Soil Reinforcement

A team of undergraduate and graduate students from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute recently won the 2011 National GeoChallenge for their innovative earth wall design. The annual competition, sponsored by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Geo-Institute, pits teams of university students against each other in a very structural, earthy competition: using sand as a meaningful, weight-bearing construction medium.

Tensar International today announced the completion of its acquisition of Mulch and Seed Innovations, LLC (MSI). The transaction was finalized Tuesday, 3 May 2011. The combination of Tensar International and MSI supplements an industry-leading portfolio in soil reinforcement, stabilization and, now, hydraulic erosion control and vegetation establishment. Prior to the acquisition, Tensar International was the exclusive distributor of MSI's HydraMatriCx® Series and GeoSkin® Series hydraulic erosion control products (HECPs) sold through its erosion/sediment control and turf reinforcement authorized distribution network.

TenCate Geosynthetics Americas has developed a seven-minute video clip "TenCate at Work Around the Globe" that features several innovative TenCate projects around the globe. These projects illustrate several possibilities and applications using geotextile materials, such as dewatering, steep slope reinforcement, soft soil coverage, and much more.

TenCate sales increased by 46% to €279 million compared with the first quarter of 2010. Pre-tax profits rose significantly from €3.0 million to €14.1 million during the first quarter. The increase in sales and profit shown is partly the result of considerably higher demand for TenCate Defender™ M products compared with the first quarter of 2010. There has also been an improvement in the capacity usage in production at several TenCate companies and a good upturn in profit in the Netherlands.

In an effort to enhance the online experiences of its Institutes, ASCE has launched new websites for the Coasts, Oceans, Ports, and Rivers Institute (COPRI) and the Environmental and Water Resources Institute (EWRI). Each site features improved navigation and easier access to the information and services members demand. Discover new research, follow the Institutes' news, track upcoming events, view job openings, and much more. Visit the COPRI website at: http://asce.org/copri. Learn more here.;

In an effort to enhance the online experiences of its Institutes, ASCE has launched new websites for the Coasts, Oceans, Ports, and Rivers Institute (COPRI) and the Environmental and Water Resources Institute (EWRI). Each site features improved navigation and easier access to the information and services members demand. Discover new research, follow the Institutes' news, track upcoming events, view job openings, and much more. Visit the EWRI website at http://asce.org/ewri. Learn more here.;

The American Public Works Association (APWA) 2011 Sustainability Conference will be held 27-29 June 2011 in Portland, Oregon. General topics of interest include low impact development, sustainable best practices, success stories in sustainability, and more. This year's early bird registration deadline is May 27. Register online. Learn more here.;

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.

The Muddy Stormwater Blues Stormwater Equipment and Demonstration Days has been scheduled in Chautauqua County, New York for Friday, April 29. The event, geared towards highway officials, contractors, site developers and other interested parties, will offer demonstrations of erosion control blankets, turf reinforcement mats, dewatering, stormwater management technologies. North American Green is one of the presenters. Learn more here.;

The international geosynthetics manufacturer NAUE has launched a new central website for its operations and technologies: www.naue.com. The new format takes full advantage of online video with a dedicated section called NAUE TV, which features project and application presentations in clear, large viewing windows. The revamped website also offers an extensive reference library detailing project challenges and geosynthetic solutions, an archive of the company's newsletter (NAUE News), global NAUE Group office information, key geosynthetic application descriptions, and much more.

The Texas Legislature is considering a bill that will eliminate dam safety regulation for over ninety-four percent of the dams in the state. Amendment 21 to House Bill 2694, passed by the House of Representatives on 19 April 2011, will exempt all dams that store less than 1000 acre feet. This will eliminate all public safety requirements for 7013 of the 6631 total dams presently under the regulatory authority including701 high hazard potential dams and 744 significant hazard potential dams.

On 6 May 2011, the Deep Foundations Institute (DFI) and the Connecticut Section of ASCE will present a short course on the design and construction of mechanically stabilized earth walls (MSEW) and reinforced soil slopes (RSS). Barry Christopher has been announced as the instructor. Course content includes, but is not limited to, design, selection of reinforcing materials, specification and construction. Special issues that result in undesirable performance will be reviewed. Learn more. Learn more here.;

After 25 years of successful collaboration, Tensar International Corporation, and CONTECH Construction Products, Inc. have mutually agreed that Tensar will take on distribution responsibility for geogrid products in the United States. Under the terms of the agreement and effective 2 May 2011, Tensar International will assume CONTECH's geogrid distribution business, which includes exclusive distribution of both biaxial and triaxial geogrid products in the United States. The joint decision to modify the long-term distribution alliance comes as a result of strategic initiatives both companies are pursuing in their respective markets.

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).

The Geo-Institute's 2012 annual congress focuses on the "State of the Art and Practice in Geotechnical Engineering" and will be held 25-29 March 2012 in Oakland, California. The conference invites 200-300 word abstracts on topics such as Geosynthetics; Embankments, Dams and Slopes; Earth Retaining Structures; Earthquake Engineering; and much more. Learn more and submit your abstract through April 29. Learn more here.;

In this second report from the National Association of County Engineers (NACE) annual conference and trade show in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Geosynthetica's editor Chris Kelsey reports on the geosynthetic-reinforced soil (GRS) bridge abutment technology session. Evidence from the session reveals both a tremendous need to utilize this process in modernizing infrastructure and a tremendous advantage (cost and time) in doing so.

This snapshot is a comprehensive summary of the U.S./Canadian geosynthetic market. It focuses mostly on the U.S. geosynthetic marketplace, particularly as it relates to market size, market growth, predominate materials/polymers as well as applications used in the U.S. geosynthetic market, trends, opportunities, threats, and market outlook. Available in PDF. $149 ($79 for IFAI members). Learn more here.;

The newest IGS News is available. Volume 27, No 1 from the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) is content loaded, with correspondant reports from around the world, event reviews, news regarding the 10th International Conference on Geosynthetics (10 ICG, Berlin, 2014), award winners, sustainability, and much more. Read the latest in PDF today.

The proceedings from Geo-Frontiers 2011 contain 500 papers presented at Geo-Frontiers 2011 in Dallas, Texas, March 13-16, 2011. Geo-Frontiers 2011 included three key events: the ASCE/Geo-Institute Annual Congress, Geosynthetics 2011, and the biennial NAGS Conference. These papers will be of interest to geotechnical researchers and practicing engineers, especially those working with geosynthetic materials. Cost $99 ($79 for IFAI members). Learn more here.;

ASTM Committee D35 on Geosynthetics has revised D5818, "Standard Practice for Exposure and Retrieval of Samples to Evaluate Installation Damage of Geosynthetics." It is available as D5818-11. This practice covers standardized procedures for obtaining samples of geosynthetics from a test section for use in assessment of the effects of damage immediately after installation caused only by the installation techniques. The assessment may include physical testing. This practice is applicable to any geosynthetic. Learn more here.;

Thrace-LINQ, a supplier of woven and nonwoven geosynthetic technical fabrics, announces that it has introduced a series of modern business tools, including a 20' x 20' interactive booth, mobile storefront, as well as horizontal partnerships and distributor co-op advertising opportunities. Yet another significant investment in the geosynthetics market across the Americas by the 30-year-old veteran Thrace Group to add value to its expansive product portfolio, support its loyal distributor network, create contemporary solutions and establish strategic partnerships through long term programs.

The 5th European Conference on Geosynthetics (EuroGeo 5) will be held 16-19 September 2012 in Valencia, Spain. The Spanish Chapter of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) will organize it, and the event will be held under the auspices of the IGS. Authors interested in presenting a paper at the Conference must provide an abstract before 31 October 2011, addressed to the Conference Secretariat, through the Conference website. Abstracts received by fax or mail will not be considered. Further instructions to submit abstracts are available in the Conference website http://www.eurogeo5.org The abstracts must be written in English or Spanish. Learn more about the topics (PDF).

Tensar International Corporation, the leader in geosynthetic soil reinforcement and stabilization, has increased prices for its subgrade improvement and road base reinforcement geogrid products globally. The 10 percent increase, effective May 2, has been implemented to partially offset significantly higher polymer raw material costs.

The International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE) has release the first issue of its second volume of case histories. All papers are available free for download. Achor wall behavior, rockfall and subsidence, and soil stability from previous site mining activities are some of the topics explored. Learn more here.;

As of Tuesday, 29 March 2011, Royal Ten Cate will be listed as an option fund on NYSE Liffe in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Each option will represent 100 shares in Royal Ten Cate. These new options will expire on the third Friday of the contract month and will have initial lifetimes of one to nine months. The introduction of options on Royal Ten Cate shares will enable both investors who want to anticipate expected movements in the share and those who own Royal Ten Cate shares to benefit from the opportunities that stock options offer. The ticker symbol that NYSE Liffe is using for TenCate on the options market is: 'TCT'.