Ground Improvement

The historic Colorado town of Leadville is situated below an old mining area that contains more than a billion gallons of contaminated drainage. A state of emergency has been declared. Melting snowpack and a partial collapse in the 2.1-mile-long drainage tunnel have threatened what some are calling a toxic tidalwave. Learn more here.;

It's Valentine's Day, so we encourage you to take precautions and avoid failures--geosynthetic failures, that is. Canadian Environmental Protection's first issue of 2008 includes an article on failure prevention (and liability protection). The issue also contains a prefabricated vertical drain (PVD) project, Strata's 18-ft.-wide geogrids, and prefab drainage in the Vancouver Olympics infrastructure upgrades. Learn more here.;

Over at the utilitarianly named website howstuffworks.com, one can find quite a bit of generic information on things from automotive repair to DVD formating; calculating economic GDP to lists of banned books. An article from professor Craig Freudenrich has also cropped up to explain how landfills work too. And Marshall Brain's entry on the matter has appeared in the WCF Courier this week. Perhaps we'll see other geosynthetic pieces soon? Learn more here.;

The spike in demand for (and profit from) minerals and precious metals has caused a furious number of mining projects to be pushed. The environmental management costs--liners, erosion control, etc.--have contributed more as the scope of these mining sites expand; but a far greater cost crunch lies in the global competition for mining equipment and labor. There are shortages of both. Learn more here.;

Over at the PittsburghLive news site, a waste management article from the McClatchy-Tribune has been published. It covers the advanced technologies that go into making a modern, safe landfill. This includes geosynthetic lining systems, drainage and caps. It's not a technical article by any stretch, but it is nice to see a general news source recognize engineering. Learn more here.;

Representative Heath Shuler, (D-NC) gave the following open statement in the House Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Water Resources and the Environment hearing on the Water Resources Development Act of 2008. This hearing statement was made on February 7, 2008….“As a real estate developer, I am very familiar with the infrastructure requirements for a new development. One of the greatest tools we deployed was long lasting geosynthetics under newly paved roads. The performance of roads built with geosynthetics was always superior to those built without geosynthetics and geosynthetics are better for the environment as well as drainage around roads. Buttressing my personal experience with geosynthetics is evidence from the federal government about the benefits associated with utilizing geosynthetic materials. In the late 1980s the U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Reclamation undertook a comprehensive series of tests and investigations to evaluate the use of geosynthetic systems to line canals throughout the western United States. The conclusions of the report highlight a 90% reduction in leakage and a lifespan of the systems of 50 years (U.S. Dept. Of Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, report R-02-03). In the early 1980s, the U.S. EPA mandated the usage of HDPE liners as subsurface barrier layers in the nation’s landfills and waste storage facilities. This resulted in the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) offering the highest grade given to the area of solid waste management in their “Report Card” on America’s infrastructure. The evidence suggested that requiring the lining of canals, pipelines, reservoirs and dams for water conveyance with geosynthetic materials will improve the lifespan of these infrastructure projects, reduce waste of an increasingly valuable resource and save the taxpayers money by improving the performance of these systems. I hope the Committee will strongly consider taking steps to promote the use of geosynthetics in the Water Resources Development Act of 2008." Learn more here.;

Recent Water & Wastewater News items of interest: New York City is considering a green initiative to trap stormwater through landscaping designs, greenroofs and porous paver selection; California wants new highway and roadside designs to trap or filter runoff; and an Ohio senator is pushing for federal funds to repair the state's deteriorating water and sewage management systems. Learn more here.;

The Newcastle, United Kingdom-based company Electrokinetic Ltd. has received £100,000 (USD $196,000) from a fund to further develop electrokinetic geosynthetics for drainage applications. The company believes it will leave the R&D phase soon enough and tap into the technology's growing interest from the waste and civil construction sectors. Learn more here.;

A bill introduced by Tony McConkey to the Maryland State House of Delegates would make geosynthetic liners a necessity for any site at which fly ash is dumped. The bill has come about after fly ash from coal burning was disposed of at an unlined site. That disposal resulted in widespread well contamination. The bill also requires leachate drainage management and protective caps. Learn more here.;

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are reviewing two Superfund sites in Duluth for remediation measures. Sediment flows and groundwater are being monitored, and a report is expected by September to detail whether dredging or capping will be the best approach. Learn more here.;

A proposed copper mine in the Yukon is meeting with stiff environmental opposition. The many-years spike in copper prices has made the $150 million, 8-year-life mine attractive to the company seeking to build. But environmental groups are asking for examples of how heap leaching and liners react overtime in cold climates. Manfacturers and engineers with experience should consider adding your knowledge to the discussion. Learn more here.;

Waste & Recycling News--which changed its name earlier this month from Waste News--has removed the registration process required to view parts of www.wasterecyclingnews.com. Viewers also will no longer need a password to access stories and features on the site. Learn more here.;

The dredging of PCB contaminants from the soils of the Hudson River is being scaled back. GE plans to do about one-third less than previously announced. Instead, "hot spots" of pollution will be the focus. Turbidity curtains, geotextile tubes and containment zones will be part of the cleanup, which is slated to begin in spring 2009. Learn more here.;

The government of India and INDA, a nonwovens industry association, are teaming up to organize nonwovens and geotextile workshops. The aim is to improve the technical textile knowledge base in the country. Learn more here.;

Vancouver, British Columbia is suffering a garbage crunch: too much waste, not enough space. One plan calls for increasing the amount of waste dumped at Burns Bog--a compressed peat-lined landfill! To be sure, concerns are being raised over the lack of a modern lining system. Garbage may be exported to the US for burial while the city tries to find an acceptable location for a new landfill's construction. Learn more here.;

geosindex.com lists geosynthetic data and it's free to access. Registration is never requested. For a sample of what the site provides, check out the geotextile data. The interactive table is sortable and users can choose what criteria fields they would like to see, such as CBR Puncture, NTPEP, and tensile strength. Questions on how to use the site or how to list your products? Contact us. Learn more here.;

Terrafix Geosynthetics has expanded its portfolio of stormwater products and services. See the latest at Terrafix's redesigned website. Learn more here.;

Per European regulatory remedies required to finalize Owens Corning's acquisition of Saint-Gobain's reinforcements and composite fabrics businesses, the company has agreed to sell composites plants in Belgium and Norway. Learn more here.;

The ASTM Proficiency Testing Program has just expanded its existing Textiles Proficiency Testing Program to include a new proficiency testing program on yarns and threads. This new PTP is an industry driven quality assurance program for companies doing yarn and thread component performance evaluations on a routine basis. This PTP will provide participants with a statistical tool that will enable them to compare, improve and maintain a high level of performance in the use of ASTM test methods with other laboratories worldwide. The test parameters in the ASTM yarn and thread PTP include the following ASTM standard tests: · D 1422, Test Method for Twist in Single Spun Yarns by the Untwist-Retwist Method; · D 1423, Test Method for Twist in Yarns by Direct-Counting; · D 1907, Test Method for Linear Density of Yarn (Yarn Number) by the Skein Method; and · D 2256, Test Method for Tensile Properties of Yarns by the Single-Strand Method (straight break strength and loop strength). For each test trial, laboratory participants receive a different spool containing 500 yards of a representative yarn or thread for testing, along with interactive electronic data report forms and test instructions. Using the specified ASTM program tests, participating laboratories conduct the tests of their choice that they routinely run. Upon completion of testing, each lab electronically submits their data to the ASTM PTP Center for use in generating statistical summary reports. Final reports, which are electronically distributed within a month of the data submission deadline, contain: · All test results, coded to maintain PTP customer confidentiality; · Statistical analysis of test data; and · Charts plotting test results versus laboratory code. Test results received through the program will allow laboratories to monitor strengths and weaknesses to maintain accreditation status and compare test results and calculated statistical parameters with labs throughout the world. Test cycles will be held in June and December. Companies must be registered by April 30 to be included in the June test trial. The annual subscription fee for both trials in 2008 is $290 USD. For more information on registration and fees, please contact Helen Mahy, ASTM International (phone: 610/832-9683; hmahy@astm.org) or visit the proficiency test program for textiles section of the ASTM Web site at the link below. Learn more here.;

The Klamath River along the California - Oregon border is the site of numerous 100-year-old dams. Proposals seem to be advancing, though, towards dismantling the power-oriented structures in order to free up more irrigation water. Plenty of erosion control, stabilization and containment technologies will be needed if this water rerouting project goes forth. It's still a ways away. Learn more here.;

Evaluating soils is a tricky business, as Winston-Salem officials have found out. An additional $830,000 was added to the end of a road-widening project, largely due to the need for unplanned drainage and erosion control operations. The upfront soil analysis missed the trouble zones, and the city's lack of month-to-month project oversight led to the surprise bill. North Carolina recently toughened its EC rules. Learn more here.;

The three-mile-long Shadow Lake in Middletown, New Jersey has been overrun by vegetation and sediment. But $3.8 million was freed in December for much-needed dredging operations. Environmental impact studies and dredging approaches are now being investigated. Learn more here.;

Will Delury Square in Manhattan get a new park? Only if a landownership group gets a couple assurances: one, teenagers will be discouraged from congregating; two, a sinkhole will be fixed. While officials say they can do little about the teenagers (who apparently use a nearby Burger King), they are planning to correct settling soil with geotextiles. Learn more here.;

Maryland's Chesapeake Bay is undergoing an extensive restoration, but lawmakers are sitting on $50 million and haggling about how to use it. They would like to find census on how to spend it, what erosion control methods would work best, and how they can more fully track nitrogen and phosphorus reductions of runoff. Learn more here.;

Get professional development hour (PDH) credit for reading and responding to articles in CE News' PDH Series. The current article, "Performance Considerations for Proper Selection of Stormwater Channel Lining Materials," has been authored by Scott Manning and Deron Austin of Propex Geosynthetics. Download a PDF copy of the article today. Learn more here.;