Soil Reinforcement

By Chris Kelsey - Annually, Geosynthetics International names a best paper from the journal's previous volume. This allows the judging to take place carefully with the full year's published...

The following is an excerpt from “Sustainable Use of Geosynthetics in Dykes” by Pietro Rimoldi, Jonathan Shamrock, Jacek Kawalec, and Nathalie Touze. Their article was first published in the...

The Canadian Geotechnical Society’s annual conference is always a highlight on the international geotechnical calendar. This year, however, the organizers in Calgary had to cancel the plan for an in-person...

TenCate Geosynthetics has published its Winter 2010 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 issues of road buildings, MiraSpec Design Solutions Software for flexible pavement designs, a pavement restoration warranty, two case studies, and more. Read it online. Learn more here.;

The massive coal ash retention pond breach in Tennessee has reignited debate about how best to dispose of coal ash. Too often, ash is buried in unlined cells. And, increasingly, opposition is being raised over the construction of unlined cells. Though it will cost more in the short run, the construction of proper waste containment cells, with liners and fully engineered, reinforced earth walls, seems to be the right solution.

The International Erosion Control Association (IECA) invites you to a fundraiser dinner on 9 February 2009 for Save Our International Land (SOIL). The charitable fund dinner will be held in conjunction with the EC09 conference. James Ridgway of Land and Water's Erosion and Sediment Control Network (ESCN.tv) will host. All proceeds go to SOIL. More information will be available soon. Learn more here.;

Following the press release of 15 November 2010, Ten Cate Geosynthetics Asia announces the successful closing of the acquisition of the geosynthetics activities of Emas Kiara Industries Berhad, a publicly listed company based in Rawang, Malaysia. The completion of this transaction provides TenCate Geosynthetics with a significantly larger position in the supply of geosynthetics solutions to the Southeast Asian markets.

Tensar International's TriAx geogrid has been successfully installed by South African World Cup 2010 contractors to overcome poor load-bearing ground encountered on the new Green Point Stadium in Cape Town. Construction of the stadium, which will play host to a World Cup semi-final in July, was made problematic by the highly variable soil inherent to this spectacular ocean-side setting at the southern tip of the continent. Read more.

BASF SE, the world's biggest chemical company, said it plans to outpace the expected 5 percent annual growth in the global plastics market by boosting operations in Asia. BASF's plastics division will report higher sales and a "significant" improvement in earnings in 2010, board member Martin Brudermueller reiterated at a press conference in Frankenthal, Germany. Demand in Asia will grow at 6 percent a year through 2015, he said. Learn more here.;

The Environmental Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers has announced that GPEC 2011 (Global Plastics Environmental Conference) will be held 17-19 October 2011 at the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel, Atlanta, GA, USA. The theme of GPEC 2011 is "Plastics Recycling and Sustainability on my Mind." Key topics include reclamation and supply; bio-based and biodegradable materials; and recycling. SPE invites abstracts through 11 May 2011. Learn more in the PDF flyer. Learn more here.;

This year's StocExpo was the biggest yet, with nearly 70 different countries represented. The three-day conference and exhibition, now in its sixth year, was held in Antwerp, Belgium. A strong mix of attendees from all aspects of port operations, construction and clients were represented. See statistics from StocExpo 2010, and learn the newly released details on StocExpo 2011.

Late last year, Geosynthetica began a long-term publication project in partnership with the the Brazil geosynthetics community. Geosynthetica.net.br was created to deliver Brazil-market focused information on geosynthetics, applications, companies...

Kevin Hancock of Geosand (Terram Geosynthetics and WTB Geotechnics) writes in the July 2010 issue of Rail Engineer about geosynthetics in rail construction. Learn more here.;

From 8-10 June 2010, the American Public Works Association (APWA) will host a conference on sustainability in public works. The event will take place in Minneapolis, Minnesota (site of the 2005 APWA annual conference). And exhibit hall will be available at the conference hotel (the Hilton Minneapolis) and education sessions will focus on key issues such as low-impact development, measuring sustainable return on investment (ROI), selling sustainability politically, success stories, best practices, and much more. Learn more here.;

In a letter dated 20 August 2013, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) announced an update to its geotextile Approved Products List (APL). This impacts all geotextiles to...

Start the week with the latest in the geoengineering world. Here's the GeoWire conversation for the week of July 13. WORK SMARTER. BIG PROJECTS Europe's largest onshore wind farm is rapidly...

When it comes to rural road design, Gordon Keller has seen firsthand quite a bit of what the world has to offer. Since 1972, Keller has worked for the US Forest Service and worked in partnership with numerous international organizations, such as the World Bank, the Pan-American Highway Institute, and the International Road Federation (IRF) to promote best practices in design, maintenance, environmental analysis, and more. He'll next lead a workshop on Low Volume Roads (LVR) in Orlando, Florida for IRF 11-13 April 2012. He discusses the workshop and issues such as changing agricultural practices on rural roads in an interview with Geosynthetica.

In 1992, during the construction of the third runway of Sydney's airport (Australia), reinforced earth walls were designed into the runway's perimeter. Within four years, clear subsidence was observed. Litigation followed, and finally all of the case's issues seem to have been resolved. The ruling has found that either compaction was not to the proper density or not enough care was taken in placement of the necessary geotextile fabric over joints in the fabric. Read more at Mondaq. (Registration required.) Learn more here.;

Strata Systems has grown significantly in its international presence in recent years. Growth has followed a steady and diverse plan in developing product lines (e.g., StrataWeb®), investing in emerging...

One of the world’s most active chapters of the International Geosynthetics Society was created 20 years ago. This year, when IGS Brasil members gather for the chapter’s annual meeting,...

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will today announce that the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is awarding $8 billion to states across the country to develop America's first nationwide program of high-speed intercity passenger rail service. Funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), these dollars represent an historic investment in the country's transportation infrastructure, which will help create jobs and transform travel in America. The announcement is one of a number of job initiatives the President will lay out in the coming weeks that follow up on the continued commitment to job creation he discussed in last night's State of the Union Address.

"Geosynthetics Evolved" is the credo of the newest manufacturer to enter the geosynthetics industry. SYNTEC, based in Baltimore, MD, is a newly formed company with many familiar faces. In a recent transaction, SYNTEC acquired the environmental division of TENAX Corporation. Read more about this new venture.

During the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders on Thursday 8 April 2010 in Almelo, the Netherlands, the Supervisory Board of Royal Ten Cate will propose Mr R. van Gelder to the Meeting of Shareholders for appointment as a member of the Supervisory Board. Mr Van Gelder (civil engineer, aged 64, of Dutch nationality) is a former CEO of Royal Boskalis Westminster (1993-2006) and currently CEO of Heijmans N.V. (until May 2010). He is a supervisory board member of SBM Offshore N.V. and Holcim Western Europe Ltd. and a member of the board of the Vereniging Effecten Uitgevende Ondernemingen (Association of Securities-Issuing Companies).

The government of India and INDA, a nonwovens industry association, are teaming up to organize nonwovens and geotextile workshops. The aim is to improve the technical textile knowledge base in the country. Learn more here.;

With multiple stories published per week throughout the year, a biweekly newsletter, numerous international event partners, and a strong presence in social media, Geosynthetica covers much of the world's...