Special Series

China is seen as a threat to the textile and apparel industries in the West and much of its exports are now subject to quotas. But technical textiles from the EU continue to flood unhindered into Chinese ports. In Textiles Intelligence, issue 62, 3rd quarter 2005, Robin Anson examines the forces driving China's growing hunger for technical textiles in China: A Growing Market for Western Technical Textiles? Learn more here.;

TRI has launched the development of a large-scale erosion and sediment control testing facility in the upstate of South Carolina thru an agreement with the Denver Downs Research Farm (DDRF). TRI's Southeast Area Office in Greenville, SC will manage the large-scale research and testing facility. DDRF is a 300+ acre former dairy farm that has been used for large-scale research associated with geosynthetics and erosion control materials. The research farm affords plentiful access to various sloping terrain and water from two ponds. Additionally, DDRF has numerous unused structures which are available to house covered research and testing and for material and equipment storage. Earthmoving equipment is also readily available. DDRF is located just a mile off Interstate 85 about 25 miles southeast of Greenville, in Anderson County, SC. A large selection of hotels and restaurants are available within 1 mile of the site. The facility is expected to be operational during the first quarter of 2006. Summary of Facilities - The full-scale erosion control testing facility will initially focus on the following erosion control performance tests: ASTM D 6459: Full-Scale Simulated Rainfall on 3:1 Slope with bare and RECP-protected soil* " Rainfall Intensities = 50, 100, 150 mm/hr @ 20 minutes each; " 1 control + 3 replicate slopes; " Inclined (3:1) slope, 40-ft long and 8-ft wide; " 18-inch compacted soil veneer; " Simulated rain system with 14-ft drop height & up to 6 inches/hr capacity; ASTM D 6460: Full-Scale Channel Flow with RECP-protected soil* " Shear Levels = 1, 2, 3, 4 psf @ 30 minutes each; " 3 replicate channels; " Trapezoidal cross-section with 5% slope; " Trapezoidal cross-section has 2-ft bottom and 2H:1V side-slopes; " 18-inch compacted soil veneer; " 80-ft total length: 20-ft upper transition zone + 40-ft test zone + 20-ft downstream; " Flow capacity up to 30cfs for 30 minutes = 54000 ft3 = 13,500 gpm. For more information on this new facility, please contact Joel Sprague at the "continued" link below. Learn more here.;

Pre-Registration: February 1, 2006, Hotel Reservations: Friday, January 6, 2006. ASTM has a group rate of $129. After January 6 (or earlier if the room block is filled), the hotel will only accept reservations at their regular rate of $243. Learn more here.;

Ron Bygness has been named editor of Geosynthetics (formerly GFR). Bygness, who has a master's degree in journalism from the University of Minnesota, has held previous editorial positions with Augsburg Fortress Publishers as managing editor, with Cy DeCosse Inc. as project manager, and with Minnesota Suburban Newspapers as senior managing editor. Outgoing editor, Christopher Kelsey, who has contributed to geosynthetica in many ways, is pusuing a freelance career in writing. Thank you Chris for all that you have done for the industry and welcome Ron to the world of geo! Geosynthetics is one of six magazines published by the Industrial Fabric Association International (IFAI), Roseville, MN. In addition to publishing Geosynthetics, IFAI offers event coordination, including Geosynthetics 2007 (January, Washington, D.C.) and GeoAmericas 2008 (March 2008, Cancun, Mexico).

Following clearance by the Federal Trade Commission and the European Commission, INEOS has successfully completed the purchase of Innovene, BP’s olefins, derivatives and refining subsidiary. The acquisition creates a combined business with a turnover of around $33bn. The purchase of the Innovene business for $9bn fits well with the INEOS strategy to create a petrochemical company that has the scale to compete globally, supported by a sustainable cost base. The addition of the Lavéra and Grangemouth refineries also provides significant opportunities to integrate INEOS’s existing operations with upstream raw materials. Following the completion of the deal, announced today, INEOS will begin the process of fully integrating Innovene into its organisation. The review of Innovene’s operations, products and markets, which began in October, quickly confirmed the complementary fit of the two companies, but the detailed design of the ongoing structure continues. Shortly after the completion of the deal Innovene will assume the INEOS name and be focused into product-line business entities, along similar lines to INEOS’s existing organisational model. The sale of BP’s ethylene oxide business at Köln will proceed as a separate part of the Innovene purchase, with its own separate regulatory approval. Please go to the link below to learn more about INEOS. Learn more here.;

geotechconsultant.com is a web site that contains a few articles written by David J. Kerkes along with a few design tools he has prepared, available to interested parties at no cost. Learn more here.;

Order the electronic proceedings from the NAGS / GRI-19 Cooperative Conference held in Las Vegas, NV., December 14-16, 2005. Cost of the CD is $50 US, and supplies are limited.

Following on from earlier reports, Royal Ten Cate announces that the Polyfelt acquisition process has been formally completed, thus making the takeover a reality. The approval of the competition authorities has been obtained. The acquisition involved an amount of €70 million, which has been financed from ongoing credit facilities. Ten Cate together with Polyfelt occupies a leading position on the global market for geosynthetics. Ten Cate experienced significant growth in this market in 2005, particularly in the United States. This is a growth market worldwide, especially in the field of water management and the environment. As a result of this acquisition Ten Cate will now be able to offer a wide range of products with high technology support throughout the world. Polyfelt has a sales and distribution network that is spread well geographically throughout Central and Eastern Europe and Asia, where the two organizations complement each other well. The completion is also announced of the combined sale of the Ten Cate Permess and Multistiq companies. Ten Cate Permess manufactures interlinings for ladies and men’s fashions and sells its products principally in Europe and Asia. Multistiq produces mainly self-adhesive and heat-seal base materials for labels and information carriers and supplies, among others, specialist manufacturers of label materials. The companies are well positioned to develop further independently in their specialist niche markets. Both transactions support Ten Cate’s buy-and-build strategy, which is aimed at strengthening the strategic base and the acquisition of companies within the five strategic growth cores: protective fabrics, aerospace composites, antiballistic materials, artificial grass and geosynthetics.

CONTECH Construction Products Inc. has completed the donation of its former corporate headquarters to Abilities First, a non-profit organization dedicated to serving adults and children with special needs. Pat Harlow, chairman, CEO and president of CONTECH, formally presented the deed and the keys to the two buildings at 1001 and 1009 Grove Street in Middletown to Tom Wheeler, executive director of Abilities First, at a ceremony December 8, 2005 at CONTECH’s new West Chester headquarters. “This is extremely important for Abilities First, as the services we provide and the demands on those services has increased over our 48 years of serving children and adults with disabilities,” says Wheeler. “We had some serious space problems, and this gesture affords us an opportunity to grow our services while also expanding employment in the Middletown area.” “We have a history with this organization, and we wanted to continue to assist them in providing the wonderful work they conduct,” says Harlow. “We regrettably had to relocate to our new headquarters in West Chester due to our expansion and growth needs. But we wanted to remain a part of the organization and continue to support the community we were a part of for over 100 years.” About Abilities First Abilities First is a private, community supported, non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization which provides comprehensive services to children and adults with special needs. Currently, they serve nearly 1,000 annually and expect the need for services to continually increase. For additional information about the programs and services, please call 513-423-9496 or visit www.abilitiesfirst.org. About CONTECH CONTECH is a leading civil engineering site solutions products and services company. CONTECH is the only nationwide provider of corrugated metal and plastic pipe, detention/retention systems, geogrid and geotextile materials, erosion control products, bridge structures, retaining wall systems and stormwater treatment solutions. More information on CONTECH is available at www.contech-cpi.com or telephone 800-338-1122.

WASEW Technologies and the Ethiopian Government have a new JV Geosynthetic plant starting up in January 2006 in Addis Ababa. In the last few years, Ethiopia has bought 10 to 15 million USD worth of geomembranes for agriculture. They are also buying large quantities of pipe for all applications. The new company Geosynthetic Industrial Works PLC has built a new factory with 4000 m 2 of factory and 1500 m2 of offices as stage 1 of the start of a Geosynthetics for Africa initiative. They will produce in stage 1: HDPE pipe, PVC pipe, HDPE geosynthetic netting and 25% of the plant production is smooth sheet geomembranes (most of the applications are water ponds). WASEW Technologies is the operating partner and has a large ownership position. The opening of this phase 1 plant will halt the importation of Geosynthetics into Ethiopia. Also, the new plant will employ over 100 Ethiopians. Phase 2 may have a more modern plant (three more plants are on the horizon). There will be no need to export as the plant is already sold out for the next 10 yrs with Goverment infrastructure projects. Labor costs there are less than 10% of the US. For more information on this new development, please contact Mike Mathieson at 702 353 2607.

After nearly a decade in the pipeline, an artificial surfing reef using geotextile bags at Mount Maunganui is finally taking shape… Learn more here.;

BBA Group plc (BBA) announced its intention to separate Fiberweb business from BBA. As independent entities, BBA says Aviation and Fiberweb will be better placed to pursue their individual strategies and operational development and to maximize value for shareholders. Options being reviewed are demerger or sale of Fiberweb. Additional information is at the "continued" link below. Learn more here.;

The Certified Welding Technician (CWT) Program currently has more than 355 certified welding technicians around the world. This program has grown to the point that it is viable for engineers and regulators to require IAGI certified welders on their job site. IAGI has been actively promoting the CWT Program to engineers and specifiers. Also, companies who enjoy CWTs have an IAGI brochure promoting their welders. Two additional programs, the CWT Program for Reinforced Materials and the Approved Installation Contractor Program are both finished. The first welders and companies should be announced at the GRI annual meetings.

Business spans CONTECH’s strategic growth markets: Construction Products Inc. announced today that it has finalized its acquisition of the Armortec® business of Lee Brick and Block LLC, Bowling Green, KY. Armortec is a leading provider of concrete erosion control systems. Armortec solutions are widely used in shoreline protection, bridge scour, dam overtopping and channel lining applications. “CONTECH‘s strategic growth opportunities are in the bridge and stormwater industries,” said Patrick M. Harlow, president of CONTECH. “The Armortec product line spans both of our key growth areas, enabling us to further expand our capabilities in these flourishing markets.” According to Harlow, Contech has successfully distributed Armortec’s products nationally for the last three years in a marketing venture with Lee Brick and Block. Completing the Armortec acquisition solidifies the resources necessary to improve customer service and product acceptance. It also assists CONTECH in achieving its goal of expanded participation in stormwater markets. Armortec will operate as an autonomous division of CONTECH Construction Products Inc. Lee Brick and Block will continue to be a major supplier to Armortec. This acquisition is CONTECH’s 9th major acquisition in the past six years. CONTECH has pursued its growth and diversification strategy through a series of acquisitions, primarily in the bridge and stormwater markets including: Keystone Retaining Walls, Continental Bridge, Steadfast Bridge, BEBO Concrete Arch Structures, Vortechnics Inc., Stormwater Management Inc., BridgeTek LLC and CON/SPAN Bridge Systems Ltd.

The Polymer Library is pleased to announce that CAMPUS (Computer Aided Material Preselection By Uniform Standards) datasheets are now abstracted and indexed for various plastic materials. Click ‘Free Trial Access’ on their website, found at the "continued" link below.. Learn more here.;

From PGI, PVC Geomembrane Pond Liners Support Majesty of New Water Feature-Filled Golfing Community.

Dear colleagues: In the coming months and years there is no doubt that some, perhaps many, of us will be called upon to provide our knowledge and abilities to reconstruction after the devastating natural disasters of recent weeks. Flood-control levees are likely to be high on the list of geotechnical structures requiring attention. With that in mind, over the last few days I created a webpage to synthesize some potentially useful information on this topic that I have acquired over the last almost 20 years. I am pleased to share this information with you to use as you may see fit in the future. Please feel free to circulate the URL below without restriction to anyone you think may have an interest in it. Hopefully the time may be right to look for solutions outside of the proverbial box when it comes to levee structures which, as we have learned the hard way, are critical to society. - John S. Horvath Learn more here.;

From PGI, PVC Geomembrane Pond Liners Support Majesty of New Water Feature-Filled Golfing Community.

A reminder to geosynthetic manufacturers, installers, distributors, test labs and consultants: The 2006 GFR Specifier's Guide deadline is October 19. For more information or to be listed in the directory, contact the editor at gfr@ifai.com, +1 651 225 6988. Learn more here.;

Improved Economy: Geosynthetics vs Traditional Materials, The Impact of Rising Diesel Costs on Construction Material Selection, written by Elizabeth Peggs, geosynthetica.net.

Multiple resin price increases will result in an estimated total increase of $0.32/lb between September 1 and November 1, 2005.

gsa Underwriters BBA Fiberweb and Colbond have maintained their positions in the Top 40 leading nonwovens producers in the world. BBA ranked number 4 with last year's sales reaching 1 billion and Colbond kept position number 8 with 265 million. Congratulations! See the article containing the full list by clicking the "continued" link below. Learn more here.;

The registration information and preliminary program for the ASTM Workshop Hydraulic Applications in Geosynthetics, November 2, 2005, held at ASTM Headquarters is accessible at the "continued" link below. Learn more here.;

AMCOL International Corporation announced last month that test results of recently discovered anti-viral properties of nano bentonites will be jointly presented with Retroscreen Virology Ltd., a London-based research and testing facility. In this study, laboratory tests have demonstrated that HIV, Human Flu and Avian Flu viruses can be inactivated using specially modified bentonites. Additional tests will be conducted with other viruses. Jerry Darlington, AMCOL technical director and Charlotte Chan, Research Scientist, will be presenting the results at a poster session being held today and tomorrow at the Second European Influenza Conference in Malta. Scientists, health care professionals and government representatives attend the Conference with the goal of combating the influenza epidemic. Dr. John Oxford, Retroscreen scientific director and Professor of Virology at Queen Mary 's School of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of London, is a co-organizer of this conference. The poster entitled, “Evaluation of the antiviral activity of different modifications of nano-bentonite clay against the Human Influenza (H3N2) Virus, Avian Influenza (H5N1) Virus and the Human Immunodeficiency Virus” outlines reduction in viral activity of selected viruses from AMCOL modified bentonites. Certain products are available in commercial quantities pending regulatory reviews, and patents have been applied for. No animal or human testing has been conducted. The poster can be viewed at the "continued" link below. Larry Washow, AMCOL president and chief executive officer, said, “The data from this testing provided clinical validation that nano-bentonites have the ability to inactivate a number of viruses. This is a very important development in our continuing work with nano-bentonites, a completely new direction in the evolving field of nano-material use in health-related applications. It will take quite some time to see these products reach the marketplace as further work will be required on these initial lab tests.” Learn more here.;

The joint NAGS/GRI-19 conference in Las Vegas, NV., has finalized its conference program. Please book soon to obtain conference rates at the Flamingo Hotel.