Transportation

Oil spills and discharges most commonly happen during the oil storage container transfer process, and during fuel and chemical deliveries. Even though the majority of spills involve less than 100 gallons, most facilities that maintain above-ground storage of more than 1320 gallons of oil are still required to have oil spill plans in place as part of EPA and other regulatory rules. Read more from Interstate Products Company.

In the company's latest project story, Stata Systems reports on the repair of an unstable slope in Fairfield, California. The roadside site involved more than 5,700 sq. ft. of 2:1 slope. Strata provided 26,000 sq. yds. of geogrid reinforcement, which was then covered with soil and natural vegetation. The solution provided a 30% cost savings over the other competitive geosynthetic solution being considered by the city and county. Read more.

Colbond has appointed Marc Krauth as Vice President Sales & Marketing. He will be responsible for global sales, marketing and product management organization. Krauth brings about 15 years of experience in strategy development and implementation at DSM, Owens Corning and Sonoco. His extensive market knowledge of several of Colbond's core segments should significantly ease the transition to the new role.

Recently, Pennsylvania State Senator Judy Schwank visited East Coast Erosion Control in Bernville, Pennsylvania to learn about the company's business and the products that provide erosion and sediment control. Pennsylvania possesses both one of the United States' most highly sought energy potential as well as a legacy of environmental struggle due to mismanaged mining and resource extraction controls. Sen. Schwank has been influential in her state's environmental policy discussions. Materials such as East Coast produces are being utilized now to make the current energy tapping and resource extraction boom both economically successful and environmentally sound. Read the release from East Coast.

On his recent trip to Abu Dhabi, where he attended (and spoke at) the 4th Geosynthetics Middle East conference, Ian Peggs learned not only that a Canadian passport will not get you a visa to the UAE but that the constraints and barriers to geosynthetics continue to drop and understanding continues to grow. It's all part of an international dialogue. Read his latest contribution from the field.

The Municipality of Abu Dhabi City-sponsored Geosynthetics (environment-friendly materials) Middle East Conference 2011 got to a great start today in Abu Dhabi featuring participation of an elite panel of regional and global roads and infrastructure experts. The event, which runs for two days, is organized by German Plastics Centre SKZ in collaboration with the German Chamber of Commerce with the aim of promoting the commitment to a sustained and environment-friendly infrastructure. During the Conference, the Municipal Infrastructure and Assets Sector at the Municipality of Abu Dhabi City presented a working paper highlighting the key road and infrastructure projects undertaken by the Municipality in the past.

Checkmate Geosynthetics Ltd., a global manufacturer and supplier of geosynthetic soil reinforcement and stabilization solutions, has announced the appointment of Jim Penman as the company's Vice President of Sales USA. In his new role, Atlanta-based Penman will be responsible for Checkmate's full-range of geosynthetic system products within the US market. Penman is a 17-year veteran of the geosynthetics field and serves as a geosynthetics expert for the American Railroad Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA).

Papers are invited for Current and Future Practices for the Testing of Multi-Component Geosynthetic Clay Liners - Third Symposium to be held Friday, 29 June 2012. Sponsored by ASTM Committee D35 on Geosynthetics, the symposium will be held at the Sheraton San Diego in San Diego, California in conjunction with the June standards development meetings of Committee. Topics of the symposium include: Mechanical testing; Peel and Shear Behavior; Hydraulic Testing; Durability of multi-component; Field Performance; and Research Studies. Learn more and submit abstracts online.

Tensar Corporation, a leader in geosynthetic soil reinforcement and stabilization, is making a major investment to increase the output capacity of its geogrid production plant in Morrow, Georgia. Expansion in the production will come on stream in 2012 enabling an increase in output of 30 percent. Don Meltzer, CEO, has said the demand for the TriAx line of geogrid is motivating the facility's expansion.

The International Erosion Control Association's membership voted to re-elect Philip Handley, REM, CPESC, CESSWI, to the 2012 Board of Directors. Joining Handley to the 2012 Board of Directors is former board member and President Ron Faucher, CPESC, and new board member Gustavo Salerno, PE, CPESC. Faucher and Salerno will begin their terms on the Board of Directors in February alongside fellow members Beth Chesson, Julie Etra, Philip Handley, Sandy Mathews, Brock Peters, Charles Riling, Jr. and Tom Williams. Read more in the release.

Leister Process Technologies, the worldwide leader in plastic welding and hot air equipment announces the opening of its expanded U.S. headquarters outside of Chicago. The new, centrally located facility quadruples Leister's capabilities in North America. Among the new services offered: Complete inventory of Geosynthetic tools for instant availability; Complete spare parts inventory for overnight parts shipping; Complete new service and repair facility; and Complete new training and demonstration space. Read more.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO), an independent, nonpartisan entity, is tasked with investigating how the federal government spends taxpayer dollars. Among its central work is auditing agency operations for or advising agencies on more efficient and effective spending considerations. It stands as no small matter, then, that two Congressional figures have submitted a letter to the GAO requesting the performance of a study "to investigate the life cycle costs and benefits of incorporating innovative materials in pavements." Geosynthetics can play a welcomed role here. Read more.

The International Erosion Control Association (IECA) has opened registration for its annual conference and expo, Environmental Connection 2012 (EC12). Interested parties can visit IECA's website for details on full-day courses, shorter technical sessions, special events and the exhibit hall. Learn more in the release.

Geosynthetic barrier materials have become crucial environmental protection materials in waste management, water and wastewater management, mining, industrial processing, and other sectors. Despite the wide usage (including government regulated and required use), the number of qualified professionals who can verify the integrity of geosynthetic barrier installations remains low. Liner integrity survey/assessment (LISA) remains a strong need in the field, and only one place is currently teaching these skills and certifying and auditing the specialists: TRI/Environmental Inc. in Austin, Texas. The next opportunity to learn LISA technology as well as take advantage of two key QA/QC geosynthetics short courses and to test for GSI inspector certification is 14-18 November 2011 during CQA Week.

The American Public Works Association's (APWA) annual Sustainability in Public Works Conference series provides a key link between public sector engineers, municipal leaders, and design and construction professionals. The next event will be held 25-27 October 2012 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and will include topics such as life-cycle cost analysis, practical sustainability, energy efficiency and conservation practices, low impact development (LID), best practices case studies, and much more. These subjects will touch upon all aspects of the public works' professional's responsibilities (e.g., roads, waste management, stormwater runoff). Deadline for abstract submission: 17 October 2011. Learn more here.;

The North American Geosynthetics Society (NAGS) and the Geosynthetic Materials Association (GMA) have co-organized a series of geosynthetics short courses here in the second half of the year with the support of numerous industry sponsors and expert instructors. The organizers have regrettably announced, however, that next week's event in Atlanta has had to be cancelled. Learn more here.;

Syntec has announced the introduction of its new line of integrally formed biaxial and uniaxial geogrids. Syntec SBX biaxial geogrids are made of polypropylene (PP) using punched and drawn technology. The company's UX-S and UX-W series of uniaxial geogrids are produced of high density polyethylene (HDPE) with the same technology.

HUESKER Synthetic GmbH writes on the beneficial impact reinforcement geosynthetics (e.g., geogrids) have on the reduction of greenhouse gases in construction. The company writes, "whether or not it is about building a house, acquiring a new car or choosing a new power supply company, sustainability is to an increasing extent a core selection criterion for consumers. Only if a house meets the latest requirements on insulation or even if it can be classified as a low energy house does it satisfy the aspirations of the modern householder. When making their decision to buy a new car, the following criteria play an increasingly important role. It should not only have as much power as possible, but it should also have low fuel consumption and create low CO2 emissions." Read more.

Under the Patronage of the Municipality of Abu Dhabi City, the 2011 GEOSYNTHETICS Middle East Conference is taking place on 25th and 26th October at Park Rotana Hotel with the collaboration of AHK the German Chamber of Commerce. With a focus on the regions infrastructure projects and environmental applications, the Geosynthetics Middle East 2011 will once again contribute to the quality of the construction projects throughout the region, increasing their value and considerably extending their service life.

More than two Europeans in three see climate change as a very serious problem and almost 80% consider that taking action to combat it can boost the economy and jobs, a special Eurobarometer survey published today shows. The poll, carried out in June 2011, found that the European public is more concerned about climate change than it was in 2009 - and that climate change remains a greater worry than the economic situation. Read more.

Michael Baker Corporation (NYSE Amex:BKR) announced today that it has acquired RBF Consulting (RBF), a 540-person engineering, planning, surveying and environmental services firm based in Irvine, California. RBF significantly expands Baker's presence in the Western U.S. transportation, civil and environmental infrastructure markets and, through its water resources experience and expertise, provides a platform for Baker to build a national water and wastewater practice. The terms of the transaction were a total consideration of $50 million, of which approximately $45.7 million was paid in cash and approximately $4.3 million was paid in Baker common stock.

TenCate Geosynthetics North America is seeking a new Engineering Business Manager for its West Coast and Midwest territories. The EBM is responsible for marketing TenCate Geosynthetics' products and services to the specifying community, which includes geotechnical and civil engineers. EBM will be assigned target locations and will work with Region Manager(s) to develop and implement a plan for each location. Learn more about the responsibilities on Geosynthetica's Employment Page posting.

The International Erosion Control Association (IECA) is calling for nominations for its 21st annual Awards of Environmental Excellence. The awards program recognizes industry professionals and organizations for their contributions to the erosion and sediment control community. IECA will honor all award winners during its awards program and general session at Environmental Connection 2012 (EC12) February 26-29, 2012.

Ground stabilization specialist Tensar International has successfully defended its TriAx® product range against several patent infringements. To date, Tensar has pursued three separate cases through the Chinese legal system and prevailed in each instance. Learn More.

The International Erosion Control Association (IECA) is now accepting entries for its 15th Annual Photo Contest to be displayed and voted on at Environmental Connection 2012 (EC12) in Las Vegas, NV from 26-29 February 2012. The photo contest consists of four categories: Before and After, Erosion Control Bloopers, Impacts of Erosion and Technology in Action. There is no cost to enter and everyone is welcome to submit an entry. The deadline for submittals is 30 December 2011.