Soil Reinforcement

During the Geosynthetics 2009 gathering in Salt Lake City, Prof. Dennes Bergado, who is the director of the Asian Center for Soil Improvement and Geosynthetics (ACSIG), informed us that from 3 to 4 December 2009 the International Symposium on Geotechnical Engineering, Ground Improvement and Geosynthetics for Sustainable Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change would be held in Bangkok, Thailand. The brochure for this intriguing gathering can be viewed in PDF here.

Dr. Dennes Bergado writes with news of a gathering in Thailand: Geosynthetics Asia 2012, the 5th Asian Regional Conference on Geosynthetics. The first Call for Abstracts for this event, to be held under the auspices of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) and to be hosted by IGS Thailand, can be viewed in PDF here. Geosynthetics Asia 2012 will take place 10-14 December 2012 in Bangkok.

Alexandra Wynne, the features agenda writer/editor for the UK-based magazine New Civil Engineer, has written an article on the supermarket corporation Tesco's construction of a store over the Gerrards Cross railway tunnel. A partial collapse of the tunnel previously scrapped plans. This new attempt involves the use of geogrids and geotextiles to create an 8m-high reinforced-earth slope that has enabled the proper siting of the crane, which ultimately provides the access necessary for arch placement and the project's success. Learn more here.;

A final look at the bienniel Geosynthetics conference, which convened in Salt Lake City, Utah 25-27 February 2009. Geosynthetics 2009 operated under the theme “Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering,” two subjects key to Western states like Utah. But those certainly weren't the only subjects discussed in the sessions, keynote lectures, and on the exhibit hall floor. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then you've some "reading" to do in our photo essay from Geosynthetics 2009.

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.

The Associated Press has published an article on the state of Indiana's coal ash situation. Indiana has considerable coal deposits in the southern portion of the state, and 95% of the state's electricity is generated in coal-fired plants. The coal ash generated from these sites is deposited in 14 storage facilities. The EPA's new order gives plant operators 10 days to supply records of inspections and concerns with all coal ash ponds. The aging nature of Indian's facilities reinforces the notion that modernized ponds, with geosynthetic lining systems, are needed. Learn more here.;

Responding to last year’s massive coal ash spill at a Tennessee Valley Authority facility in Kingston, Tennessee, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today laid out new efforts to prevent future threats to human health and the environment. The agency’s plan includes measures to gather critical coal ash impoundment information from electrical utilities nationwide, conduct on-site assessments to determine structural integrity and vulnerabilities, order cleanup and repairs where needed, and develop new regulations for future safety. Read more in the release….

The Celebrity Solstice cruiser, a 122,000-ton luxury liner from Germany, launched late last year with a 2,130-sq-m lawn between the ship's funnels on the upper deck. Guests use it for lawn bowling, croquet, putting and picnicking. The lawn is modeled after greenroofs and uses a lightweight, porous growing medium instead of soil. Polypropylene geogrid stabilizes the 90 mm layer of heat-expanded calcium clay. Learn more here.;

Geosynthetica is proud to announce two new media partnerships with conferences: CanBuild09 and Geosynthetics Middle East 2009. The Canadian Brownfield Urban and Industrial Land Development conference (CanBUILD) 2009 takes place in April in Toronto. SKZ's Geosynthetics Middle East 2009 is the 2nd installment in this international series and will take place in November in Dubai. Read more about these events and download the brochures and/or call for papers here.

The International Erosion Control Association (IECA) is accepting abstracts for its annual conference through May 15. EC10 will be held in Dallas, Texas 14-17 February 2009. IECA organizes its work into 8 technology sections: slopes, stream restoration, vegetative establishment, stormwater management, wetlands, erosion and sediment control, beach and shoreline stabilization, and wind erosion. The "Hot Topics" for 2010 are LEED for new construction, sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation and design process. Learn more here.;

A blog post from Monday afternoon (9 March 2009) at the West Virginia Gazette suggested that the chair of the United States House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee--Nick J. Rahall II (D-WV)--may be attempting to minimize new regulations on coal ash slurry reservoirs. Things may not be as they seem in this one, however. Politics has much to do with timing. Read more.

Tensar International's Blackburn, United Kingdom office is profiled in Lancashire Telegraph article on the economic downtown and businesses finding a way to succeed. Tensar's Tim Oliver is interviewed in the article. He cites the pound's weakness as increasing the UK office's competitiveness in Europe, the success of the new China facility, and the growing announcements of government spending on infrastructure around the world as positive forces for Tensar and the industry. Learn more here.;

In March, North American Green is offering numerous sessions in various cities of its technical seminar for engineers "Designing with High-Performance (Hydraulic and Rolled) Erosion Control Products." Attendees can earn up to 3.0 Professional Development Hours (PDH) credits while receiving valuable information about specificy and using these materials immediately. Also, registration is FREE. Additionally, all attendees will receive a free, 2-gig USB flash drive, pre-loaded with helpful design and specification data. Read more about the course and learn about dates and cities in which it will be offered. Learn more here.;

Dr. Ian D. Peggs, P.E., P.Eng., has authored an introduction to ISO/TS 13434, "Geosynthetics: Guidelines for the Assessment of Durability." We publish here the sections on historical development, geotextiles, geosynthetic barriers and geogrids. For online readability, we've broken the sections into four pages, but all references have been repeated on each page for convenience of use. Links to the subsequent sections on geotextiles, geosynthetic barriers and geogrids can be found at the end of each part under "Related Sections." Begin here with the section on "Historical Development."

The French construction publication, BTP, has posted an article about the importance of geotextiles and geocomposites in roadway improvement, such as for the reduction of reflective cracking and subgrade improvement through reducing water incursion and the mixing of fines. In particular, the publication cites TenCate's products currently being used in the French market. Read the article today (in French only). Learn more here.;

AMI's magazine Compounding World has released its March 2009 issue online. The current issue contains articles on new developments in additives for conductive compounds, an analysis of the concentrates markets in North America, advice on materials handling systems for compounders, clariant's plastics colour trends predictions for 2010, top tips for reducing your plant's energy costs, and job opportunities in the Middle East. View it online today. Learn more here.;

SKZ announces the 2nd International Conference of Geosynthetics Middle East to be held in Dubai, UAE (10-11 November 2009). A call for papers has been issued with abstracts due by 30 March 2009. This year's topics include polymer developments; products (Geomembranes, Geotextiles, Geogrids, Geocomposites, Erosion control products, Geopipes); testing, quality assurance, certification; installation, welding; applications, projects, case studies; durability, lifetime. Dr. Helmut Zanzinger will chair the seminar. Download the call for papers here.

While we await the open of Geosynthetics 2009 and to report all the news and innovations that are revealed from the gathering, we want to take a moment to remind our readers of a number of key opportunities coming up in the geosynthetics community. Of note, the Geosynthetic Materials Association (GMA) is holding another GMA Lobby Day in Washington DC; T-CLIC returns with more training, short course, and certification events; and the Geosynthetic Institute is offering public and private-focused infrastructure courses.

At EC09--the 40th conference and expo of the International Erosion Control Association (IECA), which was held in Reno, Nevada, 9-13 February--the IECA Board of Directors installed two new officers and held elections to determine new positions. The IECA Board of Directors is made up of nine members, each serving a three year term. Read a short bio on the ten members from IECA's Katie Kiaha.

It's late Wednesday evening as I post this from Salt Lake City where IFAI's Geosynthetics 2009 conference opened. Day one proved to be full and engaging. A keynote lecture, technical sessions, a fiery polypropylene geomembranes panel discussion, short courses and a reception. The first of a series of reports from the event is posted here.

It’s Tuesday and attendees and exhibitors are arriving in Salt Lake City, Utah for the biennial Geosynthetics conference. Geosynthetics 2009, managed by the Roseville, Minnesota-based Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI), is being held under the theme “Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering,” two subjects key to Western states like Utah. Geosynthetica is a cooperating organization for this year’s event. We’re proud to be part of this seminal gathering for North America’s geosynthetics practice. Reports from the conference will be published daily (Wednesday – Friday, February 25-27) and a wrap-up will be published next week.

In 2003, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) expressed concern over the structural security of its Kingston coal ash reservoir. But the company expressed even greater concern with the proposed redesign bills, including one that recommended up to $25 million of work (and which would have appropriated $5 million for a proper liner). The TVA chose a sub-$1 million plan. When the Kingston facility failed in December 2008, it released 5.4 million cubic yards of contaminating ash across 275 acres. The estimated cleanup cost is $525-$825 million. That's 21 times the highest redesign cost proposal from 2003 and 105 times the cost of the liner TVA balked at. One can reasonably expect liners to be mandated in the near future for these disposal and storage facilities. Learn more here.;

ACH Foam invites attendees of Geosynthetics 2009 to take a tour of ACH Foam Technologies' Plant in Murray, Utah on Thursday, 26 February 2009. This free tour--transportation from the convention center provided--will take place from 8:30 - 10:45 am. A history of geofoam will be provided and participants will learn about applications for geofoam, installation, and long-term performance. A plant tour and manufacturing information rounds out the trip. Email Terry Meier (tmeier@achfoam.com) or call +1 801 599 2220 for more information or to take part. Learn more here.;

Professor Shobha K. Bhatia has been awarded a Chancellor's Citation for Excellence at Syracuse University, where she teaches civil and environmental engineering. Five people were honored during a February 12 awards ceremony. Dr. Bhatia's 20 years of geotechnical and geosynthetic engineering work was recognized for her broad range of professional contributions (including soils characterization in geosynthetic applications, waste containment, and road construction), dedication to research, the fostering of international work and dialogue, and social justice. We congratulate her on this well-deserved honor. Learn more here.;

The new issue of Compounding World magazine, from AMI, is available for viewing online. The February edition includes features on new developments in antioxidants and stabilizers, an analysis of the compounding markets in China and India, machinery and materials innovations for compounding TPEs, and new technologies launched at the Coperion Open House. Plus, all the latest business news, additives developments and new machinery are included. Learn more here.;