Soil Reinforcement

Roger E. Stoller, Ph.D., is the 2010 chairman of the ASTM International board of directors. Stoller is a distinguished research staff member and the program manager for fusion reactor materials in the Materials Science and Technology Division at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, Tenn. The January/February 2010 issue of ASTM Standardization News includes a profile. Learn more here.;

ASTM is seeking nominations for the ASTM President's Leadership Award. The ASTM President’s Leadership Award was established by the ASTM Board of Directors in 2007 to recognize extraordinary leadership within the first five years of an individual’s association with ASTM International. Deadline: 1 February 2010. Learn more here.;

The W. T. Cavanaugh Memorial Award is granted to a person of widely recognized eminence in the voluntary standards system who may or may not be a member of ASTM International. The title of Honorary Member is bestowed upon recipients of the award. No more than two award recipients shall be named in a calendar year. Deadline: 1 April 2010. Learn more here.;

For the construction of a new big box store in Corinne, Utah, the extensive parking lot was found to be located over weak soils. Base course reinforcement was needed. Project engineers asked for geogrid reinforcement, and after investigating product options they chose NAUE Secugrid® 30/30 Q1 on the basis of strength, long-term performance, and cost effectiveness.

Founded in 1998, Taian Modern Plastic (TMP) in China has grown quickly. It now claims to be the largest geogrid manufacturer in the world, with roughly 80 million sq. yds. delivered each year. A short profile has been published at the Construction News Portal. Learn more here.;

Federal stimulus money is being put to use in West Akron, Ohio on a $4.1 million road construction project. Because of poor soil conditions, the project will use geotextiles and stone to stabilize the roadway base. Learn more here.;

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is seeking public comment to guide strategic planning for the Department's research, development, and technology activities from 2010 through 2015. The Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) is coordinating this effort in collaboration with partner modal administrations and offices across DOT. RITA and its partners are seeking public stakeholder input on research strategies and metrics necessary to achieve DOT strategic transportation goals and to drive transportation policy in both the short and long terms. The deadline for input is 8 February 2010.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is holding a two-day conference 10-11 February 2010 at Drexel University in Philadelphia to explore the most environmentally safe methods to clean up and revitalize contaminated properties. The Green Cleanup Symposium will feature presentations from the nation's top thinkers on how to properly clean up abandoned or contaminated properties so that the land can be reused as a safe and sustainable community resource.

The University of Washington and CH2M Hill-developed Greenroads evaluation system has been released in version 1.0. The mix of voluntary and required credits for road construction categories, such as "Construction Activities" and "Materials and Resources," provides a certification-ready system for promoting road building that exceeds common practice in areas of sustainability. This includes the beneficial use of geotextiles, geogrids and erosion control BMPs. Download the full 442-page manual for free (9.56 MB PDF). Published: 19 January 2010. Learn more here.;

Ignorance about the details of a key standard for ground engineering could lead to on-site disputes when it becomes effective in April 2010, NCE reports. A lack of training among smaller consultants and a general lack of awareness of the details of Eurocode 7 (EC7) and supporting documents such as execution standards are behind the fears. Learn more here.;

Huesker inc., a leading manufacturer and global supplier of geogrids, geotextiles and specialty geocomposites, has updated its website. The revised website features comprehensive information on Huesker's full product line with an option to view specifics offered from key global offices, such as Germany, the United States, Brazil, Spain, and more. Also of note are significant download resources, including product properties, application photos, installation guidelines, publications and case studies. Whether you’re looking for information regarding geosynthetics in green roofs, roads and railways, landfills, canals, or many other applications, Huesker’s new website is an information-packed resource that's worth a visit. Learn more here.;

Contractors are breaking ground on the long-awaited fourth bore of the Caldecott Tunnel, a three-year project to relieve traffic congestion in the Oakland, California area. After multiple small tunnel stretches are excavated and reinforced, crews will finish the walls and ceiling by installing a geosynthetic liner to capture drainage water and then add a thick concrete layer reinforced with rebar. Learn more here.;

The International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) Peru Chapter will hold a Peruvian national congress on geosynthetics. Geosperu 2010 is the second national conference on geosynthetics in Peru. The event will include lectures, discussions, short courses and a keynote lecture from Dr. J.P. Giroud. The majority of the event will be in Spanish. Learn more here.;

iSmithers Rapra Publishing has release Roger Brown's "50 Years of Polymer Testing." Since the beginning of the rubber and plastics industries, an essential requirement has been that the materials and the products are tested for quality control. Testing establishes their fitness for purpose and provides design data. Brown's book gives a unique personal account--Brown has headed up Rapra's testing laboratory--of the developments in the technology of physical testing of polymers and of the changes in the working environment in which testing was conducted over the last fifty years. Learn more here.;

The 2010 installment of the LatAm Mining Congress will take place 27-30 April 2010 in Coral Gables, Florida. The event is an excellent high-level networking opportunity, as numerous senior executives from Latin America’s small, mid-cap and super-major mining houses come together with analysts, consultants, economists, financiers, investors and country regulators for three days of discussions. Visit the conference website now to see the program. Highlights include foreign demands; partnerships; country profile sessions on Mexico, Brazil, Uruguay and the Andean Region; project developments; sustainability; expansion; and more. Geosynthetica is a media partner to the show. Learn more here.;

In a dramatic change from existing policy, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today proposed that new funding guidelines for major transit projects be based on livability issues such as economic development opportunities and environmental benefits, in addition to cost and time saved, which are currently the primary criteria.

The International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) is holding its first-ever photo competition. Members should keep an eye on the deadline date: 1 February 2010. This initiative comes just ahead of the planned April 2010 launch of the redesigned IGS website and May 2010's major, quadrennial IGS conference: 9ICG. The 9th International Conference on Geosynthetics will be held 23-27 May 2010 in Guaruja, Brazil (near São Paulo).

US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa P. Jackson shares her memo to the agency regarding her first year at the helm and the now-expanded list of priorities for going forward.

Sixty-eight road projects in 31 states will receive $93.9 million in Public Lands Highways grant funds to improve access to public lands, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood announced today. The funds will improve and increase accessibility on the lands of 15 Native American tribes, 11 military bases, 19 national park units, 10 national forests and four national wildlife refuges.

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."

Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors are incredibly versatile. They're used in tiny medical devices and on huge bridges. Often FBG and other types of fiber optic sensors are chosen when many measurements are needed over a long distance and the environment is harsh. A good example of this is the use of FOS in geosynthetic materials used to reinforce earthworks. Tom Graver of Micron Optics writes on this collaboration of technologies and how it could change geosynthetics.

The Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) invites students to submit papers on topics related to dam and levee safety, including engineering, geology, hydrology, hydraulics, environmental & agricultural sciences, design, construction, risk, hazard mitigation, emergency management, floods, floodplain management, case studies, security, policy issues & more. ASDSO will award up to $1500 in prizes. Winners will present their papers at Dam Safety 2010, ASDSO's Annual National Conference, to be held in Seattle, 19-23 September 2010.

The Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) has been honored with a Gold Award for Best Trade Magazine in Association TRENDS' 2009 All-Media Contest. It was one of more than 425 entries in the association publications contest. The TRENDS All-Media Contest is an annual competition held exclusively for associations, recognizing the most creative and effective communication vehicles developed in the industry over the prior year. The 2009 competition included more than 425 entries in 26 categories of association communications

In mid-November 2009, The Geosynthetic Insitute (GSI) - Taiwan held the 4th installment in its series of interntaional geosynthetics conferences in Taiwan. This series has brought expert speakers in from around the world and allowed attendees from across Asia and further to connect with researchers, manufacturers and others in Taiwan's region. Dr. C. Wayne Hsieh, director of GSI Taiwan, has sent along a couple photographs from the gathering.

The Nigerian government has awarded contracts worth N174bn (USD $1.2 billion) to ameliorate the environmental problems in the Niger Delta region. The country's Director of Erosion, Flood Control and Coastal Zone Management, Ministry of Environment--Bawuro Yahaya--says the contracts cover road construction, shoreline stabilization, erosion control and bridges. The expected timeline for work is 12 months. Learn more here.;