Ground Improvement

The Albert Lea Tribune reports that the new, lined waste cell in this southern Minnesota city will begin accepting waste this week. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is overseeing the transfer of waste from an old, polluted cell that had been leaking into Edgewater Bay. Project officials report that everything at the 11-acre site is progressing nicely. Excellent photos from the site are included in the article. Learn more here.;

I-CORP INTERNATIONAL's Ian Peggs shares a quick and interesting observation from the field on geoelectric leak location methods and accuracy issues related to water puddle and water lance surveys.

The October 2008 issue of CE News includes an opportunity for readers to earn PDHs by reading and responding to Stephen Archer's peer-reviewed article "Subgrade Improvement for Paved and Unpaved Surfaces Using Geogrids." Archer has brought his experience from Tensar to this latest installment in CE News' Professional Development Series. A PDF copy is available courtesy of Tensar. Get your copy today and earn your hours. Learn more here.;

In South Africa, the "Dustbowl" traders along a much-needed lagoon access-road reinforcement project are suffering. Jo-Ann Bekker's story notes the significant decline in cheese sales during construction. But the upgrades are vital: gabion support on the embankments to protect against slip failure. Turbidity curtains have also been installed to contain disturbed clay that is mixing into the lagoon. With any luck, the dustbowl trading station will be free of obstructions soon and normal sales will resume. Learn more here.;

Agriculture has grown rapidly, and not just as a critical piece of Vietnam's gross domestic product (GDP); the sector accounts for 24 percent of GDP. It's also the country's primary driver for export revenue (30 percent). These numbers have encouraged greater expansion, but that's coming with expected problems: animal waste pollution, extreme fertilizer runoff, irrigation conveyance problems, untreated waste entering streams, and many more. Better oversight and engineering is needed for continued, safe expansion. Learn more here.;

The 5th annual Asia Mining Congress will be held 23-27 March 2009 in Singapore. The coordinators are offering free awards dinner tickets with registrations made before November 10. Read the latest update from the conference here. Learn more here.;

Only two weeks remain in IECA's latest balloting for the IECA Board of Directors. Members of the association are invited to participate in the election through November 1. Six candidates are running for three open seats. Log-in to the IECA website click on the voting link. Learn more here.;

The International Erosion Control Association's (IECA) annual photo contest invites you to share your experience visually. Entries will be displayed on IECA's website and laminated and enlarged to be showcased at Environmental Connection (EC 09, Reno, February 2009), IECA's annual conference and expo. Voting and awards on the photos will take place at the conference. The contest is free. Entries are due by December 31. Learn more here.;

The International Erosion Control Association (IECA) has announced its organizational membership in the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The USGBC is a non-profit organization committed to expanding sustainable building practices. IECA intends to work with the USGBC on mutual educational goals. Learn more here.;

We've heard a great many calls for increased infrastructure spending in the United States. The ASCE scorecards on American infrastructure paint a pretty bleak picture, and we were reminded of that last year after a major bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota collapsed. The 2005 ASCE scorecard gave its highest marks to the waste management sector, in which geosynthetics are required. And earlier this year the Geosynthetic Materials Association (GMA) announced huge strides in working with Congressional legislators to have geosynthetics considered for requirement in other sectors, such as water management. Infrastructure was pushed higher in the public debate this morning with the publication of Paul Krugman's latest column in the New York Times. Krugman is the Princeton professor and Times columnist who was awarded this year's Nobel Prize for Economics. Regarding the ragged state of the American economy, Krugman argues for the need of government spending now. And he idenitifies infrastructure as one of the main, necessary targets. He writes: "The usual argument against public works as economic stimulus is that they take too long: by the time you get around to repairing that bridge and upgrading that rail line, the slump is over and the stimulus isn’t needed. Well, that argument has no force now....So let’s get those projects rolling." Read the rest of Krugman's op-ed column. Learn more here.;

Yesterday we looked at the artificial reef (geotextile-based) being design for an off-shore, erosion control focus in New Zealand. Beach erosion is also a major concern in Australia. Today, the Central Coast Sun published a piece on Maroochydore Beach's plight. There, councils have tabled erosion control projects for 30 years--until now. Geotextile sand bags are finally being brought in to buy much-needed time and halt erosion while a long-term plan is given attention. Learn more here.;

Agru America's new plant in Fernley, Nevada is in the news. The company, which manufactures geomembranes and geocomposites, is seeking an economic development credit. Fernley was the site of a major canal breach not long ago, but even before that the community was in need of new employers. Learn more here.;

Brecon Beacons National Park in south Wales was the scene of a rather dramatic canal breach last year. Almost a year to the day later, an $8 million repair scheme is moving quickly and erosion control measures are installed and a 25 km stretch of canal is being improved. The most at risk areas are being lined with geosynthetics. Concrete is being placed atop. Learn more here.;

Orewa Beach Reef project near Auckland is progressing. Funding is being obtained steadily for the off-shore, geotextile-based artificial reef that will be constructed to stem erosion of the beach. Project supporters cite the success of other installations in Australia and New Zealand and even the acceptance and successful use of geotextile tubes in Florida. Learn more here.;

To keep pace with the development of liner technologies and regulated requirements for geomembrane lining systems, I-CORP INTERNATIONAL announces two new services: review of project drawings and specifications for feasibility of performing geoelectric liner integrity/leak location services for the final stage of construction quality assurance (CQA) or to locate problematic leaks; and assessment of present condition and remaining lifetimes of exposed high-density polyethylene (HDPE) geomembranes. Read more.

geosynthetica is always interested in the latest news and articles regarding engineering and geosynthetics. Contact Chris Kelsey for submission information.

The Geosynthetic Materials Association (GMA) will host a Federal Highways Adminstration (FHWA) - National Highways Institute (NHI) workshop 13 November 2008 in Atlanta at a Georgia Department of Transportation (DOT) facility. The workshop has been developed for federal, state and local transportation personnel involved in bridge, hydraulic, pavement, geotechnical, and construction work. The course qualifies for 0.6 Continuing Education Units (CEUs). Learn more here.;

In Florida, paved roads that have suffered pitting and rutting, such as those in Gainsville, are being quickly corrected with paving fabric. The top layer of the asphalt is taken off speedily and the fabric rolled into place. New asphalt is applied on top. Paving fabrics have been shown to significantly reduce road crumbling and extend service lives. Learn more here.;

Get the final details on the International Seminar on Eurocodes 7 and 8 from the Macedonian Association for Geotechnics' (MAG) website for the conference. The event--also under the name Eurocodes: Building the Future--will be held 29 October-1 November 2008 in Struga, Macedonia. MAG is a chapter of the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE). Learn more here.;

The London Metal Exchange (LME) has a closely watched plastics index, a link to which you can always find on geosynthetica's Resin Index page. And now, LME Education is travelling to North America to deliver a training program intended for market users to understand the value that LME services can add to their business. Don't miss this opportunity to get first-class training. Sessions will be held in Chicago (November 10-12) and Houston (November 13-14). Learn more here.;

From the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): "Major manufacturing and business sectors are improving environmental performance to cut waste, improve economic competitiveness and gain other important benefits. Steel recycling in the United States reached an all-time high in 2005. Chemical manufacturers cut air emissions in half from 1995 to 2006. During the same decade, cement manufacturers reduced their waste per unit of production by one quarter. These environmental trends are highlighted in a new EPA report released today on some of the nation's most important economic sectors." Read a PDF copy of the EPA's 2008 Sector Performance Report. Learn more here.;

Les Harder of HDR’s Folsom office has been appointed as a private sector representative to the National Committee on Levee Safety and will participate in the group’s first meeting to be held near Washington, D.C. Oct. 7 to 10. Read about his appointment over at Erosion Control magazine's revamped website. Learn more here.;

Conwed Global Netting Solutions has announced the acquisition of Monahan Filaments located in Middlebury, Vermont. Monahan’s PROSTRAN® brand filaments are used as a component in turf reinforcement mats (TRMs). Read more at Erosion Control. Learn more here.;

The Business Co-Ordination House (BCH) of India has released the final program for its one-day seminar "Geotextiles in India: What, Where & Why." The event organizers have announced a venue change to the Hotel Rang Sharda. Read more on the event in the final program PDF.

Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) has partnered with Green Building Initiative (GBI) to bring you the latest information on the legal application, risk management and regulatory policy needed to ensure the continued success of green building. Three sessions have been announced: Risk and Liability in the Construction Industry; Regulatory Issues that Add to Construction Risk; and How Insurance Plays a Role in Construction Risk. Read more on this page. Learn more here.;