Soil Reinforcement

Geosynthetics magazine, published by the Industrial Fabrics Association International, has launched a new website. The revamped design includes a cleaner presentation and more interactive content, such as a blog from editor Ron Bygness. Learn more here.;

As is always the case, a crush of abstracts is received right at the deadline … along with many requests for an extension. In light of this, and to...

geosynthetica is proud to announce that it has cleared the application process to begin supplying original content to Google News. This platform will help extend the reach of geosynthetic engineering information to users, potential users, journalists, and many others. For information on how your work could be part of a story, contact Chris Kelsey.

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!

One of the largest geosynthetics companies in the world, TenCate Geosynthetics, is adding a technical manager to its engineered structures team. In this position, the Technical Manager focuses on...

The Crestmoor Canyon area near San Francisco is recovering from the early September natural gas blast the killed 8 people and burned almost 40 homes. The homes that survived the fire are now threatened by steep slope erosion. Engineers are racing the impending autumn rains to provide basic erosion control stability to the exposed slope, followed by plans to rebuild retaining walls and other reinforcement measures destroyed in the fire. Learn more here.;

The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration today announced that Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) will receive a $2.3 million grant from American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds to rehabilitate a runway critical to the airport's capacity. With this grant, all of FAA's Recovery Act dollars have been committed to 360 projects, many of which will remain under construction well into 2010. Significantly, the FAA had anticipated being able to fund 300 ARRA projects, but because of lower-than-anticipated bids, was able to fund 360 projects.

From CE News' Professional Development Hours (PDHs) series of educational articles: "Geosynthetics in Articulating Concrete Block Section Design" looks at various approaches to hard armor erosion control designs that require geosynthetic separation, drainage and reinforcement protection. Readers of the article may take the quiz at the end and submit it to receive 1 PDH credit. The article and quiz are approved for use through August 2013. Learn more here.;

TenCate Geosynthetics has improved and expanded its MiraSpec™ Design Solutions Software, an easy-to-use software program to assist in flexible pavement and unpaved road design while demonstrating the many benefits...

Roberta Baxter explores several projects that have employed erosion control products in a variety of settings and conditions. Read the Erosion Control magazine article that highlights the products of the following geosynthetica.net Underwriters: North American Green, Colbond, East Coast Erosion Blankets and Propex. Learn more here.;

With an estimated 30 billion pounds of additional polymerization capacity coming online in the Middle East in the next five years, the region stands to become a major plastics processing center. Will geosynthetics be part of this boom in production? How will the Middle East's growth affect global markets? Applied Market Information (AMI) is bringing its one-day "Middle East Plastics Industry Strategy Seminar" to Philadelphia on 4 November 2009. Read a piece on the event from conference coordinator Lauren Fell. Read more.

The Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) reminds you that it has a new address: SPE Headquarters has moved to a new location. Our address is now 13 Church Hill Rd, Newtown, CT 06470, USA. Learn more here.;

Our bi-weekly update on calls for papers, abstracts and proposals is posted. This issue includes Cooperation for Waste Issues, a Kharkiv, Ukraine event for which geosynthetica is a media partner. Events are listed in ordered of closest deadlines.

Registration continues for September's GeoAfrica 2009! But the early-bird discount is available only through 31 March 2009, so be sure to register now. Fees increase ZAR 600 thereafter (USD $60). The conference is shaping up to be a grand one, with more than 100 papers over three days, a sold-out exhibit hall and plenty of networking opportunities. This is the first African regional conference on geosynthetics. GeoAfrica 2009 will take place 2-5 September 2009 in Cape Town, South Africa.

Global Synthetics has been appointed exclusive Australian distributors for Propex geotextiles and erosion control products. US-based Propex is one of the world's leading suppliers of geosynthetics. Global Synthetics now delivers well-recognised erosion control products, Landlok®, the Pyramat® range of high performance turf reinforcement mats and the Propex range of Geotex® geotextiles. Read more in the release.

The Municipality of Abu Dhabi City-sponsored Geosynthetics (environment-friendly materials) Middle East Conference 2011 got to a great start today in Abu Dhabi featuring participation of an elite panel of regional and global roads and infrastructure experts. The event, which runs for two days, is organized by German Plastics Centre SKZ in collaboration with the German Chamber of Commerce with the aim of promoting the commitment to a sustained and environment-friendly infrastructure. During the Conference, the Municipal Infrastructure and Assets Sector at the Municipality of Abu Dhabi City presented a working paper highlighting the key road and infrastructure projects undertaken by the Municipality in the past.

The October 2008 issue of CE News includes an opportunity for readers to earn PDHs by reading and responding to Stephen Archer's peer-reviewed article "Subgrade Improvement for Paved and Unpaved Surfaces Using Geogrids." Archer has brought his experience from Tensar to this latest installment in CE News' Professional Development Series. A PDF copy is available courtesy of Tensar. Get your copy today and earn your hours. Learn more here.;

Dorset Street West was an aging roadway in a beautiful historic neighborhood in Port Hope, Ontario that desperately needed rebuilding. The most severe area was a long section of roadway embankment that was supported by a deteriorating retaining wall on a steep side slope. In an OPWA-winning design, StrataWall met the challenge of a 36-ft-high wall that was nearly vertical.

The 3.2km walkway in Dunedin, New Zealand is being rebuilt with geotextile separators, geogrid reinforcement and gravel. Delays to a track realignment project have interrupted the timeline for the walkway's completion, which was originally intended to be completed ahead of an anniversary week celebration. (That took place last week.) But the final stages have been initiated and completion should follow shortly. Learn more here.;

Molisht is an underground resource-rich area in Berat, Albania. Numerous important oil and gas wells are found there. For an energy plant, Maccaferri engineered retaining wall solutions...

In Florida, paved roads that have suffered pitting and rutting, such as those in Gainsville, are being quickly corrected with paving fabric. The top layer of the asphalt is taken off speedily and the fabric rolled into place. New asphalt is applied on top. Paving fabrics have been shown to significantly reduce road crumbling and extend service lives. Learn more here.;

ASTM Committee D35 on Geosynthetics' Sam Allen and George Koerner remind readers that proposals are welcomed for the Geosynthetic Research Institute (GRI) / ASTM Workshop on "Geosynthetic Material Durability: Field and Laboratory Experiences," to be held 29 January 2010 in San Antonio, Texas. This important, new workshop will immediately follow the two days of D35's winter meetings. The four segments of the workshop will focus on long-term field experiences; accelerated weathering studies; polymers and additives packages; and a panel discussion. Abstracts for presentations will be accepted through 30 September 2009. Read more about the event.

Baum Publications' Canadian Environmental Protection changed its name in 2010 to Environmental Solutions Magazine. Read the latest at ESM now. Learn more here.;

Last year, Charlotte, North Carolina-based HUESKER hosted a high-level, invitation-only geosynthetics technical networking event called GeoPASS. The inaugural series delivered top-tier lectures and perspectives on diverse topics such as...

Propex GeoSolutions has announced a dual-function sales structure with a market-focused, efficiency approach. Two distinct teams have been create, with one dedicated to a Geotextile sales line and the...