Soil Reinforcement

Daniele Cazzuffi of CESI serves as president of the Italian Chapter of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS). He has sent along the following photograph from the 22nd National Conference on Geosynthetics, which was held on 28 October 2009 in Bologna, Italy. The event's theme was "Regulations and Seismic Design in Reinforced Earth." IGS Italy, the Geosynthetic Association of Italy (AGI), and the Association of Engineers and Architects (Bologna Province) held the conference. Read more.

AMI has announced the program for Polyolefin Additives 2010, the 3rd international conference on Polyolefin Additives. It will be held at the Maritim Hotel in Cologne, Germany from 23-25 March 2010. The line-up is of interest, including Philip Jacoby's presentation on "Enhanced beta nucleant masterbatches for use in polypropylene film, molding, thermoforming and geosynthetic applications." Learn more about the event in the PDF brochure. Learn more here.;

Roads & Bridges magazine will combine its Paving Innovations and Bridge Infrastructure Live Events into one grand occasion in Chicago in September 2010. Any interested speakers should contact Bill Wilson at bwilson@sgcmail.com. Learn more here.;

Professor Jean-Louis Briaud, Holder of the Buchanan Chair in the Zachry Department of Civil Engineering at Texas A&M University in the USA was elected President of the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE). The election took place in Alexandria, Egypt on 4 October 2009. Read more about his appointment here.

Eurock 2010 is an International Society for Rock Mechanics (ISRM) Regional Symposium of Europe. The Symposium will take place 15-17 June 2010 in Lausanne, Switzerland and will cover all aspects of rock mechanics and rock engineering. This includes theoretical research and engineering practice. An emphasis will be placed on applications to natural hazards prevention, infrastructural construction and sustainable development. Abstracts (300-500 words) are accepted through 15 November 2009. Contact lmr@epfl.ch. Learn more here.;

A new study suggests that flood defenses in Wales are not keeping pace with environmental change and challenges; and that government may not have the resources to adequately defend Welsh coastal zones in a timely manner. Many people may need to relocate. Learn more here.;

CG/LA Infrastructure LLC, the world leader in infrastructure project identification and development, announced today the release of the Top 100 Global Strategic Infrastructure Projects. The total estimated value of the projects identified is nearly US$550 billion. The Top 100 List is released prior to the 3rd Annual Global Forum (New York City, 9-11 December 2009).

The Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) held its 26th annual national conference, Dam Safety 2009, September 27 through October 1 at the Westin Diplomat in Hollywood, Florida. ASDSO's annual meeting is one of the world's leading conferences dedicated to the safe design, construction and maintenance of dams and levees. This year's conference attracted approximately 800 attendees from all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and several nations.

When ASTM Committee D35 on Geosynthetics meets in San Antonio, Texas (27-29 January 2010), the gathering will include a Geosynthetic Research Institute (GRI)/D35 joint workshop on durability. The workshop--"Geosynthetic Material Durability: Field and Laboratory Experiences"--will be held on 29 January (8:00 am - 5:00 pm). The topics to be presented are as follows: (Read more)

The winter meeting for ASTM Committee D35 on Geosynthetics will include a couple special events. The first of which is a Geosynthetic Research Institute (GRI) / D35 joint workshop on durability. The second of which is an exploratory meeting on geocell standardization. This is a fascinating opportunity. Geocell products have been used successfully for a variety of applications for decades. However, many regulators, specifiers and users have found significant market variability with regard to product characterization, market specifications and product quality. The range of geocellular system products is expanding every year. In this important inaugural meeting, all interested individuals will be invited to attend and contribute to the discussion of potential D35 standardization efforts.

A breakthrough in the construction of earth retaining structures in Saudi Arabia using technology from Tensar International has provided a safe and rapid solution to building 8m high bridge wing walls at two major infrastructure projects in Jeddah. The four major new bridge embankments are the first geogrid-reinforced soil modular block retaining walls to be constructed in Saudia Arabia and the first reinforced soil structures to be constructed in Jeddah. The solution overcomes the challenge of aggressive soil chemistry in the region, which had earlier caused the Saudi Ministry of Transport (MOT) to rule out the use of reinforced soil structures.

Canada's Transport Minister John Baird and the Transportation Association of Canada (TAC) have announced the winners of the 2009 Canadian Transportation Awards, recognizing leadership, excellence and achievement in the transportation sector. Dr. Abd El Halim, of Ottawa, chair of the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, and professor at Carleton University was one of the honorees. Previously, Dr. El Halim headed up the Centre for Geosynthetics Research Information and Development.

After 35 years, Land and Water is now available in a digital format. To see a few of the articles in the newest issue, please follow the link below. Learn more here.;

After considerable trouble with erosion and levee stability south of Marrero (Louisiana), the West Bank Levee Board has formed an agreement with the US Army Corps of Engineers to shore up the oft-crumbling levee with geotextiles. Roughly 1,600 feet of the earthen levee has been threatened, with two failures having occurred in the last 20 years and which affected 600 feet of the structure. Geotextiles will be used now and the levee will be raised from 10 feet to 14.5 feet to guard against a 100-year storm. Learn more here.;

"Geosynthetics Evolved" is the credo of the newest manufacturer to enter the geosynthetics industry. SYNTEC, based in Baltimore, MD, is a newly formed company with many familiar faces. In a recent transaction, SYNTEC acquired the environmental division of TENAX Corporation. Read more about this new venture.

The Geosynthetic Institute (GSI) in Folsom, Pennsylvania is involved in many critical aspects of the geosynthetics industry, such as research, accreditation, specification development, and much more. It consists of 71 member organizations (both public and private), nearly half of which are international. And now…the Institute's website has been given a new look. Check it out. Learn more here.;

New Civil Engineer (NCE) Insight is a magazine targetted to students, parents, advisors, and others on potential careers in civil engineering. The Autumn 2009 issue is available online. Read it today. Learn more here.;

Amid a privatization campaign in Iran in past years, companies linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard have won tens of billions in no-bid government contracts under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, himself an alumnus. This includes the deeply entrenched Khatam al-Anbia, an engineering firm working in mining, construction, oil and gas, and other lucrative sectors. International sanctions on Iran might further strengthen the Guard by removing the little international competition it and its companies face. Learn more here.;

Around the world, polymeric materials such as geosynthetics have become crucial to safe and successful long-term infrastructure performance. In the Middle East and Gulf region, geosynthetic use is on the rise not only to support major construction projects but because the region's polymeric materials industry is maturing rapidly. It will soon be a major production center. One of the most important geosynthetics used in today's infrastructure is high-density polyethylene (HDPE) geomembrane. On 12 November 2009, Dr. Ian D. Peggs of I-CORP INTERNATIONAL, Inc., will present a full-day workshop titled "HDPE Geomembrane Liner Performance: the Reality." Learn more.

The 5th Asian Regional Conference on Geosynthetics--Geosynthetics Asia 2012--will be held 10-14 December 2012 in Bangkok, Thailand. IGS Thailand will host and the event will be held under the auspices of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS). The deadline for submission of abstract to GA2012 is 31 May 2011. Download an information sheet in PDF. Learn more here.;

Though it will not be held until 2012, a website has already been launched for EuroGeo 5--the Fifth European Regional Conference on Geosynthetics. The host chapter of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) will be IGS Spain. Valencia will serve as the conference location. As of now, the dates for the event will be 16-19 September 2012. Learn more about IGS Spain at the event website. Learn more here.;

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!

The European Union partially funds POLYTECT (Polyfunctional Technical Textiles against Natural Hazards) to find technical textiles made with carbon and glass fibers to stabilize structures damaged by earthquakes, landslides or other natural disasters. The POLYTECT researchers are integrating fiber optic cables into geotextiles and 3D rope-like textiles, giving engineers the potential to detect temperature changes, humidity, stiffness or chemicals in building structures, as well as pass light and information back along the sensors to find out whether soil is moving. Learn more here.;

Pierre Pomerleau, Eng., MBA, President and Chief Executive Officer of Pomerleau Inc., will speak on promising applications for textiles at Expo Hightex on Wednesday, 7 October 2009, at the Bonsecours Market in Montréal. Since he became president of Pomerleau and Beaubois, respectively major construction and architectural carpentry firms, the group's growth has been reflected in an increase in sales, from CDN $200 million to nearly CDN $800 million. This business leader sees Canadian textiles playing increasingly important role in construction projects.

Jack-Gregor Tcherniavsky, the managing director of Tencate Geosynthetics Africa region, has been quoted in an article about the coming oil industry in Uganda. Geosynthetics will play a role in the country's infrastructure growth andin the oil sector's development. As the former may be reliant on the latter's success, geosynthetics perhaps stand to be of special interest. For example, "there will be a need to build more roads and more infrastructure," Mr, Tcherniavsky said. Learn more here.;