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International builders are increasingly adopting the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Green Building Rating System -- the United States' primary tool for green building -- with international projects now comprising 27 percent of LEED certified and registered projects. LEED projects are underway in 114 nations, with a particularly strong presence in Norway, Finland Sweden and Denmark. Read more.

The Green Walls Group (GWG) of the non-profit association Green Roofs for Healthy Cities – North America, Inc. (GRHC), has announced an extension to its request for proposals (RFP) for green wall research projects. The new deadline is 13 October 2008. Green walls are the next stage in construction following the growing success of green roofs. Read more in the PDF release. Learn more here.;

The Fort Halifax Dam in Winslow, Maine is being taken down by its owner, FPL Energy. The company wants to allow the passage of fish again, but residents are upset over the destabilization of the river bank as the water level changes. Engineers are pushing for the installation of geotextile fabric and riprap to save the banks. Learn more here.;

ProcessingTalk has published a look at some of the companies involved in November's Waterproof Membranes 2008 event in Cologne, Germany. The piece includes notes on issues and applications related to waterproofing (durability of geomembranes, tunnel lining, etc.) and companies such as Agru and GSE. Geosynthetica.net is a cooperating organization with the conference. Learn more here.;

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Haruhiko Kuroda has unveiled a seven-point agenda to prioritize water investments in the Asia-Pacific region. He has said that the institution is committed to helping countries in the region boost new water investments to $20 billion to improve water security. Read more.

Over at Defense Industry Daily is a piece on the use of geotextile-walled, gabion-style collapsible forms that may be used in lieu of sandbags and concrete barriers. For examples of gabions, check out what Maccaferri has to offer. Learn more here.;

geosynthetica welcomes its newest member: David Cabrera. David is a talented graphic designer with experience in both print and web design. He'll help us fill the void as our colleague Lara Costa departs. David will work with the site's design and function and geosynthetica's extensive database of product data, specifications, industry personnel, etc. For those who would like to send David a welcome, he can be reached at David@geosynthetica.net.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is renowned for its research work. One of their recent discoveries that may interest materials developers in the geosynthetics field is a membrane material that can absorb 20 times its weight in hydrocarbons like oil. It's also reusable. The material uses a mesh of nanowires and is reported to feel something like paper. Learn more here.;

The Indian economy is one of the world's premier boom economies, and to support that growth the country needs to vastly (and quickly) improve its infrastructure. The use of geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs) is growing. The country has one major bentonite company, a new clay-processing plant is opening, and information about GCLs is being extended. Learn more here.;

The City of Angola, Indiana and Tri-State University will offer a free half-day workshop on erosion and sediment control techniques, materials and issues in construction. Builders, contractors, developers, engineers, municipal officials and employees are among those who will find the workshop useful. To register, call J.D. Smith at 888 262 2214 or Eric Henion at +1 260 624 2663. Learn more here.;

W. Allen Marr Jr. (GeoComp Corporation) has been inducted into the National Academy of Engineering. He was recognized for "innovative applications of numerical methods, risk analysis, advanced laboratory techniques, and field instrumentation in the fields of geotechnical engineering and construction." From ASCE News. Learn more here.;

The Early Bird Registration Discount deadline is today, March 19, for the next T-CLIC courses on Liner Integrity Surveys, Electrical Resistivity Testing CQC/CQA Training, and for the Geosynthetic Certification Institute CQA Certification Exam. The events take place March 31 - April 4 in Austin, Texas. A demonstration of new (and more economical) electrical resistivity testing equipment will take place on April 1.

TRI and I-CORP's joint venture, TRI-CORP Liner Integrity Center (T-CLIC), offers two days of electrical liner integrity survey (LIS) courses in Austin, March 31 and April 1. The two-day event provides both classroom and hands-on field training for contractors, engineers, and other construction quality assurance (CQA) professionals. Download the course PDF today. Space is limited. Also: the event includes a demonstration with new leak detection equipment.

The Daily Times has published an opinion from a Coastkeeper near Maryland's Chesapeake Bay and Coastal Bay watersheds. The article invites concerned citizens not simply to learn about sediment runoff from construction sites but gain training and volunteer monitoring time to aid the overworked, single employee responsible for monitoring all sites in the region. It's a trend, and something of a form of environmental vigilantism. Learn more here.;

Representatives of the International Erosion Control Association (IECA) and Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) will hold a seminar on erosion, sediment control, installation, maintenance and inspection at a workshop on February 27 or March 10 from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Rhode Island. For more information, see the program registration site. Learn more here.;

The Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) has announced its first international symposium in Germany: IFAI Advanced Textiles 2008, 12-13 June 2008, Berlin. Among the sectors to be covered during the 1.5-day seminar are architectural uses, construction and geotextiles. For registration information, visit the event's information page on IFAI's website. Learn more here.;

The 19th Annual Minnesota Erosion Control Association (MECA) Conference will be held March 6 and 7 in St. Louis Park, Minnesota just outside Minneapolis. The event is the Midwest's largest stormwater and erosion control show and includes SWPPP from the I-35 bridge reconstruction, low-impact development, and exhibition. CISEC and CPESC training occurs ahead of the show. Read more at MECA's site. Learn more here.;

The International Association of Geosynthetic Installers is proud to announce DDT Liners from Queensland, Australia to be the first to achieve the designation of Approved Installation Contractor (AIC) Internationally. Currently, IAGI has awarded the AIC status to seven companies within the United States and Canada. DDT Liners marks the first company to comply with industry standards within the country of Australia to receive the AIC International Australia designation. The Mission of the Approved Installation Contractor program is: To establish criteria for recognizing the geosynthetic installation companies that meet a minimum level of professionalism, experience and business practices. The program’s goal is to promote growth in the geomembrane installation industry and promote better quality workmanship. AIC applicants must meet requirements in the following areas: corporate history and business practices, insurance verification, safety training, and professional competence and experience. Below is a list of information required on the AIC submittal form: Company history and information; Minimum 500,000 square feet installed annually; Ability to be bonded (or for international cases where bonding is not applicable, a letter from the bank president the company currently has a relationship with); General liability insurance; Worker Compensation insurance; Automobile liability; Safety training; Health and safety orientation program; Drug-free work program; Professional competence/experience; 15% of their installation crews are Certified Welding Technicians (CWT) required (CWT is an official IAGI certification program for welders.) All of the above information is reviewed and verified by IAGI’s third party reviewer. Applicants also must submit for verification written references from the following industry professionals: engineers; contractors/owners; and geosynthetic manufacturers. Each of the items submitted are reviewed and verified by the third party. This entire process must be repeated annually. IAGI strives to provide a forum for geosynthetics installers to advance installation and construction techniques, and to strengthen the knowledge, image and communication within the industry. For more information about IAGI, contact Jilien Harvey at +1-651-554-1895, e-mail jilien@honnigford.com or visit www.iagi.org Learn more here.;

Dredging is a major development tool for ports, canals, and other waterfront zones. Related to it are construction on weak soils, consolidation needs, landfilling polluted soils, and dewatering operations with geotextile tubes. In June, an international conference on dredging will bring dredging interests together with UNESCO. The event will take place in the Netherlands. Learn more here.;

The second phase of the closure of the Jamestown Landfill, Tuolumne County, California, will go forth. The county board voted unanimously to approve significant closure works that will involve the construction of a new buttress, a retooled geosynthetic cover, and much more. Cost projections and additional state approvals will be needed next. Learn more here.;

Fabric-lined cofferdams are being used in Palm Bay, Florida to hold back a lake while crews perform road work ahead of a Lowe's store's construction. With the big box store and a community college using the area, managing traffic has meant re-routing a section of road, and that has meant forcing the lake back while earthwork is performed. Learn more here.;

Rapid City, South Dakota has been growing, and with it has come the pollution and runoff problems associated with development. The city council passed on Thursday three new ordinances to address stormwater and construction site runoff. Permits and ready solutions are now needed and the public works department has agreed to respond in a week to applications. The city recently authored a sediment control manual. Learn more here.;

It isn't often we find articles with geofoam content. Very little seems to have been published since the enormous amount of material was used in the I-15 construction in Utah. But the latest issue of Government Engineering magazine includes a bridge project from Seattle in which geofoam is used to provide a better bridge approach on the site's soft soils. Learn more here.;

A release at Business Wire reports that growth of the plastic sheeting market, which includes geomembranes in the construction industry, will grow by 3% annually through 2011. The report touches on a great many segments and subjects, including resins, different types of sheeting, macroeconomics, packaging, and so forth. Learn more here.;

Find out what the panel of construction economic experts predict for the coming year during the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) Annual Economic Forecast Audio Conference: "The Construction and Materials Outlook for 2007". Held from 2 to 3:30 p.m. EST, Dec. 6, conference experts include Ken Simonson, chief economist for AGC, Jack Basso of PASHTO and Jim Haughey of Reed Construction Data. Learn more here.;