials, but now a number of manufacturers have made end products, such as geomembranes, their focus. Kangaroo Plastics LLC, based in the United Arab Emirates, is one of these firms. But unlike the many new manufacturers in the region, Kangaroo has been active in polymeric materials production since the mid-1970s. Learn more about the company. Learn more here.;

Geosynthetica is proud to welcome Kangaroo Plastics as its newest silver member. Kangaroo Plastics, based in the United Arab Emirates, is a high-quality, well-established manufacturer of polymeric sheeting, such as geomembranes for tunnel lining, agriculture, canals, ponds, and much more. We welcome Kangaroo to Geosynthetica and look forward to publishing much more about the firm soon. Learn more about Kangaroo at the company's website. Learn more here.;