Ground Improvement

Leister Technologies AG, a worldwide leader in plastic welding and hot air equipment, has announced that U.S.-based calibration and repair services for its EXAMO tensiometers is now available through Leister USA in Chicago. Yearly recalibration is normally required for all tensile-testing devices in the geosynthetics and civil engineering industries. The new services through Leister USA will enable North American customers to remain compliant with these requirements, while reducing costs and downtime during tensiometer updates.

CETCO has completed an extensive update of its website. The new content includes new tools and contacts for specification assistance, an extensive reference and document library (all available freely and without any login requirements), and key testing updates, such as to recent direct shear testing results. We encourage our readers to explore CETCO's new site. The added content is worth the time. Learn more here.;

The International Erosion Control Association's (IECA) Malaysia Chapter has been awarded a grant from Shell Malaysia. The award, which is one of seven offered this week to non-governmental organizations (NGOs), comes as part of the corporation's Shell Sustainable Development Grants program. The IECA Malaysia Chapter was recognized for its capacity-building project on mangrove planting on Carey Island. The chapter conducted its work for an Orang Asli (aboriginal) village.

The Stormwater Equipment Manufacturers Association (SWEMA) announced a new Board of Directors late Friday (January 23) in a release. The new Board's term will cover 2015 and 2016. The results: President: Will Harris...

TenCate Geosynthetics has launched a new website. The new section focuses on Industrial Fabrics. Read about the site's redesign, its new resources, and more.

The Times of India reports that villagers in Candolim are working with a water resources department on a 1.5-km-long beach erosion control project that will use sand-filled geotextile tubes. Monsoons have caused considerable erosion in India this year, and increasing the country is turning to geotextile tubes to provide better protection. The project is expected to cost Rs 6 crore (USD $1.27 million). Learn more here.;

There is immense potential for jute geotextile both in domestic and international markets, some in Bangladesh feel. They are inspired in many respects by the heavy interest India has shown in developing jute geotextiles. Learn more here.;

Olympia, Washington's Cooper Crest neighborhood was supposed to be a low-impact, exemplary new development that demonstrated low erosion, contained runoff in detention ponds, and provided plenty of vegetation. But residents have found the soil tricky, the runoff plentiful, and the hillside vegetation difficult to retain. From the Olympian. Learn more here.;

The Senate will vote on a bill to allocate $37 billion for clean water across the country. The bill would earmark $20 billion for low-cost loans for water infrastructure, with another $15 billion for drinking water over five years. The federal authorization for the clean water fund has remained at the same levels since 1987, according to Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. Learn more here.;

Writing for "For Construction Pros," Lisa Cleaver notes, "Paving fabrics have been long recognized as a way to help pavements last longer." In her article, she outlines causes of pavement failures and how paving fabrics succeed. She also identifies greener paving fabrics, including material from TenCate. Learn more here.;

Geosynthetica.net has moved its physical office and now has a new phone number. The new address and phone contact information are as follows: Geosynthetica.net, 1934 Commerce Lane Ste. 4, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA; phone +1 561 768 9487. The central geosynthetica.net emails and personnel remain the same: Elizabeth Peggs, Managing Director: Elizabeth@geosynthetica.net; Chris Kelsey, Editor/Writer: chris@geosynthetica.net; and David Cabrera, Web Developer: david@geosynthetica.net.

The Geosynthetic Institute (GSI) has announced some short courses. The current offerings include: Geosynthetics in Waste Containment Liner and Cover Design. The course will be offered 8 December 2008 and 9 March 2009 ** Quality Control / Quality Assurance of Geosynthetics Installation. The course will be offered 9 December 2008 and 10 March 2009. ** Examinations for Inspector Certification. This certification exam will be offered 10 December 2008 and 11 March 2009. For more information, please download the short course brochure (PDF).

The benefits of performing geoelectric leak location or liner integrity surveys (LIS) as the final stage of geomembrane liner construction quality assurance are well established. In fact, the NYS DEC, Division of Solid & Hazardous Materials is proposing regulatory changes to their solid waste management regulations that will apply the practice to the floor secondary (lower) liner of new landfill cells as well as to the primary (upper) liner. Read more about this growing movement.

The sagging state of the American infrastructure is well known. The recent collapse of more than 20 levees during the flooding in the Midwest is more than telling. But the Economist has now weighed in with a rather stark, short essay on the funding and application needs. Transportation and water management are of major concern. Read more. Learn more here.;

The long history of water management in the Netherlands has rightfully given it a unique and valued expert status in engineering. Deltares has become one of the leading providers for current and new engineering information. From 25-27 May 2010, Deltares is hosting a three-day course on "Understanding Dike Safety." A focus will be placed on understanding failure, predicting it, and monitoring installations. Participants will see, learn and understand many different failure mechanisms. Learn more at the event website. Learn more here.;

Dubai is host to one of the world's most impressive infrastructures (and one of the most impressive economies). But the rapid construction has increased erosion of Dubai's treasured beaches. Nearly 50 meters of shoreline erode every two years. A new renourishment scheme involves the installation of barriers created out of sand-filled geotextile bags. Learn more here.;

A team from the Geotechnical Extreme Events Reconnaissance (GEER) Association, supported by the National Science Foundation, is mobilizing to collect information on the effects of a landslide that occurred...

When it comes to rural road design, Gordon Keller has seen firsthand quite a bit of what the world has to offer. Since 1972, Keller has worked for the US Forest Service and worked in partnership with numerous international organizations, such as the World Bank, the Pan-American Highway Institute, and the International Road Federation (IRF) to promote best practices in design, maintenance, environmental analysis, and more. He'll next lead a workshop on Low Volume Roads (LVR) in Orlando, Florida for IRF 11-13 April 2012. He discusses the workshop and issues such as changing agricultural practices on rural roads in an interview with Geosynthetica.

As of 1 June 2009, Axter Coletanche, makers of bituminous geomembranes, has discontinued its main distributor relationship in Quebec and is heading up its own distribution of the Coletanche bituminous liner in Canada. Bertrand Bruel is leading this effort from his office in Montreal. He reports hightened interest in the use of bituminous geomembranes in global dam construction after the company's recent visit to the ICOLD conference in Brazil. Learn more here.;

Among the US Department of Defense's latest contract awards: Black Construction/Mace International, JV, Barrigada, Guam, was awarded on September 30 an $8,970,000 firm-fixed-price contract for repair shoreline revetment. The work to be performed provides for the repair of existing revetment and restores portions of the shoreline to protect threatened infrastructure along the approximately 700 feet of shoreline. Repair will include replacing the existing rubble-mound revetment with an engineered revetment consisting of Class A armor stones; Class B underlayer stones and geotextile fabric; and stabilizing portions of existing shoreline corridor with soil backfilling and re-vegetation. Work will be performed at Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territories. Work is expected to be completed by October 2011. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was negotiated as sole-source procurement in accordance with FAR 6.302-1, “only one responsible source”. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Far East, Yokosuka, Japan, is the contracting activity (N40084-10-C-0087). Learn more here.;

The official website of the ACE Geosynthetics EcoPark is now online. Readers are able to explore the park virtually anytime and anywhere while gaining knowledge about geosynthetics. Geosynthetic products have...

There is a new global cooperation section of the ASTM International Web site. The updated site has a new look and features more information about ASTM activities with MOU partners and other international standards development organizations. The page links to technical assistance, training opportunities, events, and much more. Learn more here.;

Many forecasts believe engineering firms will hedge their bets on recovery this year, bringing many back to their force; only, with a good percentage of those new and returning employees on a contract basis to start. But the outlook is improving. Learn more here.;

25 June 2014 - Presto Geosystems announces an addition to their sales and marketing team, Matt Kuester. Matt is a Business Development Manager and will be focused on international...

Geosynthetic materials are used extensively in coastal engineering and protection projects. The modern geotextiles industry, in fact, emerged in the late 1950s as the response of engineers to severe...