Ground Improvement

The International Erosion Control Association (IECA) openly publishes a "Best of Article Search" selection in its monthly e-newsletter. This month's offering is Stanley M. Miller and Alan C. Joaquin's paper "Geosynthetic Stabilized Earth Using Compost Filter Socks for Sustainable Vegetated Walls and Slopes" from the EC11 conference. Read it here.

Crain's Manchester Business publication, in a short article on Manchester, UK-based firms seeking further tenders with the London Olympics construction, has mentioned the use of geomembrane in the Olympic park. Icopal supplied 10,000 m2 to control Japanese knotweed. The firm is now awaiting word on new contracts. Learn more here.;

The annual Waterproof Membranes conference from AMI returns 17 – 19 November 2015 at the Maritim Hotel in Bonn, Germany. The conference organizers have just released the program for...

Two companies have been charged over the collapse of an inflatable dam wall in Central Queensland, which killed a four-year-old girl a year ago. Workplace Health and Safety Queensland has accused the owners of the dam, Sunwater Limited, and manufacturers of the device, Trellebord Engineered Systems Australia, of failing to meet their health and safety obligations. Nelani Koefer drowned when the inflatable barrier collapsed and water gushed over a wall at the Bedford Weir outside Blackwater last November. Learn more here.;

The Brazilian infrastructure market is expanding rapidly. Over the next three years, USD $500 billion is expected to be invested, both to keep pace with the country's growth and two major international sporting events (2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympic Games). These growth opportunities and more will be discussed at Terrapinn's Infrastructure Investment World Brazil 2010 conference, 31 August - 1 September 2010 in Rio de Janeiro. Key investors, developers, construction companies, government officials, development banks, and hedge and private equity funds will all be involved.

Geosynthetics 2009 will be held 25-27 February 2009 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The conference theme is "Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering." Areas of focus include shoreline and water protection, conveyance and storage, mining, agriculture, aquaculture, temporary roads and drainage. The deadline for conference paper proposals is June 2. Read more about submitting abstracts, the review process and key dates. Learn more here.;

TRI/Environmental, Inc. (TRI) has achieved independent, third party accreditation for its large scale erosion control testing and research laboratory by the Geosynthetic Accreditation Institute (GAI), which is part of the Folsom, Pennsylvania-based Geosynthetic Institute (GSI). This TRI facility, in upstate South Carolina at the Denver Downs Research Facility (DDRF), compliments TRI's industry-leading index and bench-scale erosion and sediment control testing capabilities. With over 1.2 sq. km of working area, this research farm employs various sloping terrain and water from four ponds. Additionally, DDRF has numerous structures housing covered research and testing, and material and equipment storage. Read more about this industry first.

A first announcement and call for papers has been issued for Landfill 2009, the 8th Bienniel Seminar on Waste Disposal by Landfill from the Landfill Interest Group - Western Cape. LIG is part of the Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa (IWMSA). Landfill 2009 will be guided by the theme "The Functional Landfill." The event takes place in Cape Town 19-20 October 2009. Abstracts are requested by 30 April 2009. For more information, see the following short article.

Applied Market Information (AMI) has published the first issue of Film and Sheet Extrusion magazine, a new bi-monthly publication. The entire April/May 2009 edition is available for viewing online. This inaugural issue's stories include an analysis of global PE film markets; new developments in bioplastics; control systems for better extrusion; new lines from W&H, Berstorff and Pti; a Plast show review and Chinaplas preview; and more. Learn more here.;

The March 2013 issue of Geofabrics Journal profiles separation geotextiles, erosion control, and revegetation during Victoria's (Australia) key Peninsula Link project. Also of importance in the issue are articles...

SIBUR contracted acquisition of 50% share in the charter capital of BIAKSPLEN LLC, one of the largest Russian manufacturers of biaxially oriented polypropylene film (BOPP). BIAKSPLEN's production facilities include three plants located in Nizhny Novgorod, Kursk and Moscow Regions. The aggregate capacity of BIAKSPLEN product lines is 87 kta. In 2008 BIAKSPLEN consolidated sales reached RUR 3.9 billion. Read more about this acquisition.

Mario Paredes, P.E., spent nearly 20 years working for Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). His career there included a 6-year post as Florida's State Corrosion Engineer, which included a broad...

TenCate Geosynthetics is working with the U.S. Amry Corps of Engineers on the rehabilitation and protection of the coastal strip of Grand Isle in New Orleans (Louisiana). Miles of tubes are being installed to correct years of coastal erosion and best defend the shoreline against future hurricanes. Engineering News Record (ENR) has posted a news video detailing the work, how the design has been inspired by installations in Texas, and future expectations. Learn more here.;

Chattanooga-based Propex Holding LLC has named Stan Brant, Jr., as President, Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Mr. Brant is a proven leader with experience as a chief executive, most recently serving as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Propex, Inc., responsible for directing all of the company’s geosynthetic, concrete, furnishing and industrial fabrics and fiber manufacturing activities. Prior to joining Propex, Brant spent 17 years with Duracell, where he held several key manufacturing and engineering leadership roles and ultimately served as Vice President of Engineering for Duracell Batteries.

ASTM Committee D35 on Geosynthetics has announced work item WK36264, "Test Method for Determining Long-Term Connection Strength Displacement (Creep) Between Geosynthetic Reinforcement and Segmental Concrete Units (Modular Concrete Blocks)." This is a performance test used to determine properties for design of retaining wall systems utilizing segmental concrete units and soil reinforcing geosynthetics, either geotextiles or geogrids. The test is performed on a full-scale construction of the connection and may be run in a laboratory or the field. Learn more here.;

TenCate Geosynthetics introduces TenCate MiraSlope® design solutions software for Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE) applications. This easy to use software program of TenCate will assist engineers in determining the reinforcement requirements for reinforced soil slopes and walls.

Propex announced today that Robert F. Dahl, II, has joined the Company as Vice President Sales - Specialty Products. Dahl comes to Propex from Fiberweb, where as Vice President of Specialty Products he led growth of the building materials, geotextiles, and defense business units, with primary focus on North American markets. Prior to that, he spent eighteen years with DuPont, building experience in a range of Sales, Marketing and Management roles.

Research and Markets has announced the addition of Textiles Intelligence's new report "Global Technical Textiles Business Update, 1st Quarter 2009" to their offering. The report includes a summary of market conditions, acquisitions, business news, and much more. Geosynthetic demand is expected to reach 905 million square yards by 2012.

Roughly 120 visitors came to the renowned Bauhaus University Weimar recently for a Department of Civil Engineering event titled "Energy. Experiment. Experience." One of the event's highlights included the first public testing of geogrid-reinforced stone columns--using a 2.2-ton vehicle. NAUE GmbH & Co. KG, an international manufacturer of geosynthetics, worked with Prof. Dr.-Ing. Karl Josef Witt and Dipl.-Ing. Mary Noack from the Bauhaus University Weimar, to create the geogrid-reinforced stone columns on which the car was supported. The geogrid used in the experiment was NAUE's Secugrid®. Read about the experiment and link to a video demonstration.

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.;

The International Road Federation's (IRF) annual "Preserving Our Highway Infrastructure Assets" seminar is an international event that brings engineering and construction leaders and key government stakeholders together. Experts from all levels of government and private industry, engineers, contractors, equipment manufacturers and others gather to discuss cutting-edge technologies, design and maintenance strategies, case studies, and more regarding how transportation infrastructures can be strengthened. The event will be held at the Miami Beach Holiday Inn in Miami, Florida, 11–13 September 2012.

International Lining Technology began work on a coal ash containment project at the Reid Gardner Generating Station in late November 2016. The 557-MW plant sits on 480 acres near...

Combining the efforts of two industry leaders in remediation technologies promises to provide increased value to the environmental remediation industry. Tensar International Corporation (TIC) announced today that it has signed an agreement with CETCO Remediation Technologies (CETCO) granting exclusive distribution rights to the Triton® Marine Mattress System in the United States and Canada for subaqueous capping of contaminated sediments.

Military efforts along the Gulf Coast continue today as part of the federal response force to clean up the oil spill. About 1,900 Defense Department and associated personnel are deployed to the Gulf. They are providing ongoing support to contain the leak and clean up the spill, including military-owned skimmers and pollution control equipment. The American Forces Press Services has published a piece that shows one of the many ways the military is combatting the oil spill: through the installation of separation and erosion controlling geotextile underlay with rock wall berms.

At a Geosynthetic Institute (GSI) Workshop held on 1 April 2010, representatives from about 20 member organizations suggested the need for a program to help reduce the number of mechnically stabilized earth (MSE) wall, berm and slope failures. Our current database in this regard is well over 100 such failures. While inadequate design and construction were the root causes of these failures (both excessive deformation and/or actual collapse), both could have been avoided, or at least mitigated, by proper construction inspection. This two-way orientation by field inspectors (notification of design anomalies and correction of contractors errors) should help stem the failures of these structures going forward. Read more.