USACE Supports Geosynthetic Use
The latest release on geosynthetics from the Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) reports on the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) support for geosynthetic performance in levee construction and reinforcement. Read the full release here.
Road Project in WV
The city of Charleston, West Virginia allocated on Monday $612,000 for stabilizing a key stretch of road and riverbank in danger of collapsing. The money matches a $1 million federal grant from the US Army Corps of Engineers. New geotextile and riprap will be placed. The Corps has suggested more money may be available so long as the city can meet the 65/35 matching scheme.
Learn more here.;
Greenroofs: Simply Put
Greenroofs are becoming more common, both for their environmental and energy-saving appeal and for the simple layering concept. The former draws in the buyer; the latter the roofing companies. The Chicago Tribune gives a quick rundown of one installers approach from waterproofing membranes up to erosion control blankets.
Learn more here.;
Now in Land and Water
The latest issue of Land and Water magazine includes a number of articles of interest to geosynthetics and erosion control. Jennifer Ellis of TenCate writes about rock dike construction and underwater installation of geotextiles; and Brian Baker writes on slope stabilization with Propex geotextiles. Other articles pertain to BMPs, drainage, pond development, and more.
Learn more here.;
Leonides Rules Forthcoming
Dutch-owned concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) have been popping up all over the United States. Communities are quickly having to settle upon the appropriate stormwater regulations. In Leonides Township, Michigan, a new Dutch-owned cattle operation is to learn its stormwater rules shortly. Currently, the operation proposes to detain "dirty water"--including manure runoff--in three large geosynthetic-lined retention ponds.
Learn more here.;
Earth Day at Ground Trades
Ground Trades Xchange, a website for the landscaping industry and one which welcomes articles and information regarding geosynthetics, will increase its eco-friendly content for Earth Day, which is recognized every April 22. Ground Trades is launching a new "Greening" section to carry this well-beyond Earth Day.
Learn more here.;
Erosion Deal Reached
The Canadian Ministry of Environment, the province of Ontario and the city of West Grey have reached a cost-sharing deal on an estimated $2.4 million erosion control project. The overall details have been sealed by a confidentiality clause, but no one disputes the project's importance. Rapid erosion of the South Saugeen River's banks have caused the waterway to encroach upon sewage lagoons.
Learn more here.;
Geosynthetics 2009 Call for Papers
Geosynthetics 2009 will be held 25-27 February 2009 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The conference theme is "Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering." Areas of focus include shoreline and water protection, conveyance and storage, mining, agriculture, aquaculture, temporary roads and drainage. The deadline for conference paper proposals is June 2. Read more about submitting abstracts, the review process and key dates.
Learn more here.;
Responsible Development
Residents in Rochester, Minnesota's Manorwood development are paying dearly for buying homes with a view. Mudslides have taken out yards, patios, small retaining walls, and, most importantly, safety. New proposals involve reinforcing the area with soil nails or a more highly engineering retaining wall with geogrid support. Who will pay for the repairs remains to be seen.
Learn more here.;
EC and Katrina-Recovery Awards
Mississippi is doling out money from its $5.4 billion Hurricane Katrina recovery fund. The Brookhaven community, for example, has received $665,000 for erosion control. The city will offer a $100,000 match. The Daily Leader's story, via Zwire, includes a breakdown of other recent awards in the state for shoreline repair, road construction, erosion control and much more.
Learn more here.;
Halting EC in Haltom City
Big Fossil Creek runs through Haltom City, Texas, and over the years its banks have eroded severely. Some backyards have been reduced from 50 feet to 3 feet. The city just approved a $1.2 million gabion-wall project, though, to stop the erosion. The retaining wall will be 800 feet long and up to 30 feet high.
Learn more here.;
Canal and Levee Safety
Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) has introduced the Aging Water Infrastructure and Maintenance Act to the United States Senate. The bill aims to provide funding for review of western US canals, reservoirs and other key structures managed by the Bureau of Reclamation. Sen. Reid's office release notes that the average age of BuRec's projects is 50 years. Meaning: many updates may be needed to modernize the system and make it safe.
Learn more here.;
BC Chooses Bituminous Geomembrane
A former copper mining site that has polluted waters in British Columbia, Canada, will be capped with a bituminous geomembrane as part of the site's $4.5 million remediation project. The project will cleanup copper leachate from now through 2010 and clean soil on top of the cap will be planted with vegeation. The end result will be not just safe land and water but a situation for replenishing Vancouver Island's fish stocks.
Learn more here.;
Steve Eckhart Returns to GSE
Houston-based GSE Lining Technology has announced the appointment of Steve Eckhart to the Vice President of Sales & Marketing, North American Operations position. Mr. Eckhart is an industry veteran with more than 20 years of experience. He has worked for GSE before and is well-familiar with its product lines and applications expertise. Congratulations are due to him on his appointment, and a warm welcome back.
Next Generation PVDs
Colbond Geosynthetics has announced the launch of CX1000 Vertical Drains. The prefabricated vertical drains (PVDs) are being billed as "next generation" and is intended for use in achieving quicker settlement of soft soils and reducing the construction time for infrastructure projects on marshland areas or reclaimed land. Read more about it at Road Traffic Technology.
Learn more here.;
Synthetic Turf Market
Applied Market Information Ltd. has published an analysis of the global synthetic turf market from the past year. The study, "The Global Artificial Turf Market 2007," highlights a sector that is growing at 20% per year. High-tech artificial turf is being used not just in sports stadia and arenas, but high school athletic fields, urban parks, and other public recreation zones. Geosynthetic companies such as GSE and TenCate are active in this sector.
Learn more here.;
Plum Island's Fix
Plum Island, Massachusetts is looking to put the brakes on beach erosion. Temporary sand mounds have been installed ahead of an expected storm; but for longer-term relief officials are considering many options, including geotextile tubes. The geosynthetic solution is only a fraction of the cost of the other major option: placing dredged material on shore.
Learn more here.;
Increasing Volume
Operators of the RMU-1 hazardous waste landfill near Niagra Falls, New York have abandoned their request for a height expansion on the current cell in favor of having a geosynthetic lining system approved for a future RMU-2 cell. The use of geosynthetics over a simple (and rather thick) clay-only liner would save considerable space, thus adding the volume the old design did not possess.
Learn more here.;
CETCO's Olympic Project
Environmental Daily Interactive has published a number of photos and some project information from CETCO's latest completed project for the Beijing Olympics. The Beijing Olympic Forest Park Lake was lined with 550,000 sq m of Bentomat geosynthetic clay liner (GCL). The liner provides a containment zone over the natural gritstone floor.
Learn more here.;
Green Roofs: Let's Get Small
The scope of green roofs on skyscrapers is generally more attention-grabbing, but a look at them on a much smaller scale--such as on a sloped garage roof--may be most useful for those who haven't been exposed to the layered technology. Waterproofing membranes, drainage mats, separation fabrics and erosion control blankets are common to both large and small-scale green roofs.
Learn more here.;
Fly by Day and Night
A massive fly ash landfill is to be located along a river in Connecticut. The proposal is causing considerable debate. The fly ash will come from garbage-to-energy plants--which themselves are supposed to alleviate landfill pressures. State Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) officials are now working to educate the public on the advanced liner and drainage system planned for the site.
Learn more here.;
Sprague Field Is a Go
In the town of Wellesley, Massachusetts, the remediation of a site and conversion to recreation fields has been a hotly debated issue. But the project is now a go after residents voted to approve synthetic turf made with thermoplastic elastomers (TPE). The $4 million project's next step is to clear the topsoil and place a geotextile separation layer.
Learn more here.;
Gaining Access
Officials in Waterville, Maine have sealed a deal to acquire a 92-acre property on Jade Island from Colby College. The arrangement, which was tagged to stipulations in a 1968 recreational land acquisition deal, will be used primarily for cross-country skiing and hiking trails. Geotextiles, erosion control materials and culvert reconstruction mark step one: recreating the old access road.
Learn more here.;
ASIA Miner & XX Macao
ASIA Miner magazine has joined with the XX Macao event, "The Exploration Exchange." The bilingual (English and Chinese) publication has become a strong mining industry news source in Asia over the past four years. XX Macao's organizer, BCM-TBG, has orchestrated the largest conferences in China. Their union here bodes well for XX Macao.
Learn more here.;
Surf's Up
Global Surf News reports that the geotextile bags that are to be used in an artificial surf reef in Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset (United Kingdom), have been ordered from Australia. The $1 million contract involves 55 bags that will vary in length from 15 to 70 meters. They will be installed 225 meters from shore.
Learn more here.;
