Soil Reinforcement

Prof. Robert M. Koerner has come out with the Sixth Edition of Designing With Geosynthetics. As with prior volumes, it comes with helpful test questions after each chapter with answers provided at the end of the book. Currently, Koerner is professor emeritus of Drexel University.

Dr. Robert Koerner has announced the publication of the sixth edition of his seminal text, Designing with Geosynthetics. This new edition marks the first two-volume set--but it is much more affordable. Having used an independent publishing service instead of an academic press, the cost of a hardbound copy costs just USD $34. Softbound is just $24. Read more about the new edition in an introduction from Dr. Koerner.

ASTM International Committee D35 on Geosynthetics has appointed an interim staff manager: Jeff Adkins. He can be contacted at +1 610 832 9738 or jadkins@astm.org. Jeff will attend the committees upcoming meeting in Atlanta (1-3 February 2012). Additional support for D35 will continue to be provided by Barbara Lake, blake@astm.org or +1 610 832 9713. Visit the committee's home page for more information on standards work, publications, symposia and more. Learn more here.;

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). Organizers have announced that the Early-Bird Room Rates for the venue hotel (Westin Libertador Hotel) have been extended until 15 February 2012. Reserve your room today and get the best rate at this key Latin American infrastructure event. Learn more here.;

In late 2009, the town of Workington in Cumbria, United Kingdom was affected by a considerable flood. In just 13 days, a temporary bridge was constructed over the River Derwent. The project was designed and led by the Royal Engineers' Captain Caroline Livesey and involved the utilization of geogrid for mechanical stabilization of aggregate sub-base for the bridge abutments and surrounding structures, such as the construction platform. Tensar's Ian Fraser revisits the project here with Captain Livesey and reports that though the bridge was rapidly constructed on uncertain, flood-impacted banks, it was found to have settled on 5 mm in its 15-month service life.

During the January 2012 Dinner Meeting of the Delaware Valley Geo-Institute Chapter, the Geosynthetic Institute's (GSI) Drs. Robert Koerner and George Koerner will speak on the subject of "Geosynthetics Issues with Marcellus Shale Development." The dinner will be held 17 January 2012 at the Radisson Valley Forge. (Meeting at 5:30 pm; dinner at 6:30; presentation at 7:15.) Learn more about this dinner and GSI's research into geosynthetics and shale gas.

South Africa-based Kaytech Engineered Fabrics has announced the addition of Paul Pratt to its team of geosynthetics experts. Pratt joins Kaytech as a Technical Manager. Previously, he served as National Sales Manager for Fibertex South Africa. Paul Pratt's new company contact information is paul@kaytech.co.za, +27 (0)83 2810078.

The abstract submission deadline for GeoManitoba 2012 is 15 January 2012. This Canadian Geotechnical Society (CGS) annual conference will take place 30 September - 3 October 2012 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Abstracts of up to 400 words may now be submitted online. Key subjects expected for the event include brownfields remediation, sustainability, landslides and slope stability, MSE walls, and much more. Visit the latest call for papers information on the event website. Learn more here.;

ASTM International Committee D35 on Geosynthetics has revised D6638, "Standard Test Method for Determining Connection Strength Between Geosynthetic Reinforcement and Segmental Concrete Units (Modular Concrete Blocks)." This connection strength test is meant to be a performance test (laboratory or field); it should be conducted using full-scale system components. Learn more here.;

ASTM International Committee D35 on Geosynthetics has revised D4439, "Standard Terminology for Geosynthetics." Learn more here.;

Chaido Doulala-Rigby (Yuli), Chief Engineer Tensar International, and Mike Dobie, Tensar Regional Manager Asia Pacific, have both recently been admitted as Fellows of the Institution of Civil Engineers, the world's oldest professional engineering society and a pre-eminent international organisation for civil engineers of all disciplines. Congratulations, Mike and Yuli!

The inaugural Carbon Management Conference conference from the Society of Petroleum Engineers will focus on engineering solutions to climate change, carbon management in construction and operations, and much more. Drawing professionals from all engineering disciplines, the event will be held 7-9 February 2012 in Orlando, Florida. Perspectives will be presented on greenhouse gas reduction, case studies, life cycle assessment, applicable technologies, and much more. Register by January 16 for the best rates. Learn more here.;

Tensar Corporation has announced the promotion of Robert Vevoda to Chief Operating Officer (COO). In this new position Vevoda will be responsible for global manufacturing operations in addition to heading up commercial operations as President of Tensar International Corporation, a leading producer of geosynthetic soil reinforcement and stabilization materials.

The International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) Photo Contest was created to showcase the outstanding work of IGS members and exceptional geosynthetic engineering solutions. The inaugural contest response was phenomenal--a 2nd IGS Photo Contest was demanded. Submission deadline: 1 February 2012. Learn more about the competition here.

California needs to spend $17 billion to repair levees because more than half of these structures are substandard, according to a flood plan from the state Department of Water Resources. "The system is based on antiquated technologies, so you have to upgrade it and keep in mind changing societal demands. Modern flood control is wickedly complicated, because it has to take into account a lot of factors," said Jeffrey Mount, a professor at the University of California, Davis. Learn more here.;

The University of Kansas's School of Engineering has received $75,000 in funding from the Mid-America Transportation Center for an investigation into the beneficial impact geogrid reinforcement may have on track ballast performance (longevity, economics). BNSF Railway Co. has provided ballast and track sections to the study and Tensar Corp. has supplied the geogrid reinforcement material. Learn more here.;

The International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) and its 34 country/regional chapters provide exceptional opportunities for networking and knowledge exchange in the greater civil engineering and construction fields. Those opportunities are only increasing as in 2011 the IGS was invited to join the Federation of the International Geo-Engineering Societies (FedIGS). This union is providing fantastic links and information resource developments with the International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE), the International Society of Rock Mechanics (ISRM), the International Association for Engineering Geology and the Environment (IAEG), and the International Commission for Irrigation and Drainage (ICID). Geosynthetica strongly encourages its readers to renew their IGS memberships and applicable chapter memberships. If you have never joined, we strongly encourage you to now. Learn more about membership and chapters, including online registration/renewal, at the IGS Membership page. Learn more here.;

The rise of the Jobs 1st Alliance, a US West Coast ports advocacy group, highlights how the expansion of the Panama Canal has created a highly competitive environment between American ports on opposing coasts. The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach in California are the most active shipping ports in the United States and serve as the integral link between Asian goods and the America marketplace; but as the Panama Canal expands with a 2014 target to open to wider, deeper container ships (the so-called Super Post Panamax Megaships), the West Coast might be bypassed in favor of direct delivery to Gulf of Mexico and East Coast US ports. Infrastructure investment is needed.

The Army Corps of Engineers is expected to receive Disaster Relief Appropriations Act funding for the repair of Missouri River Basin levees that were heavily damaged by catastrophic flooding this year. The measure was approved Friday by President Barack Obama. "We expect a majority of qualified repairs to levees and our operating projects will be funded. This supplemental appropriation allows us to move from repairs to a 25-year level of flood risk reduction to making full repairs that offer greater risk reduction," said Brig. Gen. John R. McMahon, commander of the Corps' Northwestern Division.

ASTM Committee D35 on Geosynthetics has revised D4595, "Standard Test Method for Tensile Properties of Geotextiles by the Wide-Width Strip Method." The basic distinction between this test method and other methods for measuring strip tensile properties is the width of the specimen. This width, by contrast, is greater than the length of the specimen. Some fabrics used in geotextile applications have a tendency to contract (neck down) under a force in the gage length area. The greater width of the specimen specified in this test method minimizes the contraction effect of those fabrics and provides a closer relationship to expected geotextile behavior in the field and a standard comparison. Learn more here.;

GeoAsia 2012 is the a quadrennial geosynthetics conference dedicated to engineering and construction in the Asian region. To be held 10-14 December 2012 in Bangkok, Thailand under the auspices of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) and with the support and leadership of IGS Thailand, GeoAsia will provide an essential regional educational and networking opportunity. This 5th edition to the GeoAsia series will operate under the theme "Geosynthetics for Sustainable Adaptation to Climate Change." Learn more here.;

Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue: World Geosynthetics Market. Worldwide demand for geosynthetics is projected to increase 8.3 percent annually to 4.5 billion square meters in 2015. This growth rate is an acceleration from the gains of the 2005-2010 period, reflecting in part the reduced 2010 bases of the developed countries. Advances are being driven by the increasing market penetration and large-scale construction plans in place in many developing countries.

In his year-end review letter, North American Geosynthetics Society (NAGS) Executive Director David Suits writes, "The year 2011 has been a very good year for the North American Geosynthetics Society (NAGS)….We are maintaining a healthy membership. This year we had 32 new or revived memberships. Under the guidance of the past Board, the early part of the year was devoted to working with IFAI, and the Geo-Institute organizing the Geo-Frontiers 2011 Conference. We had close to 2000 attendees and 150 exhibitors. As a result NAGS received one of the best, if not the best financial return that we have experienced for any of the conferences in which we have participated." Read more, and don't forget to renew your membership (or join).

The International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) has published its third issue of IGS News for 2011. Issue 27.3 includes a lead editorial from IGS President Jorge Zornberg on IGS's relationship with international sister societies (which includes an interesting comparative table on memberships, chapters, and technical committees), a call for IGS Council members, a chapters activity report, news on the October 2011 memorandum of understanding between IGS and ICID, event reports, and much more. And don't forget to submit your photo to the 2nd IGS Photo Competition. Read the issue here (PDF).

TenCate Geosynthetics is reporting strong global performance of approximately 15% organic sales growth, led by new products and a focus on sustainability and environmental protection. Soil stabilization and soil reinforcement solutions have been key to this growth. For products such as TenCate Geotube® and TenCate GeoDetect™, the company sees growing interest stemming from their CO2-friendly, sustainable environmental approach and the utilization of leakage, erosion control and deformation detection systems.