Soil Reinforcement

Anyone involved with the design and construction of green buildings can now use the first comprehensive standard contract document that addresses the many challenges associated with these complex projects. The new document, known as the ConsensusDOCSTM 310 Green Building Addendum, was developed by members of the ConsensusDOCS group to help advise the owner, set proper expectations, and avoid delays and other legal hassles in the construction of buildings seeking green certification or other sustainable goals. Read more.

There's still time to register for GSE Environmental's one-day Geosynthetics for Success Technical Seminar on 6 June in Johannesburg, South Africa. This ongoing international series features expert speakers (GSE...

Burlington, Iowa officials are combing through a few proposals to replace the out-dated Cascade Bridge. Three plans have been submitted: a longer bridge with segmental retaining walls at the ends; a shorter bridge with mechanically stabilized earth walls; and a steel bridge (which would also require MSE wall support). Learn more here.;

Fiberweb plc is pleased to announce it has acquired control of its existing geosynthetics joint venture in Gujarat, India, raising its stake from 26% to 65%. Terram India is based...

InfoMine's Geosynthetics Mining Solutions 2014 will be held 8 – 11 September 2014 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (www.geosyntheticssolutions.com). This event marks the first mining conference dedicated solely to...

The 9th International Conference on Geosynthetics (9ICG) is offering its very early-bird registration rate through 22 November 2009. Those who take advantage of registering now will save up to 20% on the conference. The 9ICG will be held 23-27 May 2010 in Guaruja, São Paulo, Brazil, under the auspices of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS). Please register as soon as possible. Learn more here.;

Writing for the UK-based Rail Engineer, Douglas Ayres recalls his time in the Western Region’s New Works Laboratory. His history includes many notes on firsts in the use of geosynthetics in track construction: geotextile, geomembranes and geogrids. Learn more here.;

After a string of product development and research updates, Titan Environmental has announced a new Texas-based office for its US division. Titan Environmental USA has established an office in...

Geofabrics Australasia has developed a suite of videos that explain various standardized tests on geosynthetics. While these videos focus specifically on Australian standards, they are highly applicable to testing...

TenCate™ Geosynthetics has made innovative improvements to the Mirafi® S-Series nonwoven geotextiles by providing improved UV resistance and introducing a variety of new color offerings. Mirafi® S-Series nonwoven geotextiles are used in a wide variety of applications in the environmental market. These include use in critical subsurface drainage systems, soil separation, permanent erosion control, protection of HDPE and other geomembranes in landfill construction. (Continued.)

GeoMontreal 2013 has extended its "early-bird" conference registration rates to 5 August 2013. The full conference registration price for Canadian Geotechnical Society (CGS), International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH), and...

The Rivierenland Water Board invited two groups (Boskalis/Cofra and Van den Herik) to develop geotextile screen technologies that would be specially designed to prevent piping under levees. Piping is a...

Bob Koerner reports on the ASCE/PennDOT Conference in Hershey, Pennsylvania, the ESD Waste Conference in Lansing, Michigan. He then visits Tenax in Baltimore regarding geonets, followed by a trip to lecture at Tensar, and a visit with SKAPS. GCLs, White Paper #5, and the currently reviewed GCL Specification are also touched upon.

Tailings and Mine Waste '10 will take place in Vail, Colorado 17-20 October 2010. The event organizers--Colorado State University's Dept. of Civil and Env. Engineering--invite short abstracts from prospective authors through Monday, April 5. Key issues for this year's event include a focus on Containment Systems, including geosynthetic liners, composite liner systems, leak detection and leachate collection, groundwater protection, and water management. Detailed guidelines and instructions are available in the call for papers. Download here in PDF. Learn more here.;

When erosion control requirements in an Atlanta neighborhood necessitated the construction of a retaining wall, no one expected that it would precipitate a sinkhole. Learn more here.;

At Cemagref in Antony, research on qualifying the performance of geosynthetics used for landfills is carried out with many partners, both public and private. Nathalie Touze-Foltz, a researcher at Cemagref, has plans to set up a partnership with the Fraunhofer institutes (the equivalent of the Carnot institutes) in Germany or with universities. The goal of a project with Germany would be to encourage the development of partnership research on the most suitable level. Read more.

In Tacoma, Washington they are about to undergo a much-needed correction to the substructure of Pacific Avenue, a main stretch in downtown Tacoma. The city is upset that the use of geosynthetic separation and reinforcement wasn't incorporated into the road's 2002 lightrail construction. Geosynthetics will be used now to stop the street from sinking further. Learn more here.;

The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) hosted the 46th Annual Southeastern Transportation Geotechnical Engineering Conference (STGEC) 19 – 23 October 2015 in Greenville. Among the highlights of the...

Dov Leshchinsky, professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Delaware, has been selected to receive the 2010 Martin S. Kapp Foundation Engineering Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). He will be recognized at GeoFlorida 2010, to be held in West Palm Beach, Florida, from 20-24 February 2010. Leshchinsky was cited for his "innovative contribution to the unified method of design and analysis of earth retaining structures and slopes as well as the implementation of such technology through computer software and continuing education."

SKZ, with scientific committee support from Cemagref and the Geosynthetic Institute (GSI), will host the 3rd International Symposium on Geosynthetic Clay Liners (GBR-C 2k10) 15-16 September 2010 at the Fortress Marienberg in Würzburg, Germany. Technical sessions will address shear and mechanical behaviour of GCLs, chemical resistance of GCLs, testing of GCLs under unsaturated conditions, behaviour of GCLs in landfill covers (case studies), regulations, new concepts and developments in the use of GCLs, and GCLs for hydraulic and construction applications. Learn more.

On his recent trip to Abu Dhabi, where he attended (and spoke at) the 4th Geosynthetics Middle East conference, Ian Peggs learned not only that a Canadian passport will not get you a visa to the UAE but that the constraints and barriers to geosynthetics continue to drop and understanding continues to grow. It's all part of an international dialogue. Read his latest contribution from the field.

Since IAGI's founding in 1996 the association has established and operated programs that have recognized outstanding achievements in installation. During the Geo-Frontiers 2011 conference, the International Association of Geosynthetic Installers (IAGI) announced the winners of IAGI's first Installation Awards of Excellence competition. Three awards were given: Extreme Project Award, Innovative Project Award and the Award of Excellence. Brian McKeown, IAGI President, presented the awards during a ceremony honoring the winners.

Testing plays a vital role in the design and performance of transportation projects. Testing and monitoring improve infrastructure by providing valuable data before and after construction, allowing the designer...

On 12 November 2009, Dr. Ian D. Peggs of I-CORP INTERNATIONAL, Inc., will present a full day workshop during which three of the primary topics of SKZ's 2nd International Conference on Geosynthetics Middle East will be discussed in greater detail. This in-depth event, "HDPE Geomembrane Liner Performance: the Reality," will address liner leakage, allowable leakage, liner integrity surveys and methods, understanding failure, predicting failure and end of useful service life, and more. Please share the PDF registration form for this important session with your colleagues in Dubai and nearby in the Gulf region. Register by October 14 to secure your seats!

Though much attention was given in the press to the flooding in the central United States this year, Europe has also experienced significant floods. In Romania, they put out a call for support, including emergency geotextile fabric for erosion control, flood defense and levee repair. Poland responded, sending 15,000 sq. m. Learn more here.;