Special Series

Two thoughts on training and recognition of skills: Encourage your firm’s top people to work towards getting their own skills and experience formally “certified” or formalised – if they are not already – as a sign for your entire staff that yours is a “training friendly” culture, and sign up one or more trainees/apprentices. I know of no better way to solve the skills shortage that exists almost everywhere. Let’s all invest in our industry’s future! - Max Brady

I-CORP INTERNATIONAL has been awarded R&D funding by USEPA to further assess the potential of infrared thermography for the nondestructive measurement of HDPE geomembrane seam strength.

The newsletter is now available on geosynthetica. Includes information on Gast, a lined residue disposal facility, geogrids and trackbed maintenance, a tailings facility in Saudi Arabia, an Engineered Linings installation in Tajikistan, wastewater treatment and Kaytech geogrids, and a call for nominations for the IGS Student Awards Learn more here.;

Waterford News and Star - "FLI Environmental, the Waterford-based environmental solutions provider, has acquired the UK land reclamation and remediation company Vertase, for €5 million, making the Irish company one of the major providers of environmental services in the Irish, British and European markets." Learn more here.;

Arcapita Inc. plans to acquire The Tensar Corp. from KRG Capital Partners for $385 million. The deal is expected to close by the end of October. Atlanta-based Arcapita, formerly Crescent Capital Investments Inc., is a global investment group that owns Loehmann's Holdings Inc., Church's Chicken and Cypress Communications. Learn more here.;

Kota Kinabalu: Knowledge of geosynthetics is so limited in Sabah that most of the engineers don't even know how to use it, a press conference was told Monday. Council member of the Malaysian Geosynthetics Industry (MGS), Vincent H.K.Tan from Sabah said the application of geosynthetic products in civil engineering projects is not a new concept as it was started in Europe in the mid sixties. "Geosynthetic materials have been widely used in civil engineering projects, especially in developed countries since the eighties. In Malaysia, engineers and those in construction and development-related industries have also increasingly recommended the use of these products in projects. "Although the geosynthetics industry has been maturing over the last 20 years, its products are not extensively used in the State… Learn more here.;

The ASTM Committee Week scheduled February 5-10, 2006 has been relocated from New Orleans to Phoenix over the same dates. This meeting will be held at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix (downtown) and the ASTM group rate will be $129 single or double. The complete meeting notice will be available approximately 12 weeks prior to the meeting dates. We are deeply saddened over the loss of life and the great city of New Orleans due to hurricane Katrina. The Hyatt Regency New Orleans will not be able to accept groups at the very least through March 31, 2006 and quite possibly until 2007. Thank you for understanding the necessity of moving this meeting.

D35 Chairman, Sam Allen, is asking for support and participation in the ISO TC 221 meeting on geosynthetics at ASTM headquarters.

J. Roberto Montalvo has left Propex to join with Strata Systems. His new contact information will be forthcoming soon. gsa wishes Roberto good fortune in his new position.

The topic is as follows: “Combating Terrorism Using Geosynthetics.” In this regard, we will pursue the following steps. 1. Have a worldwide call-for-titles/abstracts which is the purpose of this announcement. 2. Hold a workshop at GSI in Philadelphia this winter (sometime in February, 2006). The length will depend on the number of topics presented. 3. The workshop will provide input by all in attendance to each of the authors for them to further develop their respective topics. 4. Assemble a program for our subsequent GRI-20 Conference to be held January 16–19, 2007, Washington Hilton and Towers, Washington, D.C. The call-for-titles/abstracts is open for nonmembers and members of GSI, and indeed for people who have only a casual familiarity of geosynthetics, as well as experts in all areas of geosynthetics. Importantly, the intellectual property rights of all authors will remain with them for their further development beyond the workshop and conference. Please send your ideas (in no particular format) as soon as possible to us via Marilyn Ashley at the link below and we will keep you informed periodically of our progress in this regard. Thank you in advance. - Bob Koerner, George Koerner and Grace Hsuan Learn more here.;

Due to the destruction from hurricane Katrina it is necessary to relocate our 2006 January-February Committee Week in New Orleans. We are actively researching alternate locations and already have some possibilities. As soon as we determine and confirm the new location, the information will be posted on our website (see link below) and a notice sent to the committee members. Our heartfelt sympathy is extended to everyone affected by this devastating loss. Thank you for your understanding and patience, and rest assured we are committed to obtain a place to hold our meeting. - Betty Schultz, Director of Meetings Learn more here.;

A MESSAGE FROM ASDSO: "Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of Hurricane Katrina and the courageous volunteers who are involved in search and rescue missions this week. We have received many calls about the status of Dam Safety 2005. The meeting managers at the Sheraton New Orleans have told us that damage to the hotel is initially reported as moderate. However, a final assessment cannot be made for several days. ASDSO is developing contingency plans in case the conference must be cancelled or postponed. Our first priority will be to find an alternate location that will accommodate us on the same dates (Sept. 25- 29). AN ANNOUNCEMENT WILL BE EMAILED to all ASDSO conference participants as soon as possible, and daily updates will be posted on the ASDSO website, www.damsafety.org. We expect to make a final decision by next Tuesday, Sept. 6. Please continue to send in registration forms. If you have not yet made airline reservations, we suggest waiting a few days. If you have made airline reservations, please contact your airline for information on how to change your destination or travel dates. Thank you for your patience, and we hope to see you at Dam Safety 2005." Learn more here.;

Geosynthetic manufacturers, installers, distributors and designers can lend a great deal of immediate and long-range relief support for the states suffering from Hurricane Katrina. Potable water storage and transport tanks, geotextile tubes for flood defense during pumping operations, and geosynthetic reinforcement for temporary structural support of roads and buildings are just a few suggestions…

CETCO, manufacturer of environmental products, announces the creation of CETCO Construction Services Company. This new organization will provide installation services of various civil engineering and construction waterproofing products. The group will be headquartered in the Philadelphia, Pa. area and will focus on business development opportunities in the Mid-Atlantic States. Further, in an effort to offer a wider range of products, CETCO Construction Services Company has acquired Intergeo Services, a Huntingdon Valley, Pa. company. This company provides established expertise in the areas of geosynthetic installation, leak location surveys, soil reinforcement, erosion control, and stormwater management solutions. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Ryan McKendrick, CETCO president stated, “Strategic growth plans for the company include the promotion of innovative new products. We feel that by providing expertise in the use of these products we can increase their acceptance in the market”. Archie Filshill will join CETCO Construction Services Company as general manager. Filshill brings to the position a wealth of knowledge and expertise with over 16 years experience in the geosynthetics industry. CETCO is a wholly-owned subsidiary of AMCOL International Corp. which supplies environmental products and technical expertise to a wide range of highly specialized markets, including wastewater treatment, lining technologies, drilling products and building materials that serve as waterproofing agents.

GenFlex/Omnova Solutions, has a patent pending method for manufacturing unsupported 25-foot wide PVC geomembrane. This product is produced in roll form and deployed similarly to wide-width HDPE materials. The roll length can be up to 1000 feet and is coated on one side with a release liner. The seam edge of this release liner is pre-cut 8-10” in from the PVC membrane’s edge so that it can be removed just prior to seaming.

CETCO owner, AMCOL International Corp., has announced that its directors have declared a regular quarterly dividend of ten cents, payable Sept.13, 2005, to shareholders of record on Aug. 26, 2005.

Gundle/SLT Environmental, Inc. (GSE) reports a net income of $1.0 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2005, compared with a net loss of $2.1 million, on a combined basis, for the comparable period in 2004. Net loss for the first half of 2005 was $3.8 million, compared to $4.4 million for the first six months of 2004. Learn more here.;

International Newsletters Ltd, publisher of Advances in Textiles Technology, is about to publish a market survey about smart and interactive textiles. The report answers the following questions: Who has developed smart textiles technology and why; Which segments face significant technology roadblocks and/or the continuing problem of relating the incremental cost of the new technologies to the value of the derived benefit to the end-user; Why have developments by small companies failed to flourish; Which smart textile products have been successfully introduced and in which applications; Which segments have potential and where is this potential beginning to be realised; Where do attractive opportunities exist for companies to exploit this potential. An exciting area for the future of the technical textile industry, this concise survey will prove a useful guide to the current state of play. For more information, please go to the "continued" link below. Learn more here.;

This annual guide lists nearly every supplier and producer of nonwovens around the globe in one comprehensive listing. This guide is divided into six sections: machinery and equipment suppliers, raw material producers, roll goods manufacturers, contract services, consultants and trade associations. Additionally a cross reference section organized alphabetically is provided at the end of the machinery and equipment, raw materials, roll goods and contract services sections. Learn more here.;

Saginaw, MI – PlastaFlex™ PW Potable Water Geomembrane has obtained approval from the National Sanitation Foundation for use in tanks as small as 100 gallons. PlastaFlex PW meets NSF 61 drinking water system components standards. The membrane is listed for use as a tank liner, storage tank/reservoir, or liner. The membrane is also approved for use as a pipe liner in pipes greater than 16” diameter. The durable geomembrane has been specially formulated to meet the stringent physical property, layflat, and squareness needs found in reservoir, cistern, city water tank, and drinking water vessel applications.

NAUE has issued a number of project videos which demonstrate the applications of geosynthetics. The videos allow a real insight into the world of geosynthetics produced by NAUE. If you are interested in a demonstration, please address your requests to Ms. Walz, tel: +49 (0) 57 43/41 - 5 70, fax: +49 (0) 57 43/41 - 2 94 or email at the link below. Learn more here.;

Gundle/SLT Environmental, Inc. (GSE), will release its second quarter 2005 financial and operating results on Monday, August 1, 2005. The company will host a conference call August 2, 2005, at 10:00am (ET). This call will discuss results of operations for the first six months of 2005 and answer questions from participants. Note holders may join the conference call by dialing 1.800.946.0712 or, if calling from outside the United States 719.457.2641, and enter conference ID# 5706444. The conference call will also be broadcast live over the Internet. To access the webcast, go to the GSE Web site at www.gseworld.com and select "Events and Webcasts" in the "Investor Relations" section. Please log on to the Web site at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the call to register and to download and install any necessary audio software. If you are unable to participate in the live call, the webcast of the conference call will be available at the Web site listed above following the event and will be available until the close of business August 31, 2005. Contact: Kelvin R. Collard (281) 230-2512 Learn more here.;

Tensar International, specialists in ground stabilisation and soil reinforcement solutions, is meeting continued demand from the civil engineering sector by buying out the £15 million manufacturing unit in China it had set up as a joint venture. Jim Paul, Chief Executive of Tensar International commented: “2004/2005 saw record volume sales from our Shadsworth factory in Blackburn, and demand has continued in 2005 well above forecast levels. This has put enormous pressure on the factory, and on delivery times. “To alleviate this, we have completed the full purchase of the plant in Hubei Province, China, that we had been developing as a joint venture with our Chinese partner to supply the rapidly growing national market. This will give us an immediate 40% increase in production capacity after start up at the end of July. Once full production volume is achieved, we will more than double our current capacity." “With our UK investors – 3i and Electra – we agreed to buy out our Chinese partners, so we now have the freedom to develop the plant and to supply areas outside China. Full Tensar ownership also means we can guarantee the same quality, inspection and control standards that our customers expect world wide. With many important and well publicised infrastructure projects in China in the next 4 to 10 years, as well as the Asia Pacific region in general, having the production capacity available locally will be highly advantageous.”

NAUE is proud to announce their latest product - Carbofol MegaFriction. Please visit NAUE's website through the link below for more… Learn more here.;

Calling all designers, consultants, manufacturers, distributors and installers! The editors of GFR Engineering Solutions invite project synopses from the readership to showcase in the October/November 2005 issue. As many companies are currently in a very busy work period, the magazine staff can provide the writing. However, the editors need contacts for brief interviews and image acquisition (e.g., site photographs, design drawings). If firms have time and prefer to do the initial writing themselves, the magazine welcomes 500 to 1000 word submissions with accompanying image support. Deadline: August 18. Information the magazine seeks: Project type and location, materials used, size of installation, key partners, advantages to/benefits of the design, relevant installation details, and any additional items of note. For example, a project may be part of a long-term redevelopment strategy for the county; or the project is the first of its kind in the region; etc. Contact Chris Kelsey, editor, at +1 651 225 6988, e-mail gfr@ifai.com. Learn more here.;