Ground Improvement

From January 8 – 12, more than 13,000 transportation professionals will gather in Washington DC for the Transportation Research Board’s 96th annual meeting (TRB 2017). There, they will discuss...

World prices for precious and semi-precious metals have vaulted in the past few years, and this spike in demand has helped fuel tremendous growth in the mining industry. But while prices have somewhat stabilized, growth will continue. Australia forecasts a 70% rise in employment (90,000 new jobs) in mining through 2020 in the mining sector. And these projects will also require environmental controls, which is where geosynthetics enter in. Learn more here.;

At the 11th International Conference on Geosynthetics (September 2018, Seoul), Dr. Nathalie Touze (Vice President, International Geosynthetics Society) delivered one of the most inspiring lectures the geosynthetics field had...

APPLETON, Wisconsin - PRESTO GEOSYSTEMS®, a leading manufacturer of soil stabilization and stormwater products, introduces their new GEOWEB® MSE design freeware for GEOWEB geocell wall applications. The software creates...

GeoAmericas 2020, the 4th Pan-American Regional Conference on Geosynthetics, has nearly arrived! From 26 - 31 October 2020, an international community of hundreds geotechnical engineers will gather ONLINE for technical...

While specifications are to help provide stability, consistency and professionalism in engineering and construction, they can also lead to problems--especially when their authors do not seem to see the full implications of their assumptions. In example, Ian Peggs of I-CORP INTERNATIONAL writes about the placement of leak location in specifications and how some of these specs provide CQC but not real CQA. Errors of assumption like this may lead to facility failures.

North American Green (NAG) has a strong employee team. And it just got stronger. Mr. Cody Huff stood out from a large pool of very experienced candidates vying for a new regional sales position and was ultimately selected to support our growing distribution network as well as end-users of NAG's expanding line of erosion control products. In the press release, the company writes, "Mr. Huff is responsible for the strategic and tactical initiatives of the organization in his region, including forecasting market trends and conditions to deliver the best possible products, sales support and opportunities to our customers." Read more.

The Brazilian infrastructure market is expanding rapidly. Over the next three years, USD $500 billion is expected to be invested, both to keep pace with the country's growth and two major international sporting events (2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympic Games). These growth opportunities and more will be discussed at Terrapinn's Infrastructure Investment World Brazil 2010 conference, 31 August - 1 September 2010 in Rio de Janeiro. Key investors, developers, construction companies, government officials, development banks, and hedge and private equity funds will all be involved.

In October, the International Erosion Control Association (IECA) announced that it had joined the US Green Building Council (USGBC). This month, IECA has announced that is it joining the American Society for Landscape Architects' (ASLA) Sustainable Sites Initiative™. The Initiative is helping creat the first voluntary, scientifically researched rating system and guidelines for sustainable landscape design, construction and maintenance. We applaud the IECA's continuing dedication to sustainability and strong representation of its industry. Learn more here.;

Combining the efforts of two industry leaders in remediation technologies promises to provide increased value to the environmental remediation industry. CETCO Remediation Technologies proudly announces a signed agreement with Tensar International Corporation (TIC) granting exclusive distribution rights to the Triton® Marine Mattress System in the United States and Canada for subaqueous treatment of contaminated sediments. Read more in the release.

When International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) members gathered in Delhi, India this month for the 6th Asian Regional Conference on Geosynthetics, they met the IGS’s new Secretariat Manager: Terry-Ann Paulo. She takes over the...

SKZ, with scientific committee support from Cemagref and the Geosynthetic Institute (GSI), announces the 3rd International Symposium on Geosynthetic Clay Liners, to be held at the Fortress Marienberg in Würzburg, Germany 15-16 September 2010. Abstract and papers for oral or poster presentations are invited on the following topics: Application / case studies (Landfills, Canals, Reservoirs / Dams, Transportation Infrastructure) • Durability / Lifetime • Laboratory testing • Performance (Cation exchange, Desiccation, Experience from excavation • Regulations / Approvals. Abstracts must be submitted via e-mail to: gbr-c2k10@skz.de no later than 30 September 2009. View the flyer in PDF.

The deadline to submit presentation abstracts to Sally Humphreys (sh@amiplastics.com) for Waterproof Membranes 2010 is: 28 May 2010. The conference is Applied Market Information's (AMI) 4th international conference on Waterproof Membranes and will be held 30 November - 2 December 2010 at the Maritim Hotel in Cologne, Germany. A welcome reception and registration will be held on the first evening, and the two-day technical program follows. Learn more.

The 3rd International Symposium on Geosynthetic Clay Liners (GBR-C 2k10) is almost here! Germany-based SKZ, with scientific committee support from France-based Cemagref and the United States-based Geosynthetic Institute (GSI), will host the event in Würzburg, Germany 15-16 September 2010. These sessions, which will explore a vast amount of GCL applications, research, and performance, will be held at the historic Fortress Marienberg. Dr. Jorge Zornberg, president of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS), will open the conference.

The Water Quality Forum, a multi-discpline organization dedicated to improving water quality in Knox County, Tennessee, has been educating subcontractors about construction site erosion and sediment controls. This is important to the integrity of basic site controls, such as silt fence, especially when truckloads of materials are being brought in and potentially being driven over the controls. KnoxNews reports. Learn more here.;

ASTM Committee D35 on Geosynthetics has revised D6637, "Standard Test Method for Determining Tensile Properties of Geogrids by the Single or Multi-Rib Tensile Method," as D6637-10. The determination of the tensile force-elongation values of geogrids provides index property values. This test method shall be used for quality control and acceptance testing of commercial shipments of geogrids. Learn more here.;

Recreational trails that are subject to tougher wear and tear are increasingly being constructed with separation geotextiles to keep their paths intact. Mountain bike trails are of particular interest in this regard. In the Lancashire area of England, the organization Sport England is part of a £180,000 (USD $259,000) trail-building project for mountain bikes. Included in that final cost is up to £60,000-worth (USD $86,000) of in-kind material donations, including drainage pipes and geotextiles. Learn more here.;

A month out, the early numbers on the International Erosion Control Association's (IECA) Environmental Connection 2014 conference are showing a strong trend. The association now expects the attendance to...

Guest Teacher Abigail Beck of Asuenco Vector will join Ian Peggs of I-CORP International to teach Liner Integrity Survey Training--offering multi-lingual support in the class during TRI/Environmental's next CQA Week, which will be held in Austin, Texas at the TRI campus 6-10 December 2010. Read more.

A "floating-geotextile mat" has been selected to be the first wetland-based filtering system for the Rangitikei District Council's wastewater treatment plant in Marton, New Zealand. Since only one company provides the system in New Zealand, the project will not go to tender. It is expected to cost roughly $500,000. It replaces a mechanical oxygen input system and is thought will save $40,000 per year in operations cost. Learn more here.;

Representatives of Golder Associates and Recology recently gave technical presentations to the Humboldt Development Authority, Nevada. The presentations included a semi-technical outline as well as a conceptual design for the proposed Jungo Rd. landfill. HDPE geomembranes, geotextile filtration, liner integrity CQA, and other engineering methods were discussed. Learn more here.;

Presto Geosystem, a leading manufacturer of cellular confinement, porous pavements and construction mats, is looking for a seasoned technical sales professional to add to their team. Candidates should possess industry...

Creating a new company called Tuberias Tigre-ADS Limitada will combine ADS corrugated pipe and Tigre's mining, solid wall pipe to expand sales of both products in South America. The financial arrangements of the new joint venture were not disclosed.

New for the Global Waste Management Symposium 2010 event! Tour the United States' first landfill solar energy cover system! Integrating new and existing technologies, the innovative solar cover project at Tessman Road Landfill in San Antonio, Texas, was brought online by Republic Services, as part of the company's ongoing commitment to creating cleaner, greener communities. It generates clean, renewable energy, reducing dependence on nonrenewable sources. GWMS 2010 will be held 3-6 October 2010 in San Antonio, Texas. Read more.

The blog was started in November 2005 by the IECA Government Relations Committee as a tool to communicate with IECA members about legislative updates in a timely manner. Members can read about the news, voice opinions and learn about calls to action. Learn more here.;