Transportation

GeoAmericas 2012 marks the Second Pan-American Geosynthetics Conference and Exhibition. It will be held 1-4 May 2012 in Lima, Peru under the auspices of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS). This week's update includes two key items: The Early-Bird Room Rate for the venue hotel (Westin Libertador Hotel) will be held open until 15 February 2012. Reserve your room today and get the best rate at this key Latin American infrastructure event. And: the GeoAmericas exhibit area is sold out! HOWEVER: at the request of a number of companies, the conference has created an additional exhibit area.

Contech Engineered Solutions LLC (formerly Contech Construction Products Inc.), a leading provider of innovative engineering and site solutions for the residential, commercial and infrastructure markets, today announced several positive developments which position the Company for the future.

Sika Korea has agreed to acquire YEAN-IL INDUSTRIAL Co. Ltd. waterproofing business. YEAN-IL holds a leading position in the Korean tunnel waterproofing market with annual sales of approximately CHF 10 million. Sika AG has through its Korean subsidiary, Sika Korea Ltd., agreed to acquire 100% of YEAN-IL's waterproofing business. YEAN-IL INDUSTRIAL Co. Ltd. is a market leader in tunnel waterproofing membranes in South Korea with a well-established brand and long project history.

On 8 December 1981, Solmax began its journey as a geomembrane installer. Since 1997, we have focused our efforts on becoming a respected manufacturer in our industry. Today, we are beginning our third adventure, as an innovative international manufacturer, capable of continuously meeting and surpassing industry specifications and requirements.

Graham Thomson ist neuer Verkaufsgebietsleiter Asien. Herr Thomson wird von nun an die Firma HUESKER Synthetic im Raum Asien/Pazifik verstärken. Er erläutert: "Ich freue mich auf neue Herausforderungen des asiatischen Marktes und bin froh darüber, dass ich HUESKER dort vertreten darf. Zudem schätze ich die breite Unterstützung des HUESKER Teams, welche mich befähigt, täglich neue, kundenspezifische Lösungen zu entwickeln."

Tensar Corporation announced today strong performance in 2011, with double digit income growth as compared to 2010. This performance was achieved through record global revenue, operational productivity and the success in the marketplace of its new, patented TriAx® geogrid product. The company continues to generate strong cash flows in support of ongoing operations and achievement of its expanded 2012 earnings projection.

HUESKER has appointed Graham Thomson as a new Area Director - Asia. Mr. Thomson will increase the company's presence in the Asia / Pacific region. A veteran of the geosynthetics market, he previously served as Managing Director of the company's UK subsidiary. He will represent the entire HUESKER portfolio in Asia, from roadway and landfill solutions to hydraulic engineering and other applications.

ASTM Committee D35 on Geosynthetics has announced work item WK36264, "Test Method for Determining Long-Term Connection Strength Displacement (Creep) Between Geosynthetic Reinforcement and Segmental Concrete Units (Modular Concrete Blocks)." This is a performance test used to determine properties for design of retaining wall systems utilizing segmental concrete units and soil reinforcing geosynthetics, either geotextiles or geogrids. The test is performed on a full-scale construction of the connection and may be run in a laboratory or the field. Learn more here.;

The Geo-Institute of ASCE's annual congress offers an exceptional opportunity to interact with the international geotechnical engineering community on some of the most pressing topics. Geo-Congress 2012 will be held in Oakland, California 25-29 March 2012. The theme of the event is "State of the Art and Practice in Geotechnical Engineering" and some noted engineers with a geosynthetics background (Craig Benson and David Daniel) will deliver two of the three big lectures: the Ralph B. Peck and Karl Terzaghi Lectures.

The 2nd International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) Photo Contest has a new deadline: March 1. The inaugural contest was extremely successful and helped establish a collection of high-quality photos of geosynthetics for use in promotion of these technologies and construction practices and in the dissemination of educational material.

On Wednesday, 8 February 2012, Maccaferri will host a webinar on High Energy Impact Embankment Systems. Key aspects of the presentation include: Rockfall embankment uses, styles and characteristics; Differences between embankments and rockfall fence barriers; and Rockfall embankment design procedures. The presentation will offer a non-credit 0.15 CEU certificate. Visit the registration page/invite and sign up.

James Goddard, who recently retired from Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (ADS) as the company's Chief Engineer, was named Member Emeritus of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Committee on Subsurface Soil-Structure Interaction. The announcement was made during the TRB's 91st annual meeting held in January 2012.

Titan now has a company page on Facebook too! "Like" us and stay up to date on new product availability, key project work, site photos, and more. Learn more here.;

The world has increasingly looked to business opportunities within and from China, and construction and engineering have been sectors of tremendous interest with China over the past couple decades. Many business and trade partners, however, are not confident of where to begin when interacting with companies in China. For geosynthetics, Zhejiang Tianxing Technical Textiles Co Ltd is a trusted name with 15 years of high-level manufacturing and project experience. Learn more about our ISO 9001 facility and our family geosynthetic reinforcement products from the world's fastest growing infrastructure. Learn more here.;

In an article in Geosynthetics magazine, Maccaferri's Alan Dinges profiles the Interstate-95/495 Capital Beltway upgrade near Washington, D.C. The 24 lane-miles of road required 321,000 yards of paving, 11 bridges, drainage improvements, retaining and noise-abatement walls, and environmental mitigation. Geogrids and geotextiles were effective construction components in this project’s diverse range of soil reinforcement and separation requirements. Read Alan's cover story from the issue. Learn more here.;

Land and Water magazine has profiled how geosynthetics have been used around the world to mitigate sinkhole formation, expansion and infrastructure impact. Among the projects profiled in Chris Kelsey's article is the exemplary work performed by Maccaferri in Union Bridge, Maryland. There, geosynthetic reinforcement helped construct a road key to continued economic success for the town. Situated on tenuous soils, the geosynthetic solution turned an otherwise unbuildable project into a reality. Learn more here.;

In a letter to engineers using geosynthetics and instructors, students and researchers working with them on the college and university level, Dr. Robert Koerner of the Geosynthetic Institute writes on the publication of the 6th Edition of his Designing with Geosynthetics text. Dr. Koerner's letter includes discussion of the financial realties of textbook publishing, the difficulties of on-demand publishing, and the stunningly economical nature of e-publishing.

Elizabeth Peggs, Geosynthetica's Director, is in attendance at the 91st Transportation Research Board Meeting (TRB) in Washington, D.C. (along with nearly 12,000 others). As time permits, she is sharing some event updates here.

Presto Geosystems offers numerous videos that demonstrate advantageous construction techniques (such as utilizing ATRA Key instead of staples in geocell installation), design possibilities, how various products are used in different applications, and more. Learn more here.;

As an industry leader, Presto offers a variety of solutions for porous pavements and soil stabilization – solutions that provide positive environmental benefits, and have low negative environmental impact. Presto partners with designers and LEED® Project Managers to provide cost-effective, environmentally-responsible solutions that offer opportunities for LEED® credits in several credit categories. Learn more in this PDF brochure.

Get specifications, design tools, case studies, CAD Details and more on Presto Geosystems' Design & Engineering Tools section of the company website. Learn more here.;

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) President and Michigan State Transportation Director Kirk Steudle, will deliver the keynote address at the 11th Annual IRF Awards Luncheon on 24 January 2012. The IRF Annual Awards Luncheon will recognize the 2011 award winners of the Global Road Achievement Awards (GRAA), a worldwide competition to recognize excellence, innovation, and exceptional achievement across essential areas of the road industry.

Prof. Robert M. Koerner has come out with the Sixth Edition of Designing With Geosynthetics. As with prior volumes, it comes with helpful test questions after each chapter with answers provided at the end of the book. Currently, Koerner is professor emeritus of Drexel University.

Dr. Robert Koerner has announced the publication of the sixth edition of his seminal text, Designing with Geosynthetics. This new edition marks the first two-volume set--but it is much more affordable. Having used an independent publishing service instead of an academic press, the cost of a hardbound copy costs just USD $34. Softbound is just $24. Read more about the new edition in an introduction from Dr. Koerner.

ASTM International Committee D35 on Geosynthetics has appointed an interim staff manager: Jeff Adkins. He can be contacted at +1 610 832 9738 or jadkins@astm.org. Jeff will attend the committees upcoming meeting in Atlanta (1-3 February 2012). Additional support for D35 will continue to be provided by Barbara Lake, blake@astm.org or +1 610 832 9713. Visit the committee's home page for more information on standards work, publications, symposia and more. Learn more here.;