Special Series

The global dredging company Royal Boskalis Westminster nv, the Netherlands, has become the full owner of Cofra, a firm that specializes in geosynthetics. Royal Boskalis previously owned 51% of Cofra, which has offices around the world and expertise in geomembranes, vertical drains, and geotextiles. Read about the acquisition in Infrasite News. Learn more here.;

Agru's HDPE Drain Liner geomembrane is being used to cap a portion of the Short Mountain Landfill. Some sections of the 580-acre site have reached their maximum elevation so cell closures are beginning. Read about the site's latest phase in the Creswell Chronicle.

Ian Peggs, I-CORP INTERNATIONAL reports: Electrical integrity/leak location surveys were made on lining system components during the construction of two railroad locomotive fueling platforms. From the top down one of the lining systems was as follows…

The Tensar Corporation completes acquisition of Tensar Group Limited. The two companies are to be integrated into a single global business.

There was much forward movement at the 2006 CEN/TC 189 meeting in Trondheim (Norway) on 18th and 19th of May. Read the review by Fred Foubert, Secretary.

The Minnesota Magazine Publishers Association has awarded Geosynthetics with two Gold Awards in the Professional, Circulation under 30,000 category: Best Technical Article, (April 2005) and Best Directory (Specifier's Guide 2004).

International Water Power and Dam Construction magazine offers strong coverage of dam building and rehabilitation projects around the world. Many of these projects involve or would benefit from geosynthetic expertise. For example, replacing bituminous concrete with geomembranes, such as was done at the Morovka Dam in the Czech Republic, or choosing flexible membranes to correct aging dam facings, such as was done at Salt Springs. To learn more about the Morovka Dam please cut and paste the following URL into your browser: http://www.waterpowermagazine.com/story.asp?storyCode=2034839. For more on the Salt Springs project, please go to the 'continued" link below. Learn more here.;

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has posted a letter to the state's Department of Transportation requesting much more information on a proposed project design that involves acid rock. From a narrative regarding the geosynthetic clay liner (GCL) and geocell interface to geotextile and geomembrane drawings and calculations, a great deal has been left out. The absence of these critical matters exemplifies the tremendous technical range that must be communicated in sensitive projects and underscores the need for expert geosynthetic design and construction professionals in getting projects approved. Learn more here.;

The rough coral and hard rock subgrade at Punta Blanca Golf Course, Dominican Republic, and a desire to conserve water from the course's water features led to the selection of PVC geomembranes. Read about the lining project in Canadian Environmental Protection. Learn more here.;

Wilmington, Massachusetts has voted to permanently connect its water system to the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA). To do so, however, approximately 3500 feet of the pipeline system will pass through a Superfund site. A 650-foot clean-soil corridor, protected by geotextile, will be key to the system. Read about it in the Daily Times Chronicle. Learn more here.;

The Great Wall of Coarsegold, a four-tiered retaining wall system in Madera County, California, has been slowly failing from its lowest tier during its two years of life. Some speculation exists about whether the upper walls were built too close to the lowest tier. Without question, though, design mistakes were made. The Grand Jury's list of errors is lengthy and underscores the need for proper, expert review of both wall design and site specifications. Read about it in the Sierra Star. Learn more here.;

Island nations often struggle with poor soils and a lack of convenient aggregate solutions when it comes to road building. Currently, the Cayman Islands are undergoing roadway capacity expansion projects. Geotextile layers are being used to cap swampier zones and reduce aggregate need. Read the latest Cayman road news online. Learn more here.;

Is the Cell 1 landfill at the Ciba-Geigy Superfund site in Dover Tonwship, New Jersey leaking? Approximately 35,000 drums are buried in the lined landfill. While Ciba officials contend the cell is functioning properly, no one is disputing that a contamination plume has formed around the cell and carcinogens have been detected in the groundwater beneath the site. Further testing is needed. Read more in the Ashbury Park Press. Learn more here.;

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have completed their geosynthetic encapsulation of a six-acre asbestos dump in Harding Township, New Jersey. Several geotextile layers, clay, soil and grass were used. Read about it in the Observer Tribune. Learn more here.;

"We will all miss Ron. He was a great friend and a fount of practical knowledge. He knew more about the manufacturing and performance of all geosynthetics than most of the rest of us put together. And he put geosynthetics together in composite form like none of the rest of us. He would share his knowledge with anyone. He was a master of boot-strapping equipment and would coax years of production out of equipment that most of us would have given up on long ago. I spent a memorable few days at GeoComp many years ago monitoring the production of an RPP/geotextile composite for an Oak Ridge landfill cap. Practical discussion went freely back and forth as we both tried to produce the best possible product, with no fear of him trying to slip even marginally unacceptable material out of the door. As the future growth of geosynthetics becomes strongly dependent upon geocomposites we will find that much of the groundwork was laid by Ron."

"Sardinia 2007, the 11th International Waste Management and Landfill Symposium, has devoted a special attention to the developing countries (DC) waste management issues. In spite of my personal efforts (we apply very low fee or we wave it for DC delegates) I feel we should do more supporting participation of the DC Authors. Can your organization grant Symposium participation fellowships (lodging, or lodging and travel) for DC Authors? These fellowships could be managed directly by you and from our side we can give our contribution providing a special entrance fee for the fellowship winners. I think that if we will be successful it would be really a great support of enhancing international cooperation and development in waste management." Please contact the symposium to contribute at the "continued" link below. Learn more here.;

R.L. Loeffelbein, a physics teacher at Washington University in St. Louis was about to give a student a zero for the student's answer to an examination problem. The student claimed he should receive a perfect score, if the system were not so set up against the student. Instructor and student agreed to submit to an impartial arbiter, Dr. Alexander Calandra, who tells the story. The examination problem was: "Show how it is possible to determine the height of a tall building with the aid of a barometer." The student's answer was, "Take the barometer to the top of the building, attach a long rope to it, and lower the barometer to the ground. Then, bring it back up, measuring the length of the rope and barometer. The lengths of the two together is the height of the building." I, as arbiter, pointed out that the student really had a strong case for full credit since he had answered the problem completely and correctly. On the other hand, of course, full credit would contribute to a high grade for the student in his physics course, and a high grade is supposed to certify that the student knows some physics, a fact that his answer had not confirmed. So it was suggested that the student have another try at answering the problem. He was given six minutes to answer it, with the warning this time that the answer should indicate some knowledge of physics. At the end of five minutes, he had not written anything. Asked if he wished to give up, he said no, that he had several answers and he was just trying to think which would be the best. In the next minute he dashed off this answer. "Take the barometer to the top of the building. Lean over the edge of the roof, drop the barometer, timing its fall with a stopwatch. Then, using the formula S=1/2at2, calculate the height of the building. At this point, I asked my colleague if he gave up and he conceded. The student got nearly full credit. Recalling that the student had said he had other answers, I asked him what they were. "Well," he said, "you could take the barometer out on a sunny day and measure the height of the barometer, the length of its shadow, and length of the building's shadow, then use simple proportion to determine the height of the building. And there is a very basic measurement method you might like. You take the barometer and begin to walk up the stairs. As you climb, you mark off lengths of the barometer along the wall. You then count the number of marks to get the height of the building in barometer units. "Of course, if you want a more sophisticated method, you can tie the barometer to the end of a string, swing it as a pendulum, and determine the value of 'g.' The height of the building can, in principle, be calculated from this. "And," he concluded, "if you don't limit me to physics solutions, you can take the barometer to the basement and knock on the superintendent's door. When he answers, you say, 'Mr. Superintendent, I have here a fine barometer. If you will tell me the height of this building, I will give you this barometer.'" Finally, he admitted that he even knew the correct textbook answer -- measuring the air pressure at the bottom and top of the building and applying the appropriate formula illustrating that pressure reduces as height increases -- but that he was so fed up with college instructors trying to teach him how to think instead of showing the structure of the subject matter, that he had decided to rebel.

When scientists consider the possible effects of global warming, there is a lot they don't know. But they can say one thing for sure: sea levels will rise… Learn more here.;

It is with deep sorrow that Huesker announces the death, today, of Ronald P. Marsh in Gastonia, North Carolina. Ron was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor in March and died early this morning at home without pain and in peace.

A proper silt fence installation is more complicated than people think," writes Tom Carpenter in Land and Water's most recent issue. The article addresses aspects of placement, quantity, installation, compaction, posting and attachment. Read it online at the link below. Learn more here.;

The Geosynthetic Materials Association (GMA) is pleased to announce that effective June 1, 2006, it has engaged Whitmer & Worrall, a Washington, DC, lobbying firm. Learn more here.;

The IFAI Bookstore is offering a giveaway on conference proceedings (Geosynthetics '95, '97, '99 and '01) in print and CD. The customer need only pay shipping and handling. Choose from any of the proceedings with a zero dollar amount (limit to one copy of each per person). Learn more here.;

Plastatech Engineering, Ltd. unveiled their revamped website featuring easy navigation, access to useful product data specifications as well as links to industry resources. The revised website can be found at: www.plastatech.com. Visitors can register on-line to receive notices of new product developments; electronic new alerts, and access technical data specifications.

The Maccaferri Group, headquartered in Bologna, Italy, has announced the acquisition of Yorkshire-based Linear Composites Ltd and sister company Epitropic Fibres Ltd. The purchase, a key element in Maccaferri’s global diversification strategy, was completed on 1 June 2006. The addition of the two companies further strengthens Maccaferri’s position as a leading company in the provision of advanced solutions in the field of civil engineering, adding to its already extensive portfolio of high quality products. Linear Composites, a manufacturer of geosynthetics and fibre reinforced products used in civil engineering, industrial and military applications, was formerly owned by JWH Group Ltd. The company acquired Epitropic Fibres in 2002 and manufactures the anti-static polyester material alongside its own geosynthetic materials. Epitropic Fibres products are used in the manufacture of dry filtration media and other niche markets where anti-static properties are required. Commenting on the acquisition, new Executive Director at Linear Composites and Epitropic Fibres and Director, International Business Development and Strategic Marketing at Maccaferri, Marco Finelli said: “We have had a worldwide distribution agreement with Linear Composites since 1996 and are very familiar with the product range. The Maccaferri Group is already successfully marketing Linear Composites geogrids alongside its own geosynthetic products for civil engineering applications and the acquisition will open up new markets for us in the military, transportation and mining industries.” “We will be able to extend Maccaferri Group’s position as a global leader in the field of civil engineering and exploit new opportunities in the industrial sector, strengthening our position in niche markets and exploring new markets with significant growth potential.” Linear Composites, originally an ICI company has been owned by JWH Group since 1989. With an average turnover of £4.5 million (pounds sterling) in the last five years, the company employs 22 in production and 10 administrative staff at its headquarters in Keighley, W Yorkshire with a subsidiary office in the USA. In addition to Paragrid, Paralink and Paradrain for civil engineering applications, the company also manufactures Parafil synthetic ropes and cables, Paraweb high strength synthetic webbing and Pararib wall lining material for the mining industry. Commercial Manager at Linear Composites, Andrew Whittam believes that the acquisition will create real opportunities for growth: “For existing customers it will be ‘business as usual’. We are keeping our company identity and familiar trade marks but are now part of a much larger organisation with ambitious plans for growth. With investment from Maccaferri we will be able to focus on expansion and tap into new global markets for our products.” The coming months will see a smooth transition towards the successful integration of Linear Composites into the Maccaferri Group. Maximising the potential synergies between the two companies will ensure steady market development, strong financial results and secure future growth.

The new low pentane expandable polystyrene, EPS, from Huntsman Corporation, contains an average of 3.6% pentane by weight so is well within the parameters of EPA's rigorous emissions standards. It also molds in a wide range of applications including insulation, roofing, geofoam and packaging. When properly molded it meets all ASTM C578 criteria at applicable densities.