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The waterfront of Harrison, New Jersey was once referred to by President Taft as a "hive of industry." Over time, the waterfront has disintegrated into a crumbling assortment of abandoned factories and warehouses. With the help of the NJ DEP, the structures were demolished and the soils were remediated, making way for one of the largest mixed-use redevelopment projects in New Jersey. As part of the redevelopment process that included the mitigation of potential vapor intrusion concerns, the Louis Berger Group specified CETCO's Liquid Boot® gas vapor barrier system as well as the Liquid Boot® GeoVent sub slab depressurization system as a part of their overall remedial design.

Tennessee-based Propex Operating Company, LLC today announced that Opus® Roof Blanket has signed its first stocking dealer, Marvic Supply of Doylestown, Pa. With seven locations, Marvic serves professional residential and commercial contractors from Eastern Pennsylvania to Central New Jersey and Northern Delaware.

Tennessee-based Propex Operating Company, LLC has announced that Opus™ Roof Blanket will be distributed by WOLF of York, Pennsylvania. According to Opus Roof Blanket Executive Vice President Ralph Bruno, the selection of WOLF as the key channel partner for Opus Roof Blanket means Opus will be easy to buy in markets from New England to the Southeast. Read more.

Thiru Dayanidhi Maran, the Union Textiles Minister, has hailed the Budget Proposals-2010-11 presented in Parliament today. The Minister said that these initiative for the textiles sector as a growth spurring initiatives, which dovetail with economic revival, infrastructure development, agriculture development, inclusive growth and restoring export growth. It is said to include significant investment in and use of jute geotextiles.

Tensar International's newly developed RE500 series of uniaxial geogrids have been awarded British Board of Agrément Certification for roads, bridge abutments, retaining walls, slopes and embankments in UK highway construction. RE500 uniaxial geogrids show significant long term strength improvements to create potentially lower cost structures for clients. Read more.

Green building seems to be here to stay, but what lies on the road ahead? With all the changes afoot today in both the real estate economy and local and federal government, many may be wondering how to position themselves for emerging sustainable development issues. I see the following key trends informing the road ahead for green building, impacting both the public and private sectors. From certification to water conservation and infrastructure, Lucia Athens writes on seven trends in sustainable engineering. Learn more here.;

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) today released its Top 10 List of legislation advancing green building and the economic activity and jobs that come with it. The USGBC Top 10 list honors The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and spotlights nine other pending bills in the House and ten in the Senate that represent the best proposals to advance green building. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which was signed into law last February, dedicates more than $22 billion for energy efficiency projects, including $346 million for energy-efficient building technologies specifically.

India's Minister for Railways Mamata Banerjee has presented her first railways budget plan. She has proposed a twin strategy that would promote both strong technology and well-trained manpower. It's all part of a "Vision 2020" plan of safety and security in India's rail system. In an attempt to appease and increase industry, she's also pushing for the use of jute geotextiles wherever appropriate in construction. Learn more here.;

DEFENCELL™ Engineered Protection System will be used to assist in the reconstruction of critical infrastructure as part of the relief efforts in and around Port-au-Prince, Haiti. This system's compact transportation footprint, versatile applications and easy installation made it an ideal choice for establishing replacement structures in a devastated area where deployment time was critical. Read about this geocellular system and its role in Haiti's recovery.

First introduced in 2009, Profile Product’s Green Design Engineering creates cost-effective and environmentally superior solutions through the design, manufacture and application of sustainable erosion control and vegetation establishment technologies. Read about the benefits at Golf Course Industry magazine's website. Learn more here.;

The Northern Ireland town of Coleraine has cleared the way for a 42-acre residential development that reportedly will include one of the largest retaining walls in Europe. The geogrid-reinforced structure will be used with the former quarry zone to provide a stable platform for construction. The site will also feature a 20-meter-deep lake. Learn more here.;

Cured in Place Pipe (CIPP) has been used to rehabilitate twin 1,350 mm diameter culverts crossing the Ballyogan Stream that were at risk of structural failure at the Ballyogan Landfill Site, just outside of Dublin, Ireland. The twin culverts, which extend through the body of the 62 hectare landfill site, convey the Ballyogan Stream through the landfill. Learn more here.;

The Industrial Fabrics Association International's high-level European event, IFAI Advanced Textiles 10, will feature Loek de Vries, President and CEO of the Netherlands-based Royal Ten Cate. Tencate Geosynthetics North America, which is part of Royal Ten Cate, is one of the world's leading geosynthetics manufacturers. The conference will take place in Paris, France, 16-17 June 2010. Learn more here.;

The Portland City Council has approved a plan to request bids for the Grape Street reconstruction project. Construction may start as early as April. Paul Galdes of Fleis and VandenBrink Engineering has proposed putting in a geotextile separator between the poor material and the base material. Learn more here.;

London-based Fiberweb Plc -- a manufacturer of high-performance, specialty nonwovens -- is studying the feasibility of establishing a spunbond nonwovens joint venture (JV) company in China in partnership with Japan-based Chisso Corp, a manufacturer of chemical products for a wide range of end-use applications. Learn more here.;

New technology with big potential will be presented at World Bioenergy in Jönköping, Sweden on 25-27 May 2010. The new product is a container filled with technology which uses the heat from 55°C water to generate electricity. The unit is called the Opcon Powerbox and was developed by the Swedish firm of Opcon. Read more.

Conco Systems offers geomembrane liner leak detection services that are proving to be of major interest to public and private landfill facilities of all sizes. A pioneer in the use of tracer gases to perform leak testing since 1978, Conco utilizes helium or sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) gas to detect leaks in primary and secondary landfill cell liners. These liners are welded together to create an impermeable barrier designed to prevent leachate material from entering the soil below. Over time, tears, pinholes, seam leaks and original construction defects can allow leachate to flow through at up to several hundred gallons a day, especially during periods of heavy rain.

A slope that had a geogrid-wrapped earth retaining structure installed a couple years ago has failed, in part involving the previous reconstruction. A 30-foot-high wall of mud and debris traveled 3,000 feet down the mountain, damaging four homes and cutting off 37 from road access. Learn more here.;

Dr. R. Kerrey Rowe will lead a geosynthetic barrier systems workshop in Vancouver, Canada on May 11. "Designing and Constructing Lining Systems" is sponsored by Terrafix Geosynthetics and Arrow Construction. In addition to a review of current lining technologies and managing system challenges, Dr. Rowe will also include an update on extensive site research being done at Queen’s University on the long-term performance of geosynthetic liners. Download a PDF brochure. Learn more here.;

The RF Ministry of Regional Development has issued a permit to construct a complex for transshipment of liquefied petroleum gases and light oils in Ust-Luga Commercial Sea Port in Leningrad Oblast. The project is being executed by SIBUR-Portenergo LLC, a subsidiary company of SIBUR. By now, the enterprise has obtained all the required consents, has completed the design work stage and has begun the detailed design. The expected construction start time is the second quarter of 2010. The design capacity of the new complex is up to 1.5 mln tpa of liquefied petroleum gases and 2.5 mln tpa of light oils.

A major new Health & Safety Executive (HSE)-backed study into the causes and consequences of major failures and collapses in construction is planned in the United Kingdom. The work has been prompted by growing concerns over the frequency of building, tunnel and scaff old collapses during construction and the failure of plant such as tower cranes and piling rigs. Industry research body CIRIA has been commissioned to carry out the seven-month project. Learn more here.;

Safedem took the 2009 Explosive Demolition Award for its work on the 12-storey Broomview House in the Scottish capital of Edinburgh. The project used a considerable amount of geotextile for blast protection and debris containment--a common, albeit largely unpromoted geotextile application. It's a testament to material strength. Learn more here.;

Nilex Construction Inc. is currently accepting resumes from qualified Geomembrane Technicians. The candidates will be working out of our Edmonton office, on projects based in Western Canada. Preference will be given to candidates with previous plastic welding experience. The position may require candidates to be away from home for extended periods of time. Nilex has a proven track record in safety and quality excellence, and expects all employees to share in this corporate belief. Forward resumes via fax to +1 780 463 1773 or to cberard@nilex.com. Learn more here.;

Reed Construction Data suggests commercial construction will grow in 2010. San Francisco and Los Angeles are forecasted to have the biggest growth, and retail construction is forecasted to lead the way. Learn more here.;

Prominent landscape features for Nottingham's new high sustainability Castle College Technology Park and Number 1 Science and Technology Park are the surrounding green embankments. By using a Tensartech earth retaining solution from Tensar International, construction company Morgan Ashurst was able to realise the architect's design over very weak ground as well as provide the most cost-effective solution and prevent soil from going into landfill by re-using it in construction.