Soil Reinforcement

The geosynthetics industry has learned that Samir T. Badawi has died while traveling in Germany. Badawi has served as chairman of Houston-based Gundle/SLT Environmental Inc.'s (GSE) Board of Directors since 1995 and as company CEO since 1998. In that time, the company expanded steadily, building upon what was already a highly respected name in geosynthetic manufacturing. Badawi's considerable global business experience proved to be a good fit for GSE, which has operations around the world. Not only did he oversee GSE's important merger with SLT/ Environmental, but its acquisition by a private equity firm (Code, Hennessy & Simmons). Read more.

GSE has released an official statement regarding the death of president and CEO Samir T. Badawi.

TenCate Geosynthetics has published its Summer 2009 issue of MiraFacts, a semi-annual, electronic publication detailing projects, issues affecting engineering, short course and training opportunities, and more. The issue contains a host of interesting stories, including three case studies, a specification update, the introduction of MiraGreen Nonwoven D, and more. Read it online today.

The Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) has added the 2009-published book Thermal Analysis of Polymers: Fundamentals and Applications by Joseph D. Menczel and R. Bruce Prime. This book emphasizes the practical uses of thermal analysis. Each chapter guides readers through the applications of thermal analysis for polymer characterization, with detailed examples that show how to perform each step. Learn more here.;

The Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) has added the December 2008-published DVD presentation "Utilizing FTIR, DSC, TGA and Ash to Identify Polymer Types" to its store's offerings. This DVD presentation deals with the basic identification of plastics by the use of FTIR analysis, DSC, TGA, and muffle furnace ash. The operation of each instrument is explained, as are the results that can be obtained and the conclusions that can be drawn from each of the tests. Learn more here.;

The earthquake that struck the Italian city of L'Aquila and its surrounding region in April 2009 claimed the lives of 308, injured more than 600 others (a third of whom were severely injured), and caused damage of more than € 1.5 billion (USD $2.1 billion) to buildings. Total damage is estimated to be roughly € 3.5 billion (USD $4.9 billion). Approximately 65,000 people had to evacuate their homes. They were lodged in tent camps, hotels and other structures along the Adriatic coast. Many Italians volunteered time to provide civil service in the quake-affected region. Engineer Pietro Rimoldi, a regular participant in international geosynthetics discussions, especially regarding walls and reinforcement, was one of those volunteers. We interviewed him in June and July regarding his service in L'Aquila, his observations, and ways geosynthetics might provide future protection. READ THE INTERVIEW.

We interviewed engineer Pietro Rimoldi regarding his volunteer service in L'Aquila, the earthquake-affected area of Italy. He shared his observations and ways geosynthetics might provide future protection. See photos from his trip.

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.

Checkmate Geosynthetics Inc. is pleased to launch the Trigrid EX bi-axial geogrid range in addition to the existing Checkmate's product line in North America. Trigrid EX biaxial geogrids are manufactured by Samyang Corporation Korea and represented on Exclusive basis by Checkmate in North America. Checkmate will also provide the comprehensive technical and design support to the customers. Read more in the release.

TenCate Geosynthetics is working with the U.S. Amry Corps of Engineers on the rehabilitation and protection of the coastal strip of Grand Isle in New Orleans (Louisiana). Miles of tubes are being installed to correct years of coastal erosion and best defend the shoreline against future hurricanes. Engineering News Record (ENR) has posted a news video detailing the work, how the design has been inspired by installations in Texas, and future expectations. Learn more here.;

New for the next CONEXPO-CON/AGG exposition, to be held in 2011, is the co-location of the 2011 International Concrete Exposition, also known as ICON Expo. The shows will be held 22-26 March 2011 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, USA. ICON Expo is organized by the National Concrete Masonry Association (NCMA) in conjunction with other leading industry groups, and serves the needs and interests of the concrete products industry, including producers, suppliers, designers, architects, and specifiers. The expo rounds out exhibits with product demonstrations, a robust education program and social networking events. Read more in the release.

Golder Associates Ltd. is pleased to announce Mr. Mark Brightman, as President of the firm's Canadian operations. Brightman replaces Mr. Brian H. Conlin, who was recently appointed as President & CEO of Golder Associates' global corporation. Read more in the release.

We want to take a moment to congratulate our colleague and friend Jennifer McKay of TenCate. She and her husband Josh were married earlier this summer. Jennifer has shared a couple photos from the wedding, one of which contains a number of very familiar faces from TenCate's expert engineering and sales crew. See the images here, and please be sure you have updated your email contact address for Jennifer to j.mckay@tencate.com.

Applied Market Information (AMI) will host "The Middle East Plastics Industry Strategy Seminar" on 19 October 2009 in Cologne, Germany. This event has been offered twice already in 2009. This next session is your final chance of 2009 to take part. AMI reports that only five spots remain for the conference. Download the PDF brochure. Learn more here.;

ASTM International has announced its candidates for the organization's 2010 Board of Directors. Nominees were selected by the Nominating Committee. ASTM International's active members, such as participating members of Committee D35 on Geosynthetics, will receive voting instructions and biographies in the September/October issue of Standardization News. Also, along with electing the 2010 Board of Directors, ASTM members will be asked to recommend candidates from the ASTM International membership to serve on the 2011 Nominating Committee. Read the nominee list here.

Dennes Bergado writes on the forthcoming symposium "Geotechnical Engineering, Ground Improvement and Geosynthetics for Sustainable Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change including Global Warming." A list of speakers has been released and is contained in Dr. Bergado's write up. Of note, more than 30 technical speakers will be part of the event. They are coming to the conference from more than 15 countries. Also, a comprehensive technical exhibition will accompany the discussions. The symposium takes place 2-3 December 2009 in Bangkok, Thailand.

Research and Markets has announced the addition of Textiles Intelligence's new report "Global Technical Textiles Business Update, 1st Quarter 2009" to their offering. The report includes a summary of market conditions, acquisitions, business news, and much more. Geosynthetic demand is expected to reach 905 million square yards by 2012.

Freedonia has published its latest geosynthetics market update: Geosynthetics to 2013. The survey includes analysis based on 38 companies and multiple world markets. Expectations show global demand for geosynthetics increasing 5.3 percent annually through 2013. China will account for the largest share of new global demand as it continues to develop large-scale infrastructure and erosion control projects. North America will remain the second largest regional market. Geogrids will achieve the fastest gains. 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. Learn more here.;

Net profit second quarter well over € 13 million. In advance of the publication of the half-year figures on Wednesday 26 August 2009 and on the basis of provisional results, it is announced that net profit for the second quarter fell back by approximately 26% compared with the second quarter of 2008. With a stringent cost reduction policy and a tight liquidity management, as of 30 June 2009 TenCate remained well within the covenants agreed with the banks. The debt / EBITDA ratio improved compared to the previous quarter to approximately 2.5 (covenant 3.0). Read more.

From coal ash disposal to landfill cell construction to mining processing controls, we're seeing renewed activity in the role regulation is playing around the world for ensuring the right envrionmental protection technologies are in place. Peter Garrett, the Australian government's Mininster of Environment, Heritage and the Arts, has issued a media statement on stringent, exemplary protections being implemented at a new uranium mine in South Australia. It's an appropriate addition to discussion, especially as global markets show signs of life and long-term mining forecasts are beginning to edge up.

The early registration deadline for GeoHalifax 2009 is 17 July 2009. Full conference registration includes membership in either the Canadian Geosynthetics Society (CGS) or the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH) - Canada National Chapter (CNC). Take advantage of the preferential pricing and membership offer. Conference fees increase $100 after 17 July. Secure registration for this 20-24 September 2009 (Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada) event is available online. Learn more here.;

EcoInform has announced dates for the 7th Cooperation for Waste Issues forum. It will be held 7-8 April 2010 in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Papers are being solicited through 1 December 2009. Key topics sought include environmental issues of waste management, new technologies, landfill construction and operation, sludge management, waste to energy, and more. Learn more at the conference website. Learn more here.;

The Quality Data Oversight and Review (QDOR™) program has launched a new website: www.qdor.org. There you will be able to find everything you need to use the QDOR program. The website includes items for the specifier, government regulator and the manufacturer of rolled erosion control products. The website offers the QDOR Guidance Manual, suggestions for how to incorporate QDOR into specifications and a list of frequently asked questions about the program.

Americhem, Inc., a global provider of custom color and additive solutions for polymer- based and synthetic-fibers products, recently introduced nDuramax™, an advanced family of high-performance UV stabilizers. The product line includes a new UV stabilizer solution for PET fibers that offers significantly improved weathering compared to traditional technologies. The sectors for which these UV stabilizers may be used include geosynthetics. Learn more here.;