Ground Improvement

The Spring 2009 issue of MiraFacts, a publication from TenCate Geosynthetics, has been released. This issue contains stories on how geosynthetics help reduce a carbon footprint, new haul roads brochure, a technical note on loading, two case cases, upcoming events, and more. (Continued.)

More than 100 road and drainage projects throughout unincorporated St. Tammany Parish are scheduled for next year using money from the parish's 2-cent sales tax. The parish's budget for 2010 provides for $17.5 million in capital improvements, including $10 million for individual road and drainage projects in each of the 14 council districts. Learn more here.;

7IGC 22-27 September 2002 in Nice was a fantastic success! Over 1,200 attendees, all booths sold out(and a few extras), elections, four unique educational tracks (300+ papers), dining, dancing, footballand so much more.

The third day of activities in Minneapolis for the National Association of County Engineers (NACE) 2011 Conference ("Guiding with Vision") saw close to 200 people crowd into a room to hear another talk on accelerated bridge construction, including geosynthetic reinforced soil (GRS) techniques. This time, Warren Schlatter, the county engineer for Defiance County, Ohio, discussed his county's particular success with the GRS-Integrated Bridge System approach now being promoted (including with DVD films) by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

Lincolnshire's flagship new Epic Centre for sustainable building has strengthened its ground-breaking credentials with an unexpected cost saving solution using earth retaining technology from Tensar International. A conventionally-sloping green embankment was originally planned to abut directly against the new building at the Lincolnshire Showground, meaning it needed to be able to withstand a considerable imposed lateral earth pressure. But, by using an alternative Tensar design with Tensartech TR2 earth retaining technology to relieve lateral thrust, a 'value engineered' self-supporting earth structure was achieved.

Materials manufacturer Fiberweb has secured the acquisition of Tubex, the parent company of the Tubex Group of companies. The deal, for £5.1 million, is to be satisfied by £3.85 million in cash and 1.8 million Fiberweb shares to existing Tubex shareholders. Tubex, a private UK company based in Wales and owned by the management team and Shackleton Ventures, produces tree shelters designed to improve the survival and growth rates of saplings and vines. The deal, for 100 per cent of Tubex, is seen as complementary to Fiberweb's Acorn tree shelter business which is based in Suffolk. Learn more here.;

A power company near Louisville, Kentucky has proposed to construct a 60-acre coal ash landfill near the Ohio River. The new landfill is designed to hold 5.8 million cubic yards of waste and is planned to 16 years of service life. The design is also flexible to accommodate changes that may be mandated in future years in Kentucky, such as the potential addition of a wastewater treatment facility. A "hard plastic liner" is said to be in the design and secondary containment measures can be added. Learn more here.;

Tiger Woods is ready to take on remediation--via the undulating greens of Liberty National near the Statue of Liberty in New York. The course grounds, built over an old oil refining site, occupy 160 acres and offer an astonishing 4,000 feet of waterfront space and magnificent views of the Statue of Liberty, Manhattan skyline and Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. Bob Cupp and Tom Kite designed the course. Geosynthetic liners were used extensively to cap the old polluted soil and separate it from the clean, rolling hills of the very challenging links-style course that now characterizes the area. Learn more here.;

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds (OWOW) has released its 2010 annual report titled "Sustainable Communities, Healthy Watersheds." The report contains information about EPA's work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the development of new draft guidance on Identifying Waters Protected by the Clean Water Act (also known as the Waters of the U.S. Draft Guidance), progress in better protection of water quality in Appalachia from the harmful effects of surface coal mining operations, and advancement in the work of the National Ocean Council. The report also includes information about OWOW's response to the Deepwater Horizon/BP oil spill, polluted runoff, Chesapeake Bay watershed rules, and much more.

The Port of Guaymas functions as a shipping, manufacturing, commercial, and tourism center. It lies on the shores of the Gulf of California on the Pacific Ocean in Sonora,...

In the Geosynthetics Magazine blog, Andrew Aho of the Geosynthetic Materials Association (GMA) writes about the recent National Transportation Product Evaluation Program (NTPEP) meeting in San Antonio. He writes, "Some of the state DOT representatives shared their reasons for wanting better 'traceability' of the primary manufacturers by printing identifications directly on the geotextile fabrics." Read more. Learn more here.;

Freecycling is the act of recycling what is destined for a landfill by giving it away to those who can still utilize the original materials. For the manufacture of geosynthetics, this may represent a huge opportunity to reduce the amount of material that is landfilled simply by default of being "waste" from the perspective of the conventional manufacturing, shipping, and storage side of the business. Geofabrics Australasia recently engaged in a highly successful freecycling trial in the Albury/Wodonga area of New South Wales, thanks to a strong freecycling organization and the dedicated efforts of a Geofabrics employee.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) 5th National Conference for Nonpoint Source and Stormwater Outreach seeks abstract and workshop proposals through 30 January 2009. The event will provide practitioners from around the country the opportunity to learn and share ideas on developing and implementing nonpoint source and stormwater outreach strategies that produce positive, measurable outcomes, comply with NPDES requirements, and can be successfully implemented with modest budgets. The conference will take place 11-14 May 2009 in Portland, Oregon. Learn more in the call and conference PDF. Learn more here.;

A section of the Lehigh River towpath in Allentown that had been closed since October has reopened, just in time for joggers, bikers and outdoors aficionados to enjoy Canal Park for the holidays. A breach in the canal forced city officials to close part of the towpath while repairs were made. New clay was added to the towpath and canal channel and a synthetic liner was installed to make the fix watertight. Learn more here.;

What are geosynthetics and why are they central to the creation of jobs and expansion of coastal restoration projects? A new Duke University study, "GEOSYNTHETICS: Coastal Management Applications in the Gulf of Mexico" details how the emerging geosynthetics industry can create jobs benefitting nearly 200 employee locations in 36 states, including more than 72 in the five gulf states and 24 in Louisiana. Duke has also created an online interactive map showing firm-level data and firm locations by state and value chain segment.

A blog post from Monday afternoon (9 March 2009) at the West Virginia Gazette suggested that the chair of the United States House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee--Nick J. Rahall II (D-WV)--may be attempting to minimize new regulations on coal ash slurry reservoirs. Things may not be as they seem in this one, however. Politics has much to do with timing. Read more.

The Mountain Watershed Association (MWA) is ramping up its efforts to treat acid mining drainage and convert the land to a usable site. The latest project concerns a site in Melcroft, Pennsylvania--MWA's home. The state Department of Environmental Protection's Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation is soliciting comments. The $800,000 project is MWA's fourth remediation venture. Learn more here.;

The first Erosion Control issue of 2011 is available. The issue's cleaner, more interactive digital edition makes a nice impact, and an expansive cover story on geosynthetics (in flood control, slope stabilization and dewatering) is included. Other stories focus on TRMs and blankets, silt fence and wattles, retaining walls and other issues. Read it online today. Learn more here.;

The Geosynthetic Institute (GSI) has invested tens of thousands of dollars in its engineering research over the years, both in-house and with its GSI Fellowships program. The latter endeavor...

The International Geosynthetics Society Technical Committee on Reinforcement (TC-R) will welcome civil and geotechnical engineering professionals from around the world to the 1st GeoReinforcement Workshop 4 – 5 June...

The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) wants to raise the St. Charles Parish levee from 13 ft to 18 ft. The design change was revealed this week, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune. A 30-day comment period has begun. Design issues are available on the Corps regional website. Learn more here.;