Soil Reinforcement

The Minnesota Erosion Control Association (MECA) has extended the deadline for the MECA awards to January 31. If you know of an individual, group, company or organization that should be recognized, please complete the nomination form. Categories include the Innovation Award, Industry Leadership, Environmental Excellence, Environmental Leadership, and the MECA Recognition Award. Learn more. Learn more here.;

During the 2011 annual conference of the Minnesota Erosion Control Association (MECA), a Jeopardy!-style game will be played. Like the tv game show, it will feature contestants having to provide questions to the erosion and sediment control answers. MECA 2011 will be held 3-4 March 2011 in Plymouth, Minnesota. Learn more about and register for MECA 2011 at the association website. Learn more here.;

Geo-Frontiers 2011 brings together the North American Geosynthetics Society (NAGS), the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Geo-Institute (GI) and the Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI). It will be held 13-16 March 2011 in Dallas, Texas. Among the many short courses being held, ASTM Committee D35 on Geosynthetics will present one on test methods and specifications (March 13, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm). Up to 7 professional development hours (PDHs) are available. Learn about this event and others. Learn more here.;

Christine Basile has returned as staff manager for ASTM International Committee D35 on Geosynthetics. Her contact information is cbasile@astm.org, +1 610 832 9728. Learn more here.;

The National Association of County Engineers (NACE) will hold its 2011 conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota from 17-21 April 2011. As the event comes to the North Star state, it will operate under an appropriate theme: "Guiding with Vision." One of the most intriguing sessions that will be held, particularly from the perspective of the geosynthetics fields. One of the key sessions will focus on geosynthetic-reinforced soil (GRS) bridge abutments. These GRS construction approaches have been economical and fast to construct. They abutments themselves have performed wonderfully, and these successes are helping transform the practice.

To keep current with the latest developments in the field of geosynthetics, a seminar titled "Geosynthetics India 2011," preceded immediately by "An Introductory Course on Geosynthetics," is being organized by the Indian Chapter of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) and the Central Board of Irrigation and Power (CBIP). Topics include geosynthetic materials, testing and specification, reinforced soil structures, slope stabilization, filtration, drainage, roads, hydraulic structures, landfills and ash ponds, erosion control, ground improvement and more.

The Minnesota Erosion Control Association's (MECA) 23rd Annual Erosion Control and Stormwater Management Conference and Trade Show will be held 3-4 March 2011 at the Radisson Hotel and Conference Center in Plymouth, Minnesota. The event will feature special pre-conference training opportunities and two days of expert presentations on local projects, stormwater management, innovative products, and more. Register by February 1 for a discounted rate. Learn more at MECA's website. Learn more here.;

The Environmental Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers has announced that GPEC 2011 (Global Plastics Environmental Conference) will be held 17-19 October 2011 at the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel, Atlanta, GA, USA. The theme of GPEC 2011 is "Plastics Recycling and Sustainability on my Mind." Key topics include reclamation and supply; bio-based and biodegradable materials; and recycling. SPE invites abstracts through 11 May 2011. Learn more in the PDF flyer. Learn more here.;

Catherine (Kitty) H. Pilarz, senior director of Mattel/Fisher-Price product safety in East Aurora, N.Y., is 2011 chairman of the board of directors of ASTM International, one of the world’s largest and most diverse standards developing organizations. Chairman of the board is the highest elected position in ASTM International. Learn more here.;

Tensar International Corporation has increased prices for its subgrade improvement and road base reinforcement geogrid products globally. The increase, effective February 15, has been implemented to partially offset significantly higher polymer raw material costs. Global cost of polypropylene is affected by a complex combination of factors. The base monomer, propylene, is a byproduct of both ethylene and gasoline production. These two processes account for over 90% of propylene production. Crude oil and natural gas prices, global cracking capacity and demand for gasoline and ethylene all have major impact on propylene availability and cost.

TenCate Geosynthetics has published its Winter 2010 issue of MiraFacts, a semi-annual, electronic publication detailing projects, issues affecting engineering, short course and training opportunities, and more. The issue contains a host of interesting stories, including issues of road buildings, MiraSpec Design Solutions Software for flexible pavement designs, a pavement restoration warranty, two case studies, and more. Read it online. Learn more here.;

Strata Geosystems India Pvt Ltd has added "StrataWeb" to its range of soil reinforcement products. StrataWeb is a light-weight, expandable, three-dimensional honeycomb-like cellular confinement system, which acts as an erosion control barrier and also as a foundation reinforcement mat for improvement of bearing capacity of weak soils. Learn more in the release.

CompositesWorld’s High-Performance Fibers 2010 conference was held in Charleston, South Carolina recently. Among the many speakers, TenCate's Wilson Harvie spoke about the use of fiber-optic sensors in composite geotextiles. Read more in CW's review. Learn more here.;

Prof. Jonathan Fannin and Prof. Bob Holtz lead this regular course for the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia (APEGBC). This course encourages participants to develop an understanding of fundamental concepts as they govern the behaviour of geosynthetic reinforced soil structures. Material properties are examined that govern performance, including mobilized tensile strength, soil-geosynthetic bond and strain compatibility. The next edition of the course will be held 17 February 2011 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Learn more. Learn more here.;

Ecocycle™ Technology, developed by Conwed® Global Netting Solutions, was shown to be completely oxo-biodegradable in recent independent laboratory testing. An erosion control blanket utilizing a UV degrader will degrade the top layer of netting, but the bottom layer could rest on the ground for more than 100 years before degradation. Erosion control netting that incorporates Ecocycle™ Technology will break down the top and bottom layer in 2 to 5 years and then fully oxo-biodegrade in less than 20 years.

In a new letter, Tensar Corporation ("Tensar") outlines its intellectual property in regards to its geogrids. The letter notes, "The Patent covers methods of constructing various geotechnical structures including, but not limited to, base reinforcement below roadways and other pavements, mechanically stabilized earth walls and slopes, and other earth structures using uniaxially or biaxially oriented integral polymeric geogrids for reinforcement. The only products authorized under the Patent are Tensar’s own uniaxial ("UX") and biaxial ("BX") integral polymeric geogrids, which in turn are available only from Tensar and its exclusive dealers and distributors." Read more (PDF). Learn more here.;

In a new letter, Tensar Corporation ("Tensar") outlines its intellectual property in regards to its geogrids. The letter notes, "The Patent covers methods of constructing various geotechnical structures including, but not limited to, base reinforcement below roadways and other pavements, mechanically stabilized earth walls and slopes, and other earth structures using uniaxially or biaxially oriented integral polymeric geogrids for reinforcement. The only products authorized under the Patent are Tensar’s own uniaxial ("UX") and biaxial ("BX") integral polymeric geogrids, which in turn are available only from Tensar and its exclusive dealers and distributors." Read more (PDF). Learn more here.;

Last month, the Geosynthetic Institute (GSI) and National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST) convened the 1st GSI-Asia Geosynthetics Conference. The conference was held in Taichung, Taiwan with the theme "Geosynthetics in Infrastructure." Primary topics included Mechanical Stabilized Earth Structures, Coastal and Hydraulic Engineering, Erosion Control and Sustainable Engineering, and Transportation and Pavement Engineering. 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 Geo-Frontiers 2011 event includes 8 short courses, 90 sessions within 10 technical tracks, student programs, networking events, award programs, the GRI-24 annual conference and will feature 4 highly regarded plenary sessions: H. Bolton Seed Lecture, Peck Lecture, Terzaghi Lecture, and the Mercer Lecture. In addition to the educational component of Geo-Frontiers the event will feature an exhibit hall with over 120 geotechnical products and services. Read more.

The December 2010 issue of NAUE News is perhaps the company's most ambitious to date, in terms of content range. The introductory article addresses the departure of long-time managing director Prof.-Ing. Dr. Georg Heerten, who is retiring from his primary day-to-day operations with NAUE. Project stories in the issue look at countering the danger posed to a community by the sudden appearance of a sinkhole; high-speed railway improvement; foundation protection; landfill sealing; dam restoration; and much more. These projects are set in Australia, Germany, Romania, Burkina Faso, and elsewhere.

Roctest Ltd ("Roctest"), a leading designer and manufacturer of high-precision sensors, today announced the launch of the FOP-MicroPZ, the smallest fiber optic piezometer available in the market. Piezometers measure pressure from pore-water or other fluids, and are deployed in tunnels, embankments, excavations, dams, water repository sites and many other civil engineering and industrial applications.

Geosynthetics veteran Robert Lozano is now a Senior Geotechnical Engineer - Corporate Geosynthetic Specialist for the Reinforced Earth Company. His business contact phone is +1 703 821 1175 ext. 242, and his email is Rlozano@reinforcedearth.com. Learn more here.;

Through its RE-Powering America's Land initiative, the U.S. EPA is encouraging renewable energy development on current and formerly contaminated land and mining sites. This free webinar series will identify the benefits of siting renewable energy facilities on brownfields. A December 15 webinar will be part of a series addressing this sector. Learn more here.;

The Army Corps of Engineers has awarded a $17.9 million contract to a construction firm in New Orleans to reinforce the flood walls and levees along the city's London Avenue Canal, which failed during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The federal agency also approved a request by levee officials to paint all sheet piling with an anti-rust coating, a move that would ease concerns about rusting in the structures. Learn more here.;