Soil Reinforcement

The 9th International Conference on Geosynthetics (9ICG) is offering its very early-bird registration rate through 30 September 2009. Add to it the early booking discount for hotel, and those who take advantage of registering now will save more than $700. 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.;

ACE Geosynthetics has taken home the top prize in the Geosynthetic Projects category of the 2009 International Achievement Awards (IAA). The winning entries in the IAA competition were announced during IFAI Expo, the annual conference of the Industrial Fabrics Association International's (IFAI). ACE's winning project comes from a complex road and slope repair in Taiwan. Two other geosynthetic awards were given, each of which went to last year's Excellence Award winner: TenCate Geosynthetics. See photographs of the winning projects. Learn more here.;

In the second-largest application ever of its kind, hundreds of truckloads of polystyrene block are helping expedite an expansion of Salt Lake City’s Transit Express (TRAX) light-rail system. The lightweight material, akin to styrofoam, is helping Utah Transit Authority save at least $20 million and eight months of time by avoiding soil settlement issues. Read more at ENR. Learn more here.;

Geotextiles will have a business potential of Rs. 1,260 crore in the 21,000 km national highway upgrades being carried out by the government, said Shri Bhupendra Singh, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Textiles today. The country has a road network of 33 lakh kilometre, of which National Highways, State Highways and Expressways account for 70,548 km, 131,98 km and 200 km, respectively. Under the Bharat Nirman component of Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), 24,000 km of roads will be laid in 2009-10 and Geotech will have a market potential Rs. 868 crore, said Joint Secretary (Textiles). The Government will spend US $78.5 billion for the development of road infrastructure during the XIth Five Year Plan Period, and the Technical Textiles Industry shall be able to exploit the potential, said Shri Bhupendra Singh.

More on the potential to transform and improve India's roads with geosynthetics. Indopia also reports that a joint survey by the ministry and credit rating agency ICRA on technical textiles will be released in early October 2010. Learn more here.;

Vnesheconombank, the Russian state-run bank, has opened a $153m credit line for Tobolsk-Polymer LLC, a subsidiary of SIBUR Holding, Russia's largest petrochemical company. The funds will be used to finance the construction of a polypropylene production complex in Tobolsk (Tyumen region) with an annual capacity of 500 thousand tonnes. Learn more.

Maccaferri offers a host of learning opportunities through educational engineering events in multiple locations. The company also supports a number of conferences and events. Whether you're looking for geotextile, gabion, or rockfall netting information; whether you're designing for shoreline stabilization, mining haul roads, or general geotechnical engineering, Maccaferri gives you many opportunities to connect face to face. See Maccaferri next at the following events (Continued)

The fourth GSI-Taiwan conference will be held on the campus of National Pingtung University of Science and Technology on 18 November 2009. The conference themes is "Geosynthetics in Transportation Engineering Applications." Speakers include Mr. Liu, Deputy of Directorate General of Highways, Minister of Transportation Communications (MOTC); Professor Fumio Tatsuoka, Chairman, Internation Society of Geosynthetic (IGS); Mr. Tony Allen, State Geotechnical Engineer, The Washington State Department of Transportation, USA; Mr. S.J. Huang, Director, Third Maintenance Office, Directorate General of Highways, MOTC; Professor Dennes Bergado, Director, Asian Center for Soil Improvement and Geosynthetics; and Dr. Nelson Chow, President, Sinotech Engineering Consultant, Inc. Read more about the event.

Dr. Jean-Pierre Giroud, a key figure in the development of the geosynthetics, and notably geotextiles, industry, will attend Expo Hightex on Tuesday, 8 October 2009, at Montréal's Bonsecours Market. In the morning, Dr. Giroud will explain the innovation processes responsible for creating this market segment, along with the mechanisms the textile industry has developed to meet the needs of civil engineering, and in the afternoon of the same day, he will speak on geosynthetics' applications in road construction. Geosynthetics today generate billions of dollars annually and offer new possibilities for development, particularly in the textile industry.

Hightex 2009 takes place in Montreal 7-8 October 2009. The event, which will be held at Montreal's historic Bonsecours Market, brings together various sectors of the techncial textiles industry, affiliated industries, government officials, and many more. The October 7 session will feature a number of construction and infrastructure-related presentations as part of the Constructex session.

Strata Systems, a Glen Raven subsidiary specializing in geogrid products and services, is continuing its global expansion with the naming of a distributor in Egypt, the 13th country in which Strata has a distribution partner. VECO, Ltd. is an engineering and construction company that is supporting continuing infrastructure growth in Egypt including new highways. Read more in the release.

The second Global Waste Management Symposium dates have been announced! The conference website now shows 3-6 October 2010 at the new JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa in San Antonio, Texas, United States. Abstracts for oral and poster presentations have been invited. The deadline has been posted as 23 October 2009. Learn more. Learn more here.;

SKZ, with scientific committee support from Cemagref and the Geosynthetic Institute (GSI), announces the 3rd International Symposium on Geosynthetic Clay Liners, to be held at the Fortress Marienberg in Würzburg, Germany 15-16 September 2010. Abstract and papers for oral or poster presentations are invited on the following topics: Application / case studies (Landfills, Canals, Reservoirs / Dams, Transportation Infrastructure) • Durability / Lifetime • Laboratory testing • Performance (Cation exchange, Desiccation, Experience from excavation • Regulations / Approvals. Abstracts must be submitted via e-mail to: gbr-c2k10@skz.de no later than 30 September 2009. View the flyer in PDF

The 9th International Conference on Geosynthetics (9ICG) is offering its very early-bird registration rate through 30 September 2009. Add to it the early booking discount for hotel, and those who take advantage of registering now will save more than $700. 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.;

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. (SKZ's conference takes place 11-12 November 2009 in Dubai, where Dr. Peggs' course will be held.) 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. Download the PDF registration form for more details.

Rail transport has enjoyed a revival in many parts of the world as the developing world moves more into cities and the developed world must upgrade its infrastructures significantly. High-speed rail has been particularly of interest. In the United Kingdom, leaders from Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Sheffield have come out in favor of a high-speed rail network to connect not only their economic development centers but the entire UK to Europe's high-speed network. Learn more here.;

British and European construction firms are forming or reforming joint ventures in hopes of landing lucrative Crossrail contracts. Costain, Skanska, Bam, Kier, Balfour Beatty and Morgan Est are all said to be in the hunt, and all have high-speed rail link experience. Learn more here.;

Environmentalists this week expressed fears that Venice would face an increased risk of flooding if plans to expand the Italian city’s port are allowed to go ahead. The city’s port authority wants to develop a huge facility for bulk carriers. Learn more here.;

From March 2008 to March 2009, NAUE GmbH & Co. KG, Germany cosponsored the construction of test cells for an independent field study of geogrid reinforcement in roadway subgrade stabilization. The Montana Department of Transportation was the other cosponsor. The study and subsequent forensic evaluation of exhumed materials from numerous manufacturers, which included numerous product manufacturing methods, was carried out by the Western Transportation Institute of Montana State University. The results reveal exceptional performance by NAUE Secugrid and Combigrid materials. Read more in the release for the world geosynthetics market outside of the Americas.

From March 2008 to March 2009, NAUE GmbH & Co. KG, Germany cosponsored the construction of test cells for an independent field study of geogrid reinforcement in roadway subgrade stabilization. The Montana Department of Transportation was the other cosponsor. The study and subsequent forensic evaluation of exhumed materials from numerous manufacturers, which included numerous product manufacturing methods, was carried out by the Western Transportation Institute of Montana State University. The results reveal exceptional performance by NAUE Secugrid and Combigrid materials. Read more in the release for the Americas market.

Minnesota's Department of Transportation (MnDOT) has begun work on the biggest Recovery Act-funded (a.k.a., the economic stimulus plan) road project. The $48 million construction of three new miles of a four-lane road connecting Highway 169 to County Road 81 will use $27 million in stimulus funds--funds which have greenlighted shovels on this project three years sooner than the state expected. The Recovery Act allocated $26 billion to roads, and to date $18 billion has been obligated. Minnesota has qualified for $500 million and has directed 70 percent of that money so far. Learn more here.;

SKZ's 2nd International Conference on Geosynthetics Middle East will be held in Dubai, UAE, 10-11 November 2009. The speaker and topic line up is certainly an impressive list. Ian Peggs of I-CORP will present on predicting end-of-life for high-density polyethylene (HDPE) geomembranes and the incorporation of flexible solar cells on exposed landfill caps; Carl De Leon of Solmax will present on geomembrane liners in harsh, petrochemical containment operations; Detlef Schramm of Dow will present a geomembrane global review; Silke Schwöbken of SENSOR will present on drainage detection systems; and much more. Dr. Helmut Zanzinger will chair the seminar. Download the program in PDF.

Tensar International has released the latest issue of GeoTalk. This 19th volume of the company's geosynthetics applications newsletter includes the introduction of TriAx Geogrids in the Americas, steep slope reinforcement, the GlasGrid system in California, saving on railroad track aggregate use, the construction of the new American Indian Cultural Center and Museum (AICCM), and more. Download the issue in PDF. Learn more here.;

J & S Franklin has announced a contract for over USD $2 million worth of DefenCell Force Protection System to an unspecified client. The system will be deployed in Africa in support of international operations in the region. The order consists of 9500 units of DefenCell DC3 and is sufficient to build a blast wall 2m high and 11km long. The DefenCell system uses geotextile construction technology for strength, versatility and simplicity. Read more in the release.

Newly published literature shows how the Tensartech Geocell Mattress Foundation Reinforcement System creates a 1m deep stiff foundation platform over poor ground and mitigates the effects of differential settlements, reduces lateral spread of foundation soils and can also increase their bearing capacity to improve stability enabling accelerated fill placement and project completion. Read more about this innovative system in the press release.