Soil Reinforcement

The FabricLink Network is pleased to announce its 2012 picks for the Top 10 Textile Innovations of the year. This year's winners represent the best the industry has to offer, incorporating innovations from across the industry. The new technologies are commercially available in the specialty fabrics market, and are also available in finished consumer products from major brands. Among the honorees: TenCate Geosynthetics North America for its Tencate Mirafi® H2i roadway reinforcement geotextile.

Daniele Cazzuffi (CESI SpA – Milano, Italy and also IGS Past President) has been unanimously elected as Chairman of the European Committee for Standardization on Geosynthetics (CEN TC 189) for a period of three years, 2012–2014. The vote was held during January 2012 as postal ballot among all standardization bodies of the 27 countries belonging to CEN. The mandate of CEN TC 189 is to develop standardized test methods for the overall characterization of geosynthetics and mainly to elaborate the harmonized European standards for the various fields of geosynthetics applications. He is the first elected chair from outside of Belgium and the Netherlands.

HUESKER Synthetic GmbH hosted a special conference on 19 and 20 January 2012 in Düsseldorf and welcomed representatives of subsidiaries, numerous national and international business associates and partners of the company as well as representatives of engineering companies, testing institutes, authorities and universities.

The ongoing, rapid development of South and Central American infrastructure and the heavy concern with sustainability and energy innovation throughout the Americas will be key topics when engineers, contractors, regulators and other construction professionals gather in Lima, Peru for the GeoAmericas 2012 conference and exhibition. To be held May 1-4, GeoAmericas 2012 marks the Second Pan-American Geosynthetics Conference and Exhibition and will take place under the auspices of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS). The exhibitor space has sold out for the event, and many attendees are now turning attention not just to the strong technical sessions planned for the event but the exceptional short and long courses that have been announced. Featuring expert and internationally renowned instructors, these courses will provide an in-depth look at some of the hottest topics in geosynthetics and current engineering design.

The Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) has officially kicked off the observance of its 100th Anniversary year in 2012 as the largest, longest-running trade association for the specialty fabrics industry. And when its trade show doors open at IFAI Expo Americas 2012 at the Boston Convention Center, Nov. 7-9, 2012, the entire specialty fabrics industry is invited to take part in a momentous three-day centenary celebration.

Sea-Tac International Airport in Seattle, Washington has grown to become the 18th busiest airport in the country and the need for convenient parking is a growing concern. To help provide needed parking, one of the area's leading parking services, MasterPark Inc., sought to turn unusable land near the airport into a valuable $20-per-night parking lot. Five retaining walls up to 33 feet in height reinforced with geogrid were needed to build up the site and create a level and stable area for the parking lot.

GeoAmericas 2012 marks the Second Pan-American Geosynthetics Conference and Exhibition. It will be held 1-4 May 2012 in Lima, Peru under the auspices of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS). This week's update includes two key items: The Early-Bird Room Rate for the venue hotel (Westin Libertador Hotel) will be held open until 15 February 2012. Reserve your room today and get the best rate at this key Latin American infrastructure event. And: the GeoAmericas exhibit area is sold out! HOWEVER: at the request of a number of companies, the conference has created an additional exhibit area.

Contech Engineered Solutions LLC (formerly Contech Construction Products Inc.), a leading provider of innovative engineering and site solutions for the residential, commercial and infrastructure markets, today announced several positive developments which position the Company for the future.

Graham Thomson ist neuer Verkaufsgebietsleiter Asien. Herr Thomson wird von nun an die Firma HUESKER Synthetic im Raum Asien/Pazifik verstärken. Er erläutert: "Ich freue mich auf neue Herausforderungen des asiatischen Marktes und bin froh darüber, dass ich HUESKER dort vertreten darf. Zudem schätze ich die breite Unterstützung des HUESKER Teams, welche mich befähigt, täglich neue, kundenspezifische Lösungen zu entwickeln."

Tensar Corporation announced today strong performance in 2011, with double digit income growth as compared to 2010. This performance was achieved through record global revenue, operational productivity and the success in the marketplace of its new, patented TriAx® geogrid product. The company continues to generate strong cash flows in support of ongoing operations and achievement of its expanded 2012 earnings projection.

HUESKER has appointed Graham Thomson as a new Area Director - Asia. Mr. Thomson will increase the company's presence in the Asia / Pacific region. A veteran of the geosynthetics market, he previously served as Managing Director of the company's UK subsidiary. He will represent the entire HUESKER portfolio in Asia, from roadway and landfill solutions to hydraulic engineering and other applications.

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.;

The Geo-Institute of ASCE's annual congress offers an exceptional opportunity to interact with the international geotechnical engineering community on some of the most pressing topics. Geo-Congress 2012 will be held in Oakland, California 25-29 March 2012. The theme of the event is "State of the Art and Practice in Geotechnical Engineering" and some noted engineers with a geosynthetics background (Craig Benson and David Daniel) will deliver two of the three big lectures: the Ralph B. Peck and Karl Terzaghi Lectures.

The 2nd International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) Photo Contest has a new deadline: March 1. The inaugural contest was extremely successful and helped establish a collection of high-quality photos of geosynthetics for use in promotion of these technologies and construction practices and in the dissemination of educational material.

On Wednesday, 8 February 2012, Maccaferri will host a webinar on High Energy Impact Embankment Systems. Key aspects of the presentation include: Rockfall embankment uses, styles and characteristics; Differences between embankments and rockfall fence barriers; and Rockfall embankment design procedures. The presentation will offer a non-credit 0.15 CEU certificate. Visit the registration page/invite and sign up.

Titan now has a company page on Facebook too! "Like" us and stay up to date on new product availability, key project work, site photos, and more. Learn more here.;

In an article in Geosynthetics magazine, Maccaferri's Alan Dinges profiles the Interstate-95/495 Capital Beltway upgrade near Washington, D.C. The 24 lane-miles of road required 321,000 yards of paving, 11 bridges, drainage improvements, retaining and noise-abatement walls, and environmental mitigation. Geogrids and geotextiles were effective construction components in this project’s diverse range of soil reinforcement and separation requirements. Read Alan's cover story from the issue. Learn more here.;

Land and Water magazine has profiled how geosynthetics have been used around the world to mitigate sinkhole formation, expansion and infrastructure impact. Among the projects profiled in Chris Kelsey's article is the exemplary work performed by Maccaferri in Union Bridge, Maryland. There, geosynthetic reinforcement helped construct a road key to continued economic success for the town. Situated on tenuous soils, the geosynthetic solution turned an otherwise unbuildable project into a reality. Learn more here.;

In a letter to engineers using geosynthetics and instructors, students and researchers working with them on the college and university level, Dr. Robert Koerner of the Geosynthetic Institute writes on the publication of the 6th Edition of his Designing with Geosynthetics text. Dr. Koerner's letter includes discussion of the financial realties of textbook publishing, the difficulties of on-demand publishing, and the stunningly economical nature of e-publishing.

The Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) has appointed Willem (Wim) De Vos as its new Chief Executive Officer. He succeeds Susan Oderwald, who left SPE in December. Willem De Vos comes to SPE after serving as CEO of the Vitalo Group, a global supplier of plastic packaging and thermoformed products. Previously he managed compounding and processing units of Recticel, an international producer of polyurethane automotive components. He entered the industry in 1991 with technical and sales positions at Eurocompound, a supplier to the textile and automotive industries.

Elizabeth Peggs, Geosynthetica's Director, is in attendance at the 91st Transportation Research Board Meeting (TRB) in Washington, D.C. (along with nearly 12,000 others). As time permits, she is sharing some event updates here.

Presto Geosystems offers numerous videos that demonstrate advantageous construction techniques (such as utilizing ATRA Key instead of staples in geocell installation), design possibilities, how various products are used in different applications, and more. Learn more here.;

As an industry leader, Presto offers a variety of solutions for porous pavements and soil stabilization – solutions that provide positive environmental benefits, and have low negative environmental impact. Presto partners with designers and LEED® Project Managers to provide cost-effective, environmentally-responsible solutions that offer opportunities for LEED® credits in several credit categories. Learn more in this PDF brochure.

Get specifications, design tools, case studies, CAD Details and more on Presto Geosystems' Design & Engineering Tools section of the company website. Learn more here.;

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) President and Michigan State Transportation Director Kirk Steudle, will deliver the keynote address at the 11th Annual IRF Awards Luncheon on 24 January 2012. The IRF Annual Awards Luncheon will recognize the 2011 award winners of the Global Road Achievement Awards (GRAA), a worldwide competition to recognize excellence, innovation, and exceptional achievement across essential areas of the road industry.