Ground Improvement

When the Boston Red Sox won games one and two of the World Series at Fenway Park, they did it on a field built by the Sodfather, Roger Bossard. Bossard works, actually, for the Chicago White Sox. He's now rebuilding the Chicago Cubs' field from the extensive drainage layer up. In an interview, he notes that geotextile covers add 7 to 9 degrees of heat for better sod development. Learn more here.;

Evansville, Indiana-based North American Green, makers of erosion control products, are included in Carol Brzozowski's Erosion Control magazine article on the growth of biodegradable products for some applications. Increasingly, geosynthetic companies are using their research and development expertise to include biopolymers and degradable products to complement the permanent geosynthetic solutions. Learn more here.;

The IGS India promoted workshop: Applications of Geosynthetics - Present and Future” was held 20-21 September 2007 in Gandhinagar (Gujarat), India. Read a review sent by A.C. Gupta, Treasurer, Indian Chapter of IGS.

The Bear Hill Estates subdivision outside of Boston has been halted by the state's attorney general. It's alledged that the developer of the 65-acre site has destroyed wetlands and discharged sediment-laden water into a pond that feeds the city of Boston's primary drinking water reservoir. A hearing regarding the site's practices, including erosion control, has been scheduled. Learn more here.;

Education is one of the best measures against future engineering mistakes. In Pennsylvania's Wyong County, students from Tunkhannock Area High School have toured and been taught the methods being used to prevent streambank erosion. This includes future work with geotextile sills as part of a 5000-foot-long restoration zone. Learn more here.;

In North Carolina, erosion control monitoring begins with the state but counties have the option to take over. Henderson County has done just that, and after a six-month delay in launching the inspection program, Timothy Fox is on the trail. It's part of the growing trend in the United States for enforcement at the local level of using silt fence, inlet protection products, vegetated blankets and mats, and more. Learn more here.;

Summit County, Colorado is not up to snuff with its erosion control measures. The Summit Daily News reports that only about 10% of local construction sites meet the permitting requirements for controlling runoff. Highway runoff and forest and ski slope sediment problems are other trouble spots. Learn more here.;

For those looking to follow the West KL Avenue, Oshtemo Township, Michigan Superfund Site, there are some updates. Specifically: a Second Amendment to the Consent Decree for the project cleanup has been proposed and involves implementing the 2005 Record of Decision. The ROD stipulates, among many things, a GCL - geomembrane capping system with geocomposite drainage. Learn more here.;

The James River Association, a Virginia-based riverkeeper member of the international Waterkeeper Alliance, is launching a "Mud Busters" program. The goal is to teach volunteers how to identify poorly installed or poorly planted or failing erosion control measures. Learn more here.;

Ruby Henn Road near Great Falls, Montana is a forest road. A spring hole developed in it earlier this year, making passage difficult. But before the season is too cold for road construction, crews are going to repair the route by excavating saturated soil, placing geotextiles, adding washed rock and drainage piping, and backfilling. Learn more here.;

The Hellhole Canyon Preserve in Valley Center, California was damaged during wildfires in 2003 as was nearby William Heise Park in Julian. County officials have budgeted more than $230,000 for erosion control and trail restoration schemes. An additional $67,000 has been set aside for the El Capitan Open Space Preserve in Lakeside. Learn more here.;

The Augusta Chronicle reports that erosion control inspections and permit requirements are having a noticable and positive impact. By January 2007, builders needed to obtain certification from the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation. Nine months later, inspectors are finding significant improvements in the use of silt fencing and other sediment control materials. (Registration required to read article.) Learn more here.;

If the erosion control violations are true, one could make a decent dollar just shadowing energy infrastructure firm Enbridge. The company is currently constructing a pipeline from Superior, Wisconsin to Patoka, Illinois but is being hit with environmental charges along the way. Most of the problems seem easy to avoid if even basic erosion controls were in place. Learn more here.;

September 29 is National Public Lands Day and will feature numerous volunteer opportunities across the United States. Volunteers will work with agencies such as the Bureau of Land Management, parks divisions, and vital work such as erosion control. For example, gabions and erosion control matting will be installed at Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge (see link below for more). The Public Lands press release can be found by cutting and pasting the following URL into your browser: http://www.publiclandsday.org/ Learn more here.;

Vail Resorts Inc. is feeling green. The 9.5-acre, $1 billion Ever Vail project is expected to become the largest ever LEED-certified development. Highlights of the forthcoming project include stringent erosion control measures during construction and greenroofs on buildings. Geosynthetics play a key role in these areas. Read the release today at CNNMoney.com. Learn more here.;

The Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) has been ordered by the US Army Corps of Engineers to improve erosion control at two bridge spans sites along the new US 98 highway. Complaints have risen over mudflows into Scarbo Creek, apparently stemming for a lack of erosion control solutions at the bridge sites. Learn more here.;

One of the most important dredging projects in the world is on the schedule: the Panama Canal. From the Pacific entrance alone project engineers aim to dredge 9.1 million cubic meters of material at a cost of about $180 million. The Atlantic dredging will run closer to $70 million. Site visits and bidding will begin shortly. Geotextile tubes are major product resources for dredging projects. To see a listing of geotextile tube providers, please cut and paste the following URL into your browser: https://www.geosynthetica.net/ProductsServices.asp#geotube Learn more here.;

Minor erosion control violations have been found with the Sweewater Creek resotration in Belfair, Washington, but charges will not be filed ( http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2007/sep/05/minor-violations-noted-during-sweetwater-creek/ ). However, in neighbor state Oregon the situation is considerably bleaker. The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) has already been slapped with a $90,000 fine for poor erosion control on a highway project. Now the contractor, based in California, has been fined $240,000 - the largest fine ever levied by the state. More at the link below. Learn more here.;

A Tampa-area reservoir is showing cracks in the concrete and soil erosion control-lining at the edges. Designers did not want to use riprap. While a state damn inspector is coming to evaluate the site, Tampa water officials intend to fix the cracks with standard grouting. The fabric lining beneath is intact and providing stability in the meantime. Learn more here.;

David Beckham may have injured his knee in last night's SuperLiga match, but the football world goes on. In Zimbabwe, the Rufaro pitch is being prepared towards the 2010 World Cup. Geotextile and drainage layers are being installed as part of the large-scale sport facility improvements. Infrastructure improvements, such as to roads, are also occurring. Learn more here.;

Beginning August 28, IECA will present “How to Design Natural Channels Using Principles of Geomorphology,” a 5-part webinar series focusing on the procedures necessary to design a stream using natural channel design techniques. Learn more here.;

Normally, news articles cover developments at which runoff is excessive or the erosion control measures have been horribly installed or outright ignored. However, the Cliffs at High Carolina--the first US golf course designed by Tiger Woods--is being praised by erosion control officials. Learn more here.;

Ann Arbor, Michigan is rehabbing its South Maple Park. Roughly 14,000 square feet of geotextile has been installed as a separation layer between the wood fiber safety surface and pea gravel drainage layer. Read more in Michigan Contractor & Builder. Learn more here.;

A steel manufacturing facility in Burns Harbor, Indiana has received approval on a waste cell design. The Mittal Landfill while hold non-recyclable waste containing oil, zinc, grease and lead. A geosynthetic clay liner (GCL) and a 12-inch drainage layer will provide the containment protection. The burial site is expected to accept 14 million tons over the next 25 years. Learn more here.;

Bryan Painter's column at NewsOK.com takes its time getting to the actual center of the piece - the field - but when it does it notes how the Oklahoma Redhawks baseball team canceled only two games during this summer's heavy rains. The field is sand-based system with a subbase of pea gravel, geotextile and drainage pipe and has performed beautifully. Learn more here.;