Transportation

Checkmate Geosynthetics Inc. is pleased to launch the Trigrid EX bi-axial geogrid range in addition to the existing Checkmate's product line in North America. Trigrid EX biaxial geogrids are manufactured by Samyang Corporation Korea and represented on Exclusive basis by Checkmate in North America. Checkmate will also provide the comprehensive technical and design support to the customers. Read more in the release.

Western Excelsior is celebrating its 40th anniversary in dramatic fashion. The company has entered into an agreement to acquire the 32-year-old company North American Green as of March...

At the recent 9th International Conference on Geosynthetics (9th ICG) held in Guarujá Brazil the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) Council marked the beginning of a new Council term. At the General Assembly the officers and council members elected to serve for the 2010-2014 term were announced and officially took office.

As hearings continued through September 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) seeks comments regarding the regulation of coal ash containment sites. The Geosynthetic Materials Association (GMA) was among the first in line to address the issue Aug. 30 at the initial hearing in Arlington, Va. Read more, including remarks from GMA Members. Learn more here.;

The 5th European Conference on Geosynthetics (EuroGeo 5) will be held 16-19 September 2012 in Valencia, Spain. The Spanish Chapter of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) will organize it, and the event will be held under the auspices of the IGS. Authors interested in presenting a paper at the Conference must provide an abstract before 31 October 2011, addressed to the Conference Secretariat, through the Conference website. Abstracts received by fax or mail will not be considered. Abstracts must be written in either English or Spanish. Visit the abstracts submission page on the conference website. Learn more here.;

Cliff Hall and David Cashman of Tensar International Ltd. have released a white paper, "Plotting the Road Map for Performance Specifications." Slowly but surely, specification by performance is becoming a more accepted method for construction by highways agencies both in the UK and internationally. The results promise much needed innovation and significant economic and environmental benefits. But how should contractors and suppliers be adapting to changing client demands? Tracing the route of changing specification practice tells us that reliance on laboratory-based testing of materials cannot show how materials perform under real life site conditions.

The 3rd Pan-American Conference on Geosynthetics (GeoAmericas 2016) convenes in Miami, Florida April 10 – 13 at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel. This is the first time the event...

David Brooks, writing in the Nashua Telegraph, explores the use of recycled materials in construction and the desire of some townships to use recycled glass in road aggregate. Sealed with geotextile, he writes, crushed glass might provide a suitable base course layer that, when one considers the cost implications might make sense. Recycled, crushed glass would cost roughly the same as traditional aggregate; but without the cost of recycling glass AND acquiring aggregate. Reduced waste stream, lower costs. But can proper drainage and performance be assured? And would the public accept the reuse of glass in this manner? Learn more here.;

Scott Barker of the Knoxville News Sentinel has published a nice update to the Kingston, Tennessee coal ash spill from December 2008. That reservoir break released 5.4 million cubic yards of contaminated fly ash. Some 25,000 pages of TVA records from the facility have been released and tell an interesting story of a dredge pond suffering continual leaks and breaks for decades. Cleanup may exceed $800 million. Learn more here.;

The 7th International Congress on Environmental Geotechnics (7 ICEG) is coming together quickly. To be held 10 – 14 November 2014 in Melbourne, Australia, the event will bring together...

The Chattanooga Times Free Press reports that Propex will shift its corporate focus to erosion control. In addition to civil and environmental engineering solutions like erosion control blankets and mats and geotextiles, the company has a long history of producing products such as carpet backing. But Propex, like many companies, suffered during the economic recession, and its carpet backing business has recovered to only about one-third of its previous height as that industry completely changed. Today, Propex's civil engineering solutions are growing and returning the company to strength. Learn more here.;

The quadrennial Pan-American conference on geosynthetics—GeoAmericas 2016—is an event from the International Geosynthetics Society. As a result, IGS Corporate Members have had an exclusive window in which to request...

Advance registration ends 30 November 2008 for the Transportation Research Board (TRB) 88th Annual Meeting. The event will takes place 11-15 January 2009 in Washington DC. More than 10,000 transportation policy makers, administrators, practitioners, researchers, and representatives of government, industry, and academic institutions are expected to attend. Learn more here.;

The 49 technical sessions at the 3rd Pan-American Conference on Geosynthetics (GeoAmericas 2016) will include multiple high-quality panel discussions and training lectures. Diverse topics address geosynthetic installation, the...

As an emerging nation India is a case study in milestone events -- economic growth, global joint ventures and rapid investments in infrastructure, from airports to highways. It's in this last category -- highway construction -- that Strata India recently completed a milestone event for the company and for the nation. By the end of May, Strata India had produced retaining walls for 16 overpass structures in little more than 10 months along an 80-kilometer highway stretching between Mumbai and Surat. More than 1 million special concrete blocks were produced on-site and used to create the flyover structures, some of which are more than 40 feet high. More than 1 million square yards of StrataGrid® was used to stabilize the soils used in building the overpasses.

The City of Spokane will receive the prestigious PISCES Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for successfully demonstrating innovative stormwater control strategies on West Broadway Avenue in Spokane, Washington. Polluted stormwater now is considered the leading cause of urban water pollution and the largest source of pollution in the Spokane River. Read about Spokane's innovative responses.

The Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, today announced the awarding of $331,650 in non-repayable financial assistance to CTT Group.

Industry veteran Stephen N. Valero is now serving as president of a new company: Retaining Wall Evaluation. He writes, "Over the last 30 years, retaining wall failures and performance issues have caused billions of dollars in damages, legal costs and lost revenue. Many of these losses could have been avoided had a managed earth retention program been implemented or even simple inspection and maintenance procedures been followed." Read more.

The International Erosion Control Association (IECA) Region One has issued the Call for Presentations for Environmental Connection 2015. The event is the annual conference and exhibition from IECA, and it...

Sergey Sinigibsky was appointed the General Director of JSC Plastik. JSC Plastik is an enterprise of SIBUR, which comprises production operations for synthesis of polymer materials and processing with an in-house energy supply system. The enterprise is the exclusive ABS manufacturer in Russia and the largest player in the market. JSC Plastik produces styrene, phenolic, geosynthetics, automotive and machine components, and household goods.

Propex Operating Company, LLC is proud to announce that Dan Large, senior account manager for the Concrete Solutions business unit of Propex, has been named Wisconsin Ready Mix Concrete Association (WRMCA) Man of the Year. The WRMCA honored Large with the award because of his dedication to the organization as a loyal and long-term member, his 15-year service as the organization's technical committee chairman, and the tireless work he's done on behalf of the organization as a five-term member of the Board of Directors.

India-based Bharat Books is offering a sales-tax-free copy of a geosynthetics study that forecasts 5% growth per year between 2010 and 2015. The report suggests geogrids and geocomposites show the greatest market potential and that the transportation sector will be a major driver. The study is from Freedonia. Learn more here.;

EDANA, the association serving the nonwovens and related industries, today announced its new Board of Governors. Incoming Chairman Kenneth Strassner (Kimberley Clarke) will take over from Gerd Ries (Johnson&Johnson), who has accepted the position of Vice-Chair, a role he shares with Jean-Marie Becker (Ahlstrom). Paul Evers remains in his previous role as Treasurer. Read more in the new release.

Almost 25 years ago, NAUE transformed the geosynthetic barrier field for sustainable, environmental protection applications. It was in 1987 that NAUE invented the needle-punched method of manufacturing geosynthetic clay liner (GCL) materials. Today, NAUE is proud to take another step on the path of innovation that has guided the company since its founding in 1967. NAUE has announced the opening of a new Bentofix® production center, NAUE Asia Sdn. Bhd., in Malaysia. The center is dedicated to serving the Asian and Oceanic markets.

IECA's Annual Photo Contest is an opportunity to gain visibility and share your accomplishments (or bloopers!) with the erosion and sediment control community. Entries will be displayed on the website and enlarged to be showcased at EC10 in Dallas, Texas, where voting will take place and ribbons will be awarded.The contest is FREE - so send in those pictures! Learn more here.;