Ground Improvement

The Fabricated Geomembrane Institute (FGI) has experienced dramatic membership growth since the kick-off in February at the Geosynthetics 2009 event. The next teleconference meeting for members will be 14 August 2009. Visit the FGI website for membership and activity information. Learn more here.;

In the late 1990s, selenium became a pollutant in mining that companies needed to start monitoring. So it's a fairly recent issue. Selenium, when oxidized, can leach into groundwater. Mansanto has spent more than $6 million developing its selenium storage and geosynthetic capping system for the Blackfoot Bridge mining project in Oregon. Learn more here.;

The commission for Berks County, Pennsylvania has ended its 34-year-old erosion control monitoring contract due to lack of funding. While most stories about the erosion control field this year have focused on the effect of recession on manufacturers and contractors working in the profession, monitoring agencies have been hit especially hard too. Learn more here.;

Presenters and paper topics for GeoAfrica 2009 (2-5 September 2009, Cape Town, South Africa) have been posted at the conference website. It is an interesting mix and bodes well for discussion. View it online today. Learn more here.;

The massive American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 is having a considerable (and beneficial) impact on construction markets and the environment. Approximately $7.22 billion is moving into these key areas with water-related projects receiving the lionshare. (CONTINUED.)

The Fox Waterway Agency, which has been using geotextile tubes in dredging operations on the Fox River and Chain O' Lakes, has applied for a 10-year permit from the US Army Corp of Engineers to expand the use of tubes for sediment removal and dewatering. Approval and active project furthing is expected by early autumn. Learn more here.;

AMI's magazine Compounding World has released its July/August 2009 issue. It is available free for viewing online. The current issue contains articles on innovations in clarifiers and nucleating agents; analysis of the Asian masterbatch markets; expert views on compounding nanocomposites; eight pages of news from Chicago's NPE show; BASF reveals restructuring plans for Ciba; and PolyOne announces sustainable developments. View the issue today. Learn more here.;

DuPont Performance Elastomers, manufacturers of the long-successful Hypalon® chlorosulfonated polyethylene (CSPE), released a short statement in May this year that it would exit the Hypalon® market. The exit was abrupt, with an end of June 2009 target set for ceasing production. The move will affect many industries, including geosynthetics.

The Mt. Washington mine remediation project is progressing steadily in Canada's Comox Valley. The site has long been a source of severe pollution for Tsolum River, but work is now in motion to prepare the area for the installation of a drainage system and bituminous geomembrane cap. Learn more here.;

Registration is now open for the "New Shoreline Alternatives to Hard Armor" seminar from the Minnesota Erosion Control Association (MECA). The event will take place 13 August 2009 in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Get a first-hand view of what shoreline property owners are doing to improve water quality. The seminar will include information on and images from eroded shorelines in construction stages of repair, overall site layout and site preparation completed for a shoreline restoration. A brochure is available on the MECA website. Learn more here.;

Plast Euro reports that the University of Twente, the Netherlands, will establish what is being called the establish the Thermoplastic Composite Research Centre (TPRC). Numerous companies, including Ten Cate Advanced Composites, have signed an agreement to help launch the venture. A sustainability angle is involved. Thermoplastic composites are processed faster that thermosets and are more environmentally friendly. New technology research and development will also be pursued. Learn more here.;

The International Erosion Control Association (IECA) has moved the dates for its Environmental Connection 2010 (EC10) conference. The conference will now begin on 16 February 2010 and continue through 20 February 2010. The commencement of conference activities is two days later than originally planned due to the NBA All-Star Game which will be held in Dallas during the original dates of the conference. Read more.

Michelle Phong of 2456 sat down with Johann Philipp Dilo of the DiloGroup, a textile manufacturing machine maker. Dilo discusses what he found at the recent ShanghaiTex conference and trends in the marketplace, including what many are seeking in the production of materials such as nonwoven geotextiles. Learn more here.;

The International Erosion Control Association (IECA) has announced the renewal of its partnership agreement with EnviroCert International, Inc. EnviroCert International, Inc. provides oversight and direction for the Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control (CPESC), Certified Professional in Storm Water Quality (CPSWQ) and Certified Erosion, Sediment and Storm Water Inspector (CESSWI) certification programs. Read more in the release.

EDANA, the association serving the nonwovens and related industries, today announced its new Board of Governors. Incoming Chairman Kenneth Strassner (Kimberley Clarke) will take over from Gerd Ries (Johnson&Johnson), who has accepted the position of Vice-Chair, a role he shares with Jean-Marie Becker (Ahlstrom). Paul Evers remains in his previous role as Treasurer. Read more in the new release.

EDANA, the association serving the nonwovens and related industries, has released a list of its new Board of Governors. The original release about the Board changes may be found here.

The Dow Chemical Company has announced that Victor Dean, Global Marketing and Business Development Director for Building & Construction of Dow Building Solutions, has also been named General Manager of Dow Roofing Systems, LLC (DRS) in addition to his current responsibilities. Dow acquired Stevens Roofing Systems and created DRS so that we could combine Stevens' expertise and know-how in commercial roofing with Dow Building Solutions' expertise in building science, insulation, and polymer technology expertise to advance our energy efficiency leadership.

Royal Ten Cate (TenCate) and Noel P Hunt International Limited have reached agreement on the takeover of the TenCate 50% interest in the joint venture Geofabrics Australasia Pty Ltd of Cheltenham (Australia). The takeover price of the shares amounts to AUD 40 million (approximately €23 million). The book profit on the sale of the 50% interest amounts to approximately €11 million and will be incorporated in the half-year figures of TenCate. Read more in the release.

SKZ's 2nd International Conference on Geosynthetics Middle East will be held in Dubai, UAE, 10-11 November 2009. The speaker and topic line up has been announced and it is certainly an impressive list. Ian Peggs of I-CORP will present on predicting end-of-life for high-density polyethylene (HDPE) geomembranes and the incorporation of flexible solar cells on exposed landfill caps; Carl De Leon of Solmax will present on geomembrane liners in harsh, petrochemical containment operations; Detlef Schramm of Dow will present a geomembrane global review; Silke Schwöbken of SENSOR will present on drainage detection systems; and much more. Dr. Helmut Zanzinger will chair the seminar. Download the program in PDF.

The Geosynthetics Interest Group of South Africa (GIGSA) invites its members to a tour of the multi-layered, geosynthetic-reinforced embankment at Snake Valley for the Gauteng Rapid Rail Link. The tour will be held on 22 July 2009 at 13:00. Bombela JV has been the contractor for this intriguing project and materials have been supplied by Kaytech. Interested attendees shoulod contact Jo-Ann Hechter, (011) 8798400, or e-mail adminjhb@kaytech.co.za, and ask for a map to the site office. GIGSA is the host chapter of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) for the forthcoming GeoAfrica 2009 conference (2-5 September 2009, Cape Town). Learn more here.;

In the latest E-Learning newsletter from the International Erosion Control Association (IECA), the association offers a profile of one of its key faculty members: Shirley Morrow, CPESC, CISEC. She has played a key role not just in sharing her expertise and in providing training to IECA members, but in the development of erosion control programs for major corporations such as Wal-Mart and Home Depot. Read a profile of her in PDF and learn a bit more about IECA's education opportunities. Learn more here.;

The International Erosion Control Association (IECA) has included a sample of its members-only listserv in the latest issue of the E-Learning Newsletter. The listserve allows members to pose questions and contribute answers to one another. In this sample, a member asks about specifying non-wire backed silt fence. Learn more here.;

Resin-bonded geotextiles have long been seen as a material with potential, particularly for the abrasion resistance a needlepunched geotextile might gain with resin bonding. You might find them beneath golf course bunkers where the resin-bonded geotextiles provide slope stability and drainage support; but few other applications have actually been explored. Clive Mills of Fiber Bond Corporation writes about this overlooked material and the applications in which it may soon be adopted.

Over at Trading Markets, a press release of interesting stocks to watch includes Amcol International, parent company of CETCO. CETCO is a leading global supplier of geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs). Read about the stock's performance and the company in the release. Learn more here.;

Over at the UK-based website "The Engineer," editor Andrew Lee has posted an editorial in which he mentions the potential decline of Formula 1 racing if it does not evolve. One commenter on Lee's post notes that among the improvements Formula 1 needs to make is the use of geosynthetics in track construction. Learn more here.;