Soil Reinforcement

Applied Market Information's (AMI) 8th annual Polyethylene Films conference will take place 18-19 March 2010 in Daytona Beach, Florida. The event will include Resin 2 Revenue’s Blown Film Symposium. Preferable pricing is available through 24 September 2009. View the brochure in PDF for registration information and the call for presentations. Learn more here.;

The U.S. EPA has identified the hardrock mining industry as its priority for developing financial assurance requirements. Financial assurance requirements help ensure that owners and operators of these facilities, not taxpayers, foot the bill for environmental cleanup. These requirements will be developed under section 108(b) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, commonly called "Superfund." EPA plans to propose the rule by spring of 2011. The agency will publish a notice of this priority in the Federal Register, which is the first step toward developing the requirements.

Presenters and paper topics for GeoAfrica 2009 (2-5 September 2009, Cape Town, South Africa) have been posted at the conference website. It is an interesting mix and bodes well for discussion. View it online today. Learn more here.;

The massive American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 is having a considerable (and beneficial) impact on construction markets and the environment. Approximately $7.22 billion is moving into these key areas with water-related projects receiving the lionshare. (CONTINUED.)

AMI's magazine Compounding World has released its July/August 2009 issue. It is available free for viewing online. The current issue contains articles on innovations in clarifiers and nucleating agents; analysis of the Asian masterbatch markets; expert views on compounding nanocomposites; eight pages of news from Chicago's NPE show; BASF reveals restructuring plans for Ciba; and PolyOne announces sustainable developments. View the issue today. Learn more here.;

Plast Euro reports that the University of Twente, the Netherlands, will establish what is being called the establish the Thermoplastic Composite Research Centre (TPRC). Numerous companies, including Ten Cate Advanced Composites, have signed an agreement to help launch the venture. A sustainability angle is involved. Thermoplastic composites are processed faster that thermosets and are more environmentally friendly. New technology research and development will also be pursued. Learn more here.;

Royal Ten Cate (TenCate) and Noel P Hunt International Limited have reached agreement on the takeover of the TenCate 50% interest in the joint venture Geofabrics Australasia Pty Ltd of Cheltenham (Australia). The takeover price of the shares amounts to AUD 40 million (approximately €23 million). The book profit on the sale of the 50% interest amounts to approximately €11 million and will be incorporated in the half-year figures of TenCate. Read more in the release.

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 has been announced and it 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.

The Geosynthetics Interest Group of South Africa (GIGSA) invites its members to a tour of the multi-layered, geosynthetic-reinforced embankment at Snake Valley for the Gauteng Rapid Rail Link. The tour will be held on 22 July 2009 at 13:00. Bombela JV has been the contractor for this intriguing project and materials have been supplied by Kaytech. Interested attendees shoulod contact Jo-Ann Hechter, (011) 8798400, or e-mail adminjhb@kaytech.co.za, and ask for a map to the site office. GIGSA is the host chapter of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) for the forthcoming GeoAfrica 2009 conference (2-5 September 2009, Cape Town). Learn more here.;

Resin-bonded geotextiles have long been seen as a material with potential, particularly for the abrasion resistance a needlepunched geotextile might gain with resin bonding. You might find them beneath golf course bunkers where the resin-bonded geotextiles provide slope stability and drainage support; but few other applications have actually been explored. Clive Mills of Fiber Bond Corporation writes about this overlooked material and the applications in which it may soon be adopted.

Over at the UK-based website "The Engineer," editor Andrew Lee has posted an editorial in which he mentions the potential decline of Formula 1 racing if it does not evolve. One commenter on Lee's post notes that among the improvements Formula 1 needs to make is the use of geosynthetics in track construction. Learn more here.;

The North Bay Business Journal, which serves San Francisco and the surrounding Napa and Sonoma Valleys, has mentioned Indiana-based North American Green in a round-up of green business news. NA Green's Santa Rosa-based supplier Stevenson Supply Co. was recgonized by NA Green in the company's 2009 Distributor Case Study Competition. Stevenson supplied 4,000 sq. ft. of turf reinforcement mats (TRMs) to replace concrete in a drainage ditch project. Learn more here.;

The summer lecture series at Yestermorrow Design/Build School in Warren, Vermont includes a 19 August 2009 presentation on "Beyond Compost: Advanced Uses of Compost and Geotextile Materials." The interestingly-named Buzz Ferver will discuss compost and geotextile materials for stormwater treatment, urban gardening, "living" retaining walls, greenroofs and more. Learn more here.;

TenCate™ Geosynthetics introduces Mirafi® MiraGreen™ D for site drainage applications for engineers and architects committed to designing environmentally sound projects. Mirafi® MiraGreen™ D is a nonwoven drainage geotextile comprised of 30% (LEED calculated) recycled content. TenCate™ has developed, through extensive research, a uniquely reliable product that reduces dependence on virgin petroleum based resins. Read more in the release.

The Australian Centre for Geomechanics (ACG) has a number of interesting, international events and deadlines coming up. Geosynthetics may play a significant role in a number of the mining discussions facilitated by ACG. Also, the Centre has now developed individual websites for more of its events, making the key information easier to come by. Further, ACG is associated with numerous other events around the world. Read a breakdown of the forthcoming events.

Cell-Tek Geocellular Confinement Systems are made with 100% recycled HDPE strips that are expanded to form honeycomb-shaped geocellular grid. The grid is filled with gravel, soil or aggregate. Though these systems have been commonly used in construction and landscaping for load support, earth retention, erosion control, channel revetment and slope protection, we're now finding them used in green roofs.

UK-based Electrokinetics, which combines geosynthetic and electrokinetic technologies for drying out soils, was launched five years ago out of research and development work conducted at Newcastle University. The company has made its first major deals now and is very close to turning profitable. Electrokinetics has also received extra funding to further refine its technology. Plans are being made to export the technology. Learn more here.;

Tensar International recently installed a magnetic fuel treatment system from Maxsys to one of their gas-fired, steam-raising boilers. Tensar is a global leader in geogrid manufacturing. The energy efficiency improvement project has reportedly cut gas consumption by 5.78%--a considerable financial savings in the manufacturing process and an admirable environmental benefit. Also, extensive analysis by the Blackburn-United Kingdom facility's chief engineer has found that boiler efficiency has improved by 5.46%. Read more about the energy efficient production method in the release.

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 in 2009 to take part. With an estimated 15 million tons of additional polymerization capacity coming on line in the Middle East in the next three 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? The one-day seminar aims to tackle these subjects. Download the PDF brochure. Learn more here.;

Arab Construction World, which covers multiple construction markets in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, now offers its issues in PDF. Visit the magazine's website--www.acwmag.com--to register for free. A PDF link is included below (but free registration may be required). Learn more here.;

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has extended the compliance date for all facilities and established a new compliance date for farms subject to the oil Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures (SPCC) regulations. This final rule is part of EPA's multi-phased strategy to address concerns with the SPCC regulation. Specifically, this SPCC rule amendment extends the dates by which the owner or operator of an SPCC regulated facility or farm must prepare or amend and implement an SPCC plan to 10 November 2010.

TenCate™ is pleased to announce the appointment of Lancer Textiles as Master Distributor for the Industrial Fabrics division effective immediately. Lancer Textiles' role as Master Distributor will be to service those TenCate™ customers that may not be able to meet the minimum order quantity requirement, who typically buy small quantities, who order infrequently and to fulfill special converting needs and requests, such as slitting, re-rolling, etc.

Tensar International recently installed a magnetic fuel treatment system from Maxsys to one of their gas-fired, steam-raising boilers. The project has reported cut gas consumption by 5.78%--a considerable financial savings in the manufacturing process and an admirable environmental benefit. Also, extensive analysis by the Blackburn-United Kingdom facility's chief engineer has found that boiler efficiency has improved by 5.46%. Read more in the release.

The Dallas City Council has approved $29 million for a levee damage study and transportation improvements. The levees have been treated with erosion control measures, but significant improvements are thought to be needed, including reinforcement and internal seepage control. Learn more here.;

The Times of India reports that villagers in Candolim are working with a water resources department on a 1.5-km-long beach erosion control project that will use sand-filled geotextile tubes. Monsoons have caused considerable erosion in India this year, and increasing the country is turning to geotextile tubes to provide better protection. The project is expected to cost Rs 6 crore (USD $1.27 million). Learn more here.;