Soil Reinforcement

Since 1970, J.P. Giroud, Ph.D., has worked at the forefront of the geosynthetics field (including coining the terms "geotextile" and "geomembrane", which paved the way for the 'geo-terminology') and earned many accolades for his pioneering work. His many awards and key industry positions include serving as president of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS), being honored with the establishment of an IGS "Giroud Lecture", being granted 'hero' status by the Geo-Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), being selected to deliver prestigious lectures (e.g. ASCE Terzaghi Lecture, Vienna Terzaghi Lecture, and Mercer Lecture), and being elected Member of the US National Academy of Engineering. This year, on April 2, Dr. Giroud was named a member of the Order of the Legion d'Honneur by a decree signed by French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Established in 1802, the Order is the highest decoration in France. Dr. Giroud has US/French dual citizenship. Read more.

In April 2009, the State of Arkansas experienced severe storms and flooding, affecting 37 counties and causing damage to infrastructures. This resulted in the 16 June 2009, presidential disaster declaration, DR-184, for Public Assistance. In Lafayette County alone, four roads were washed out, necessitating repairs and mitigation. A specialist recommended using a geotextile to stabilize the embankment and make the road more resilient once repairs were completed. Read more.

LyondellBasell Industries has announced a project to cease the production of polypropylene (PP) at Terni, Italy. The company has started the employee consultation process regarding a project to permanently shut down the unit. LyondellBasell said that PP production activities in Italy will be focused on the company’s world-scale sites at Ferrara and Brindisi. The Terni plant has a nameplate capacity of 255 KT per year. In conjunction with the shutdown project, LyondellBasell has started consultation with representatives of the employees to determine the appropriate path forward for the employees at the site. The plant currently has approximately 120 permanent employees. Learn more here.;

During the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders of Royal Ten Cate, which was held on Thursday 8 April 2010, the dividend for the 2009 financial year was declared at EUR 0.60(2008: EUR 0.85) per ordinary share of EUR 2.50 par value. The dividend is to be paid in cash, or at the shareholder's option in ordinary shares charged to the share premium reserve. The value of the stock dividend will surpass the value of the cash dividend by 0 to 3%.

The April/May 2010 issue of Geosynthetics magazine is avaiable in its digital edition for free online. Read it in PDF here. Learn more here.;

Over the past few years, the American Public Works Association (APWA) has spearheaded a new sustainability vision for the public works management field. Two key investments have been made and show great promise for the future: APWA launched a smaller, sustainability-focused conference three years ago; and, this year, it has officially launched the APWA Center for Sustainability. These issues are pretty all-encompassing, and since the initial discussions within APWA creating the APWA Center for Sustainability have become hot button points across the country. For example, low-impact development (LID), sustainability's return on investment, best management practices, and much more. The public works field needed some pro-active guidance and resources. APWA has taken that lead.

The 15,000 member Transportation and Development Institute (TDI) of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has announced its First Congress will be held 13-16 March 2011 in Chicago. The theme will be "Integrated Transportation and Development for a Better Tomorrow." Abstract submissions are invited through 20 April 2010. Five concurrent paper/presentation tracks, a technical tour and pre/post Congress workshops are planned.

Ralph Bruno hosts a profile video segment on Propex in the business section of the Chattanooga Times Free Press. Watch it online today. Learn more here.;

After the 2006 purchase of SI's geosynthetics and concrete products business, Propex had to assume a great deal of debt. The sudden collapse of the global economy threatened the company's survival, then. In the wake of debt restructuring and with new ownership, the company has significantly improved manufacturing efficiency and is growing again. Read more about the company in a profile article in the business section of the Chattanooga Times Free Press. Learn more here.;

The India-based Business Coordination House (BCH), which is involved in, among other things, the promotion of geotextile and other geosynthetic seminars and companies in India, has released its April-June 2010 newsletter. This issue of TechTex India includes an article on the impact of textile production and use on climate change (page 5), an interview about artificial turf markets (page 20) and uses for TenCate's fiber optic-enhanced GeoDetect system (page 40). Read the issue in PDF. Learn more here.;

The 15,000 member Transportation and Development Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has announced its First Congress will be held 13-16 March 2011 in Chicago. The theme will be "Integrated Transportation and Development for a Better Tomorrow." Abstract submissions are invited through 20 April 2010. Five concurrent paper/presentation tracks, a technical tour and pre/post Congress workshops are planned. Prof. Imad Al-Qadi (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) and Scott Murrell (Port Authority of NY and NJ) are serving as conference co-chairs. Learn more here.;

Professor Imad Al-Qadi, currently the Founder Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana, has been named a Distinguished Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Prof. Al-Qadi is one of 13 ASCE members to earn this honor of distinction in 2010. Among his many career milestones is his work with geosynthetics, including his founding of the Transportation Research Board's (TRB) Subcommittee AFS70-2 on Geosynthetics in Flexible Pavement Systems.

The troubled Union-Go Dairy in Winchester, Indiana has finally resolved the problem of whales (“bubbles”) in the 21-million-gallon manure lagoon’s liner. It wasn’t a joke: on April Fool’s Day, engineers moved about the lagoon on flat-bottom boats and slowly released the gas from each swollen whale. A tube and valve device was used to minimize risk of an explosive release. Learn more here.;

Propex Operating Company, LLC was recently awarded US Patent number 7,670,660 for technology related to secondary carpet backing material construction. "Receiving this patent reinforces Propex's leadership in innovation and product design," says Dave Gartshore, vice president of sales for Propex Furnishing Solutions division. "This patented technology will support new product introductions in Propex's secondary backing product line and we will work with select customers to commercialize. The high-end material construction provides improved performance, a plush feel and many other advantages that offer value to both our customers and the consumer."

The much-maligned Union-Go Dairy in Indiana has finally received approval for its solution to whales in its lined manure lagoon. It's April Fool's Day, but this is no joke: they're going to pop the methane-filled geomembrane "bubbles" today. Attempts will be made to control the release. Learn more here.;

The long history of water management in the Netherlands has rightfully given it a unique and valued expert status in engineering. Deltares has become one of the leading providers for current and new engineering information. From 25-27 May 2010, Deltares is hosting a three-day course on "Understanding Dike Safety." A focus will be placed on understanding failure, predicting it, and monitoring installations. Participants will see, learn and understand many different failure mechanisms. Learn more at the event website. Learn more here.;

In Northern Ontario, a 150-square-kilometre section of the James Bay Lowlands is referred to as the "Ring of Fire." It's a mineral-rich area known for high-grade deposits of gold, copper, nickel, zinc, chromite and palladium. But accessing the area and transporting heavy mining loads from it is complicated by super-saturated soils which some engineers compare to the soils in Florida's Everglades. Geosynthetic support systems, such as geotextiles (which are used in road-building over soft soils like peat). Engineers are evaluating numerous approaches now. Learn more here.;

In 2009 SIBUR basic ecological indexes displayed a decrease in impact of the Company's production facilities on the environment. Pollutant emissions to the atmosphere decreased by 7%. Generation of consumer and production waste decreased by 6%. The amount of waste water decreased in the last year by 12%. SIBUR considers processing of the associated petroleum gas (APG) generated during oil production a major part of its ecological mission. In 2009 APG processing increased by 10% as compared to 2008 reaching 16.8 billion m3.

The home page of ASTM Committee D35 on Geosynthetics now includes registration information for the next meeting, 8-11 June 2010 in St. Louis, Missouri. The current schedule includes the second meeting on geocells, reinforced geomembrane seams, asperity height, GCL design guidance, and much much more. Read the full schedule and keep up on D35 news at the committee website. Learn more here.;

Allen Gant, Jr., president and CEO of Glen Raven Inc., has said his company is dedicating significant resources to research and development. It's all part of going after what he's called the 'final frontier": innovation. Glen Raven is particularly interested in geotextiles. A forthcoming focus for the company will be in transportation markets, such as for the stabilization of soft and swampy land in road building. Learn more here.;

The 2010 LatAm Mining Congress will take place 27-30 April 2010 in Coral Gables, Florida. The event unites senior executives from Latin America's small, mid-cap and super-major mining houses with leading analysts, consultants, economists, financiers, investors and country regulators. Terrapinn, the conference organizer, has released its latest e-newsletter with conference updates on speakers, sessions and events. Read more.

During the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders on Thursday 8 April 2010 in Almelo, the Netherlands, the Supervisory Board of Royal Ten Cate will propose Mr R. van Gelder to the Meeting of Shareholders for appointment as a member of the Supervisory Board. Mr Van Gelder (civil engineer, aged 64, of Dutch nationality) is a former CEO of Royal Boskalis Westminster (1993-2006) and currently CEO of Heijmans N.V. (until May 2010). He is a supervisory board member of SBM Offshore N.V. and Holcim Western Europe Ltd. and a member of the board of the Vereniging Effecten Uitgevende Ondernemingen (Association of Securities-Issuing Companies).

To support a new sustainability vision in public works management, the American Public Works Association (APWA) has recently created the new APWA Center for Sustainability. The Center was designed to enable APWA to become the driving force for sustainability in public works, and to support the development of the next generation of public works leaders with strong sustainability credentials and commitment. In the 21st century, the public works professional must think beyond the current generation, work closely with a more engaged and better informed public, and take an integrated systems approach to addressing livability and community issues.

The Industrial Fabrics Association International's (IFAI) annual International Achievement Awards (IAA) competition is accepting submissions through 15 July 2010. Among the many entry categories you'll find "Geosynthetics." This year the competition is holding a drawing to award a free full registration to the 2010 IFAI Expo Americas (27-29 October 2010, Orlando, Florida), where IAA winners will be announced. Geosynthetica encourages you to look into this event and share your projects and experience with the larger technical textiles field. Visit the competition website to learn more about the awards and the benefits of the new electronic submission form. Learn more here.;

The March 2010 Geosynthetic Institute (GSI) newsletter is available. The current issue includes a roundup of the Institute's many activities and research projects (such as Grace Hsuan's ongoing stress-cracking studies on geomembranes and geopipes), generic specification updates, a report on GRI-24, short course and special meetings notes, a list of the 75 GAI-LAP accredited laboratories, and much, much more. Download a PDF copy today. Learn more here.;