Soil Reinforcement

When the levee system that protects the NOLA region's shores began to be constructed roughly 80 years ago, they halted a natural process of silting that protected some of the coastal ecosystem. Today, with rising ocean levels, the shoreline lacks the natural protection it once had when silt was allowed to build up. A new 50-year, $50 billion master plan in Louisiana proposes to cut into or remove some levees--which are currently being built higher--and allow silt build up and some flooding. This massive restoration plan will dramatically impact some communities, actually removing their protection from floods. Read more in an engaging article from the Los Angeles Times. 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.

Fiberweb is pleased to announce the appointment of Ian Fraser as Business Director of Geosynthetics. Ian has more than 25 years of experience working in the geotechnical industry and has...

On Wednesday, 8 February 2012, Maccaferri will host a webinar on High Energy Impact Embankment Systems. Key aspects of the presentation include: Rockfall embankment uses, styles and characteristics; Differences between embankments and rockfall fence barriers; and Rockfall embankment design procedures. The presentation will offer a non-credit 0.15 CEU certificate. Visit the registration page/invite and sign up.

The September 2010 issue of the Geosynthetic Institute (GSI) Newsletter is available. This month's stories include updates on GSI's numerous research projects (e.g., UV exposure of geomembranes and field behavior and flexible polypropylene [fPP] geomembranes), updates to the information accessibility on GSI's websites, forthcoming short courses, fellowship awards for 2010-2011, and much more. Read the issue here (PDF). Learn more here.;

The International Symposium on Sustainable Geosynthetics and Green Technology for Climate Change (SGCC) was held in Bangkok, Thailand 20-21 June 2012 and honored Prof. Dennis T. Bergado, a geosynthetics veteran who is retiring. Prof. Bergado has held numerous leadership positions in the industry, such as serving as President of the International Geosynthetics Society's (IGS) Thailand Chapter, Director of Asian Center for Soil Improvement and Geosynthetics (ACSIG), and Secretary General of the Southeast Asian Geotechnical Society (SEAGS). The event welcomed attendees and speakers from more than 20 countries as critical issues of environmental change were explored in the context of the roles geosynthetics play and can play in mitigating climate change impact.

A ceremonial launch of a new unit for flat geogrid production under the trade mark Apropat took place at Plastik plant, a subsidiary enterprise of SIBUR. The design capacity of the unit is 3 kta. According to current forecasts of the market conditions, when the design capacity of flat geogrid production is attained, the annual earnings of the enterprise will increase by 550 million RUR. A similar geogrid production unit with 3 kta capacity was commissioned in August 2009 at Orton, another enterprise of SIBUR in the Kemerovo Region.

The NAUE Academy puts engineering knowledge at your fingertips through its series of webinars on geotechnical solutions. The free, live webinars address a wide-range of topics in which geosynthetics...

Oscar Wilde often gets credit for the phrase “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,” though Wilde was merely building upon an aphorism popularized earlier in the 19th century...

The American Public Works Association (APWA) 2011 Sustainability in Public Works Conference and exhibition is accepting presentation proposals through 30 September 2010. The event location and dates have yet to be announced, but 2010's event in Minneapolis was a great success. APWA's sustainability initiatives include not just this event series but a new APWA Center for Sustainability. Learn more here.;

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.

In 2004, Geosynthetica's Director Elizabeth Peggs, Lara Costa, and founder Dr. Ian D. Peggs, P.E. (I-CORP International) created a white paper that proposed a Geosynthetics Risk Management and Loss...

The International Erosion Control Association Region One (IECA) has announced its new Executive Director: Sharan Wilson. She succeeds Russ Adsit, who led the association for eight years. Wilson comes to...

Propex Inc. has announced the appointment of Stan Brant to Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Read more on Brant's work in the release.

In Austinburg Township, Ohio, part of a roadway embankment has fallen into the adjacent creek. Galvanized mesh and geotextile material will be used in the rebuild and reinforcement. Read about it in the Star Beacon. Learn more here.;

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to interview Dr. Rajib Mallick of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) who was about to deliver multiple papers at the annual TRB...

The Geosynthetic Materials Association (GMA) has worked with various Congressional figures over the past few years on key issues in the United States infrastructure. One area in which GMA has been particularly active is in bringing proper coal ash containment technologies to the attention of legislators. A new letter from GMA Executive Director Andrew Aho helps illuminate this issue and the exemplary work GMA has done. Representatives such as Heath Shuler (R-NC) have taken notice and are working diligently to improve Congressional awareness of this much-needed environmental protection. Read a letter from GMA and one to the EPA.

The Geosynthetic Institute (GSI) regularly offers short-course and certification professional development opportunities. Currently, GSI is preparing four one-day courses, each of which will be offered twice and worth 8 PDHs. Two new courses on retaining wall failures MSE, berm, and slope monitoring and inspection are included. Also, GSI is offering two certification exams, each of which are also available in conjunction with related courses. Read about them here.

When Geotechnical Frontiers 2017 convenes in Orlando, Florida, it will bring together members of the geosynthetics and larger geotechnical engineering communities. The conference, which occurs every six years, combines...

The slope adjacent to the athletic fields at Saint Mark Catholic School in Huntersville, North Carolina had been experiencing severe surface erosion and shallow/surface failures. Engineers decided to pursue a solution that involved driven soil anchors and a turf reinforcement mat for veneer stability. Fortrac® 3D from HUESKER was chosen as the ideal fit for the turf reinforcement because of its high tensile strength at low elongations. Fortrac® 3D's unique three-dimensional construction and high tenacity differentiate it from other turf reinforcement mats. Unlike other products that elongate as much as 65%, Fortrac® 3D has a maximum elongation of 12%, which means it keeps soil in place.

In a 1 December 2011 release, the Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) announced that it is postponing its IFAI Expo Asia 2012 event, originally scheduled to be held in late June 2012 at the Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre. However, construction on the Suntec Center may not in fact be completed by June to ensure the full success of the event and the association cites the softness of the global economy as another primary reason for the event's postponement. Two geosynthetics sessions were to be held at the event.

The July 2010 issue of CE News has been released, and in addition to interesting articles on an engineer's perspective of design-build, an exclusive on the EPA's strengthening of NPDES, and an "Olympic-sized" upgrade to one community's wastewater system, the Progressive Engineering section features an article from Laurie Honnigford of the Erosion Control Technology Council (ECTC). Honnigford's article, "Opening the QDOR," outlines the Quality Data Oversight and Review (QDOR™) program from ECTC--a program which takes a scientific view on selecting the best erosion control materials.

NAUE, a leading international manufacturer of geosynthetics and engineering services provider, seeks to add a sales engineer to its expanding Malaysia and Southeast Asia operations. The company has a...

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.;

The International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE) has release the first issue of its second volume of case histories. All papers are available free for download. Achor wall behavior, rockfall and subsidence, and soil stability from previous site mining activities are some of the topics explored. Learn more here.;