Ground Improvement

Construction of a cap for the Global Landfill in Old Bridge is under way to provide final containment of a Superfund site that has been an environmental concern in the area for many years. The cap will include a flexible, geosynthetic barrier (to allow for further site settlement) and leachate-collection and stormwater-control systems. The DEP and EPA have required long-term monitoring of the aquifers and wetlands. The DEP and EPA have also required some 5,000 cubic yards of wetland sediments contaminated with volatile organic chemicals to be placed under the landfill cap.

SKZ's renowned "Lifetime of Geosynthetics" event is to hold its first session in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Registration for the two-day event is now open with an early-bird discount available through September 24. Dr. Helmut Zanzinger will chair the seminar, which takes place 22-23 October 2008. The second day will include a tour of an artificial lakes site. BMC Gulf, Leister and Agru are the events main sponsors.

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.

Every four years a chapter of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) hosts the society's biggest event: the International Conference on Geosynthetics. An exceptional milestone will be reached when the...

The New York Federation of Solid Waste Associations Spring Conference and Trade Show began in 1997 and has become an annual premier northeast event. It attracts over 700 public and private sector solid waste and recycling professionals to a technical program with 90 presentations and an expanded Trade Show that is supported by 120 major exhibitors. Those interested in the PowerPoint presentations from the 2010 conference can access them free online. Also, the dates and location for the 2011 event have been announced: 1-4 May 2011 at the historic Sagamore in Bolton Landing, New York. 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.;

Concrete Canvas has won a major contract to supply its Geosynthetic Cementitious Composite Mat (GCCM) for one of Australia's largest resource projects: the Wheatstone liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant...

The state of North Carolina has tough restrictions on hard armor erosion control structures. As the story in USA Today reveals (http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-02-24-seawall_N.htm), some island homes are threatened to lose what little land remains without protection. Geotextile tubes, however, could be a solution to push to the state. They've proven successful in many other area at beach preservation and restoration--including at this critical habitat site in Texas. Learn more here.;

From the Department of Did You Know? comes news that the International Erosion Control Association (IECA) has a Facebook page. Facebook and other social networking websites have increasingly transitioned from being teenage communities to more advanced forums, including the establishment of businesses on Facebook. IECA invites users of the service to become an IECA "fan," which is a mark of support and community among Facebook users. Learn more here.;

The Department of Environmental Protection announced today it has submitted a revised version of its erosion and sediment control general permit for earth disturbance associated with oil and gas activities for publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin, along with four other supporting documents, including a draft permit application and a policy explaining the permit requirements.

On the eve of GreenBuild 2008 in Boston, Massachusetts, 18 November 2008, a business reception will be held at the Liberty Hotel. Organizers invite you to take part in this opportunity to network with more than 50 Canadian companies, associations and agencies that are international leaders in green building and energy efficiency. To register or if you have questions, please contact Erin Daily by email. Arrangements for this special networking event must be made by 14 November 2008. Learn more here.;

The International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) Indian Chapter (IGS India) has announced the publication of Volume 1, Issue 2 of the Indian Journal of Geosynthetics and Ground Improvement. This issue includes articles on "Comparative Study on the Performance of Piled Embankments with and without the Geosynthetic Reinforcement," "Evaluation of the Performance of Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil Walls Using a Geocentrifuge," and "A Case Study on the Use of Coir Geotextiles for Stabilizing a Steep Slope." Additionally, updates on forthcoming events and opportunities are included. The journal is distributed for free to IGS members, who also enjoy full access electronically to other international journals on geosynthetics. Join today. Learn more here.;

The Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) has announced the speakers and topics for the plenary lectures being delivered at Geo-Frontiers 2011, a multi-disciplinary geotechnical engineering conference being held 13-16 March 2011 in Dallas, Texas. Key speakers include Norbert Morgenstern, Antonio Bobet, Kenneth H. Stokoe II, and Junichi Koseki. Read more.

Keyline Builders Merchants, a large, United Kingdom-based supplier of civils, heavy building materials and drainage products, has announced the establishment of a new geotechnics  team. The enhanced focus on...

Geo-Frontiers 2011 brings together the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS), North American Geosynthetics Society (NAGS), the American Society of Civil Engineers' (ASCE) Geo-Institute, the Geosynthetic Institute (GSI), and the Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI). REGISTER by February 21 to get the best rates for Geo-Frontiers 2011 (www.geofrontiers11.com). Learn more here.;

Environmental Connection 2011 (EC11), annual conference and expo of the International Erosion Control Association (IECA), brings together the industry's best and brightest for a week of industry-leading education, networking and access to the largest expo hall of its kind. The event offers short courses, technical sessions, an exhibit hall, numerous networking opportunities, certification, and much more. EC11 will be held 20-23 February 2011. The event organizers report that limited space is still available in select EC11 courses. Learn more.

Updated March 24: We've added a seventh geosynthetics app, the EPI Geomembrane Product Locator, which was released in March 2017 after this article had already been compiled. Smartphones are ubiquitous,...

Presto GeoSystems has recognized Layfield as its top North American distributor for 2013. Layfield promotes Presto's Geoweb® cellular confinement materials as part of its geosynthetics portfolio. Geoweb® is a patented product that reduces...

The deadline to submit abstracts to GeoAmericas 2012 is closing quickly (June 30). Building upon the success of GeoAmericas 2008, this event will provide significant networking and knowledge exchange opportunities for the major roles geosynthetics are playing in the expanding Latin American infrastructure. This Second Pan-American Geosynthetics Conference and Exhibition will be held 1-4 May 2012 in Lima, Peru. The official languages of the conference are English and Spanish.

GSE Holding, Inc. has announced its acquisition of all of the equity interests of SynTec, LLC, a Baltimore, Maryland-based manufacturer of geosynthetics that complement GSE's well-known containment geosynthetics. SynTec has revenues of approximately $20 million. Co-Founders Giovanni Capra and Aigen Zhao, both of whom are veterans of the field, will remain with GSE after the acquisition.

TenCate Geosynthetics North America is recognized with two 2009 International Achievement Awards (IAA) presented by the Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) for its exceptional specialty fabric projects. TenCate received an Outstanding Achievement Award for its Disposal of Coal Mine Slurry Waste Using Geotextile Containers project and one for its Eganville Waste Water Treatment Plant Dewatering project. These projects were recognized in the competition's 'geosynthetics' category.

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...

Cartagena, Colombia will host the 8th IberoAmerican Congress on Erosion and Sediment Control (CICES) 14 – 18 August 2016. The conference theme is “Embracing the Soil.” This gathering, also...

The University of Minnesota held its 61st Annual Geotechnical Engineering Conference on Friday, February 22 at the conference center on the St. Paul campus. Sponsored by the U of M Department of Civil Engineering, the Minnesota Geotechnical Society (MGS), and the Geo-Institute of ASCE, this annual gathering continues to impress. In a report on his visit to the conference, Geosynthetica Editor Chris Kelsey writes that "This year's event focused on instrumentation, data interpretation, and the impacts of geotechnical activities on the environment and structures (such as building overlying tunneling zones). These guiding ideas helped provide significant perspective on the changing practice of engineering. Chaired by Steve Gale (Gale-Tec), the event included many presentations in which geosynthetics played a key role in the geotechnical solution."

The 2011 ICKGSS (International Conference of Korean Geosynthetics Society) invites you to participate in an event that commemorates the 10th Anniversary of the founding of the Korean Geosynthetics Society. Organized by the KGS under the auspices of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS), 2011 ICKGSS will be held 23-24 November 2011 in Seoul, South Korea. KEY TOPICS include (I) Coastal, Transportation and Underground Engineering; (II) Erosion Control and Hydraulic Engineering; (III) Geo-Environmental and Green Structure Application; (IV) Testing, Standardization, Regulation and Reliability; (V) Geosynthetics Stabilized and Reinforced Soil Structure; and (VI) MQC/MQA and CQC/CQA of Geosynthetics. Abstracts due: 30 May 2011.