Special Series

Marc S. Theisen, formerly the Director of Business Development of SI Geosolutions, has over 20 years of experience in geosynthetics and erosion control and is a Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control (CPESC). He is Chairman of the Erosion Control Technology Council (ECTC), a Directing member of the Geosynthetics Institute (GSI), and is a member and formerly served as Technical Vice President of the International Erosion Control Association (IECA). For those of you looking to contact Marc at his new venture,The Erosion Control Alliance, he can be reached at 3118 Bee Tree Lane, Signal Mountain, TN 37377 Phone: 423-605-5251 Fax: 423-886-9859 e-mail: marcmel@bellsouth.net.

GFR magazine has added three members to its International Technical Advisory Committee: Mark E. Smith, Vector Engineering, Peru; Oscar R. Couttelanc, Geosynthetic Materials Association (GMA), Mexico; Dr. Han-Yong Jeon, Chonnam National University, Korea. For more information, contact GFR

GFR magazine, published by the Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI), has featured a "Designer's Forum" column since 1997. Throughout, the articles have been moderated by--and generally authored by--Greg Richardson, Ph.D., P.E., of the North Carolina-based firm G.N. Richardson and Associates (www.gnra.com), often with co-author support from consultants, manufacturers, installers and other site-experienced professionals. The IFAI Bookstore has compiled 50 Designer's Forum articles in a single volume available for purchase. The black-and-white booklet, GFR's Designer's Forum 1997-2003, has been broken into various application- and material-based sections: 1) Covers and Caps 2) Drainage 3) Geosynthetic Clay Liners 4) Geotextile Tubes 5) Landfills 6) Miscellaneous (e.g., tank lining, gas transmission in geocomposite systems, interface shear strength) 7) Roadways 8) Surface Impoundment. For more information, please contact Barbara Connett, IFAI Bookstore, 1801 County Rd. B West, Roseville, MN 55113-4061; +1 651/225-6913, fax +1 651/631-9334, e-mail bjconnett@ifai.com, Web site www.bookstore.ifai.com.

Written by Dr. Robert M. Koerner, Director, Geosynthetic Institute, the conference review of GRI-17 in Las Vegas, Nevada, is included in the December GSI Newsletter/Report. Learn more here.;

Dave Wyant used to work for the Virginia Transportation Research Council. He is a past chairperson of D35 (1995-1997), preceding David Suits' second six year stint as chair. While working for the VRC he was a college football official, and while still working at VRC was invited to become a NFL Official. He works as a side judge , and wears number 16. He officiated at the recent New England Patriot/Indiana Colts Championship game. He continued to work at the VRC for several years until retiring 4-5 years ago. He has been an NFL official for over 10 years.

On January 13, 2004 Jeff PanKonie was named the Senior Sales Engineer for Specialty Products Department at Firestone BP. Jeff PanKonie has worked for Firestone Building Products for 15 years in various positions. Previous to his new move, he was the Technical Coordinator for Eastern Sales Region, Senior Engineer for Tapered Insulation Department, Senior Engineer for the Marketing Department, where he was the technical liaison between the Marketing Department and the Technology Department. When he first came to Firestone he worked on the task force to rewrite the Firestone Technical Specification Manuals. He was also involved in the creation and review of many of the technical literature that Firestone has available including the Sweets Brochures. Prior to coming to Firestone he worked for approximately five years as a designer and project manager for United Consulting Engineers, Inc. in Indianapolis. He has an engineering degree from Purdue University.

The still-unopened Central Maui Landfill Phase IV-A has leaky liners, an inadequate operations layer and a vastly overdesigned leachate collection system. Learn more here.;

The International Association of Geosynthetic Installers (IAGI), a group of geosynthetic installers dedicated to raising the professionalism of the industry, announces its Board of Directors for 2004-2005. The following individuals were elected to serve on the board: Carl Apicella, American Environmental Group LTD, Brian McKeown, Clean Air and Water Services, “Demo” Dave McLaury, DEMTECH Services, Inc., Dennis O’Brien, MPC Containment Systems, Inc., John K. “Robbie” Robinson, Engineered Textile Products, Anne Steacy, Poly-Flex Construction, William Steinke, Steel Dragon Enterprise Co. Ltd., Lee Taylor, Taylor Geosynthetics. Mr. Robinson will serve as President, Mr. O'Brien will serve as 1st Vice President, Mr. Taylor will serve as 2nd Vice President and Ms. Steacy will serve as Treasurer. Robert Haddox, PLS Construction Services Inc., will continue to serve on the Board as Immediate Past President. Haddox commented, "it has been a pleasure to work for the IAGI organization. IAGI has accomplished many things and the new Board of Directors is planning several new initiatives. Look for more good things from this group." The International Association of Geosynthetic Installers (IAGI) strives to provide a forum for geosynthetic installers to advance installation and construction techniques as well as to strengthen the knowledge, image and communication within the industry.

Who say measurements of shear and peel strengths provide no useful information? At a recent meeting Rick Thiel (Thiel Engineering) informed Ian Peggs (I-CORP) that he had started using and specifying only peel separation and shear elongation in geomembrane seam CQA tests, as proposed by Peggs for a number of years. Thiel agrees that measurements of shear and peel strengths provide no useful information. Peggs has shown (EuroGeo 1) that when weld efficiencies exceed only 8% for 1 mm geomembranes and only about 18% for 2.5 mm geomembranes the weld interface cannot be challenged since failure always occurs prematurely in the single thickness of geomembrane at the edge of the weld, due to its relatively low cross sectional area.

The Awards are designed to acknowledge excellence in innovative and integrative green roof design and to raise awareness of the multiple benefits that green roofs can provide clients and the general public. Last year’s six award winners included: Number 10 Architects; William McDonough + Partners; Olin Partnership; Katrin Scholz-Barth Consulting; Buettner and Associates; and the Conservation Design Forum. Under the direction of the six-member, multi-disciplinary judging team, this year’s awards include a number of changes designed to improve the detailed evaluation and comparison of projects. The contest was very close last year so a thorough completion of the project descrption below should be undertaken. Contest officially opens January 15, 2004. Submissions will be accepted until March 31st, midnight, Eastern Standard Time. Submissions must be received by courier or mail by that date. Judging will take place in April and the six winning submissions will be notified by April 30, 2004. In early May, project details will be reviewed with winning applicants to prepare print and electronic promotional materials. Awards will be presented during the Gala Awards Dinner in Portland, Oregon at the Greening Rooftops for Sustainable Communities, Conference, Awards and Trade Show on June 3, 2004. News releases will be sent out to national and international media beginning June 3, 2004.

Three companies have recently joined the Geosynthetic Materials Association's (GMA) Mexico chapter: 1) Promotora Mexicana de Industrias, S.A. de C.V 2) Inarmex 3) Maccaferri de Mexico S.A de C.V. For more information on GMA membership and activities, contact Danette Halloran, Managing Director, Geosynthetic Materials Association, 1801 County Rd. B West, Roseville, MN 55113-4061; +1 651/225-6942, fax +1 651/631-9334, e-mail dfhalloran@ifai.com, Web site www.gmanow.com.

Read the first issue of IGS-Thailand Newsletter for 2004.

HOUSTON, Jan. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Gundle/SLT Environmental, Inc. (NYSE: GSE), announced today that GSE, its directors, and a prospective buyer of GSE have been named in a putative class action styled Twist Partners LLP v. Samir T. Badawi, et al, which was filed yesterday in the Delaware Chancery Court in Wilmington. The complaint alleges that the GSE board breached its fiduciary duty by authorizing the merger of GSE with an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Code Hennessy & Simmons LLC ("CHS"). The complaint seeks to enjoin the merger, to rescind it if approved by stockholders and consummated, and to obtain unspecified damages from the defendants. According to GSE spokesman Roger Klatt, "GSE and its directors believe this suit to be frivolous, intend to deny all the plaintiff's substantive allegations, and to vigorously defend the litigation." SOURCE Gundle/SLT Environmental, Inc.

Mo Gabr is the newly appointed chair of the Geo-Institute's Geosynthetics Committee. He would like to take this opportunity to thank John Bowders, the outgoing chair, for his dedication and leadership over the past six years. If you would like to learn about the committee scope, vision, and mission of the Geosynthetics Committee, please click on the "continued" link below to visit the web site. The site is maintained by John Bowders and updating it is a part of the committee's activities. At present the Committee is focusing on the following: 1) GeoSupport (Orlando, Jan 2004): Mo Gabr will be attending the TCC workshop for chairs. He will learn about "new TCC initiatives on Traveling Short Courses for Sections and Branches and Web-inars (Web Seminars) and new procedures for Committee annual reports and assessment of Committee performance." 2) GeoTrans (Los Angeles, July 2004): The Committee has enough papers for a session on walls. Professor Yegian is the contact for coordinating paper reviews and moderation of the session. 3) GeoFrontiers (Austin, Jan. 2005): John Bowden will be providing updates. 4) The GI is developing a "speakers' bureau" to provide members of the GI, including local Sections and Branches, with a database of GI members who are willing to make presentations on Geotechnical topics. If you have a presentation that may be of interest to GI members, please add it to the GI database at http://www.geoinstitute.org/speaker/locate.cfm . They need Geosynthetics topics! The following is Mo's biography: Mohamed A. Gabr, P.E. is a professor at North Carolina State University, Raleigh. Mo Gabr's research program addresses the innovative applications of geosynthetics for environmental soil remediation and soil improvement, and the behavior of foundation in residual profiles. He has worked in different capacities at the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, Woodward Clyde Consultants, West Virginia University (WVU), and Army Corps of Engineer Waterways Experiment Station. He served as vice chair of ASCE national committee on geosynthetics, and as the chair of Transportation Research Board national committee on Physicochemical Properties of Soils from 1998-2003. He also serves as editorial board member of ASCE Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering and the ASTM Geotechnical Testing Journal. He has received several national recognitions including ASCE Edmund Freidman Professional Recognition award as well as being named WV young civil engineer of the year in 1996. In addition, he received the 1993-94 Outstanding College Researcher award, and 1995-1996 outstanding Teacher Award from the College of Engineering and Mineral Resources (CEMR) at WVU. He was elected Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) in 2000. His e-mail address is gabr@eos.ncsu.edu. Learn more here.;

State environmental officials had reported finding several violations at the Monroe County landfill before a fire erupted there this month, even raising the possibility of not renewing its license. Heat generated by decomposing trash was the suspected cause of the fire that began Jan. 9 and continued smoldering Monday, said landfill director Tobias Schroeder. Most of the fire has been extinguished, but test wells were being drilled to determine the severity of the remaining fire, he said. "So far the indications are that the underground smoldering is very localized," Schroeder said. "We're guessing that another four or five days we'll have the fire completely extinguished." Crews were working this week to repair the landfill's liner, which is intended to prevent waste from contaminating groundwater, so Monroe County officials could seek permission from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to reopen the landfill, he said. Even before the fire, the landfill had come under criticism from IDEM inspectors. A letter from the agency this month to landfill officials cited several concerns with the facility's operation, including the control and collection of arsenic and other runoff from the landfill. "I am very concerned with the pending renewal of the permit for this site, as continuing significant violations (are) always a factor in the review of renewals," wrote Bruce Palin of IDEM's Office of Land Quality. Schroeder, who has been on the job only a few months, said the landfill's problems go back many years and that many corrections were overdue. "I wouldn't try to make an excuse for it," he said. "It's been too long." Schroeder said a landfill consultant suspects the fire was caused by a combination of the buried trash igniting and being sustained by higher oxygen levels. Schroeder said the consultant explained to landfill personnel that in extreme cold, the exchange of oxygen increases through a landfill's layers between the frigid air at the surface and the heat generated by decomposing trash. "Actually, most landfill fires are in winter," Schroeder said. - Associated Press. To read part 1 of this news story, go to https://www.geosynthetica.net/news.asp?search_key2=n414, and for part 2, go to https://www.geosynthetica.net/news.asp?search_key2=n418.

International e-Conference on Modern Trends in Foundation Engineering - Geotechnical Challenges and Solutions. January 26 - 30, 2004 Hosted by the Geotechnical Engineering Division Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras, Chennai, India. Coordinators are Prof. K. Rajagopal and Prof. Nainan P. Kurian. "We are pleased to inform you that we have by now received 50 papers running to 526 pages. As on date this site has also received 1536 hits. Being perhaps the first International e-Conference in our field, we consider it as no mean achievement. As you would agree, no conference is complete without discussions on the papers and the authors’ replies. Indeed the papers were open for discussion at an international level from the time they were launched on our conference website. In order to make this forum active, however, we have now created two Buttons, Discussion and Author’s reply, to enable online submission of both. For the convenience of those taking part in the discussion and for the authors to enter their replies we have created two Templates which will open out when the respective buttons are clicked. On receipt of the discussion we will place them at the foot of the corresponding paper on the website and also forward the matter to the author (s) for the reply. On receipt of the reply we will place them at the foot of the discussion under the corresponding paper, besides forwarding it to the discusser. As a leading and active member of the geotechnical community, we request you to browse our web site and send us your valuable comments on the papers relevant to your area of interest. You will be glad to know that your discussions and replies will be featured when the proceedings of the conference are printed. We are now awaiting your discussions." Modern day foundation engineering is emerging as a technology-driven subject. A humble medium such as the thin drilling mud, which has enhanced the scope of foundation construction ever since the feasibility of the technique was established, is perhaps the most telling example of this truism. This is not to speak of geosynthetics -- available in a large varieties and forms -- which have virtually revolutionized the practice of earthwork and foundation engineering in recent times. To this may be added the use of shells, prestressing, etc., in foundations, which have added exciting dimensions to modern foundation engineering practice. Indeed the focus of the conference is the new techniques and technologies which have contributed to advancing the frontiers of geotechnical engineering practice the world over. Our aim is to go beyond the narrow academic confines and reach out to a wider section of the profession in a manner they would find participation in the conference more meaningful and productive in their own fields of endeavours. Please visit the conference web site and participate.

AccuGeo, based in Bakersfield, California, has moved to a larger facility. "We will now be able to increase our production of pond liners, reduce costs and carry larger inventories of all geomembrane and geotextile products and accessories. We have the capacity to manufacture projects of any size. No project is too big or too small. Our new location has easy access to Highway 58 and Highway 99 in Bakersfield, CA. Our new address is: AccuGeo Liner, Inc., 321 Industrial Street, Bakersfield, CA 93307. Our mailing address, phone and fax will remail the same: AccuGeo Liner, Inc., PO Box 70146, Bakersfield, CA 93387-0146. Phone: 661-321-0447 or toll free 800-955-4637 Fax: 661-321-0449. We will continue to provide a number of lining materials, including but not limited to :PVC, HDPE, Polypropylene, Urethane coated fabrics, Hypalon, XR-5, Coolguard-HR, Geo-grids, Geotextiles, adhesives, and pond construction accessories. AccuGeo Liner, Inc. has built a solid reputation for quality and service. We look forward to continuing this good reputation as we grow and expand."

The following meetings scheduled for Thursday January 15, 2004 in Tampa, FL have been cancelled: D35.01 Connection Strength 10:30am - 11:00am D35.01 Segmental Block Shear 5:00pm - 5:30pm D35.02 Air-Oven Aging GM 1:30pm - 2:30pm D35.10 GM Ultra Sonic Testing 1:00pm - 1:30pm Please see the meeting board at the hotel for any additional changes to the schedule. Learn more here.;

The following meetings scheduled for the ASTM D35 Meetings in Tampa, FL. On Thursday, January 15th have been cancelled: Connection Strength 10:30am-11:00am Segmental Block Shear 5:00pm-5:30pm

GMA is working on a new strategic plan. The GMA Executive Council will meet in February to review the results of the survey currently in circulation and will develop a new plan from the results. The new strategic plan will be discussed at a GMA General Assembly (TBA).

"The downsizing of technical staff at many companies in recent years has caused a shortage of in-house technical marketing support. I hope to be of assistance to these companies as a consultant, assisting them with technical needs on an as needed basis. Scope of assistance may include development of small, collateral literature, and range to complete new market and product development projects to field assistance on critical geosynthetic projects Finally, technical training of in-house and distribution personnel is offered." - John Paulson, P.E. After 5 years with Strata Systems, Inc. John joined Anchor Wall Systems, where he was VP of Engineered Wall Products and Services. He has most recently decided to embark on a new venture as an independent consultant to the geosynthetic and retaining wall community. John has over 20 years experience in reinforced soil structures, having provided technical and marketing support for some of the larger manufacturers of geosynthetics in the US. The focus of his new venture will be on technical marketing assistance to the industry. John continues to reside in Atlanta area, and may be reached at 770-851-6090, or jnptut@aol.com.

HOUSTON, Dec. 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Gundle/SLT Environmental, Inc. (NYSE: GSE), a leading global provider of geosynthetic lining solutions, products and services, and GEO Holdings Corp., a newly formed entity indirectly controlled by Code Hennessy & Simmons LLC (CHS), jointly announced today they have entered into a merger agreement under which all publicly traded shares of GSE's common stock are to be converted into cash at the rate of $18.50 per share. Upon completion of the merger, GSE will be wholly owned by CHS. Samir Badawi, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GSE said, "We are pleased about joining the CHS organization. We are looking forward to working with CHS and exploring additional opportunities to enhance our growth. This agreement is the result of a thorough examination of the Company's various strategic alternatives. While we will have a new owner, our business commitments will continue as usual to satisfy our customer needs, our staff development and our relations with our suppliers." "As a global leader in the geosynthetic lining solutions industry, Gundle/SLT Environmental provides an excellent investment platform for CHS," said Dan Hennessy, Partner at Code Hennessy & Simmons. "The Company's success is built upon a foundation of technical innovation and outstanding customer service all overseen by a world-class management team. We are very pleased and excited to have the opportunity to work with the entire GSE team to build and grow the business through investments in new products and new markets." Under the merger agreement, certain GSE executives will enter into new employment contracts with GSE upon completion of the merger. A portion of their outstanding options to acquire shares of GSE's common stock will be converted into options to purchase shares of GEO Holdings Corp. estimated to represent approximately 8% of GSE's post-merger fully diluted shares. All other outstanding options to purchase GSE common stock will be converted in the merger into cash in an amount equal to the per share "in the money" value of each option. Consummation of the merger is subject to the conclusion of certain financing arrangements by CHS, to any necessary antitrust clearances under federal and foreign laws, approval of the merger by the shareholders of GSE and to other customary conditions. The boards of both companies have previously unanimously approved the merger agreement and the proposed merger. Wembley, Ltd., the holder of approximately 40% of GSE's outstanding common stock has entered into a voting agreement with CHS agreeing to support the proposed merger and to vote for it. Harris, Williams & Co. served as financial advisor to the Company in this transaction. Gundle/SLT Environmental, Inc. headquartered in Houston, is a global manufacturer and marketer of geosynthetic lining solutions, products and services used in the containment and management of solids, liquids and gases for organizations engaged in waste management, mining, water and wastewater treatment, and aquaculture. Additional information is available at www.gseworld.com . Founded in 1988, Code Hennessy & Simmons LLC is a private equity firm that manages approximately $1.5 billion in capital in four funds. CHS focuses on building shareholder value in middle-market manufacturing, distribution and service companies through strong relationships with management teams and sound investment strategies. Additional information is available at www.chsonline.com . SOURCE Gundle/SLT Environmental, Inc.

In addition to its nearly 100 approved standards, ASTM Committee D35 on Geosynthetics is proposing a Specification for Geosynthetic Alternate Daily Covers to evaluate products that cover landfills. Learn more here.;

ASTM Subcommittee D35.10 on Geomembranes in ASTM Committee D35 on Geosynthetics is developing Standard Test Methods for Strip and Grab Tensile Properties of Reinforced Geomembranes as quality tests of materials that line or cover landfills. Learn more here.;

A warning about fire insurance and salvaging. At 3:00 AM on 11/06/03, our branch manager received a call that our Texas laboratory was on fire. Upon arriving at the facility, he found the fire department had brought the fire under control. They had also taken extra efforts to cover key equipment to limit water damage. At daybreak the insurance adjustor arrived along with fire investigators and salvage people.