Transportation

Ignorance about the details of a key standard for ground engineering could lead to on-site disputes when it becomes effective in April 2010, NCE reports. A lack of training among smaller consultants and a general lack of awareness of the details of Eurocode 7 (EC7) and supporting documents such as execution standards are behind the fears. Learn more here.;

Huesker inc., a leading manufacturer and global supplier of geogrids, geotextiles and specialty geocomposites, has updated its website. The revised website features comprehensive information on Huesker's full product line with an option to view specifics offered from key global offices, such as Germany, the United States, Brazil, Spain, and more. Also of note are significant download resources, including product properties, application photos, installation guidelines, publications and case studies. Whether you’re looking for information regarding geosynthetics in green roofs, roads and railways, landfills, canals, or many other applications, Huesker’s new website is an information-packed resource that's worth a visit. Learn more here.;

Contractors are breaking ground on the long-awaited fourth bore of the Caldecott Tunnel, a three-year project to relieve traffic congestion in the Oakland, California area. After multiple small tunnel stretches are excavated and reinforced, crews will finish the walls and ceiling by installing a geosynthetic liner to capture drainage water and then add a thick concrete layer reinforced with rebar. Learn more here.;

The International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) Peru Chapter will hold a Peruvian national congress on geosynthetics. Geosperu 2010 is the second national conference on geosynthetics in Peru. The event will include lectures, discussions, short courses and a keynote lecture from Dr. J.P. Giroud. The majority of the event will be in Spanish. Learn more here.;

In a dramatic change from existing policy, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today proposed that new funding guidelines for major transit projects be based on livability issues such as economic development opportunities and environmental benefits, in addition to cost and time saved, which are currently the primary criteria.

The International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) is holding its first-ever photo competition. Members should keep an eye on the deadline date: 1 February 2010. This initiative comes just ahead of the planned April 2010 launch of the redesigned IGS website and May 2010's major, quadrennial IGS conference: 9ICG. The 9th International Conference on Geosynthetics will be held 23-27 May 2010 in Guaruja, Brazil (near São Paulo).

Sixty-eight road projects in 31 states will receive $93.9 million in Public Lands Highways grant funds to improve access to public lands, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood announced today. The funds will improve and increase accessibility on the lands of 15 Native American tribes, 11 military bases, 19 national park units, 10 national forests and four national wildlife refuges.

Dov Leshchinsky, professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Delaware, has been selected to receive the 2010 Martin S. Kapp Foundation Engineering Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). He will be recognized at GeoFlorida 2010, to be held in West Palm Beach, Florida, from 20-24 February 2010. Leshchinsky was cited for his "innovative contribution to the unified method of design and analysis of earth retaining structures and slopes as well as the implementation of such technology through computer software and continuing education."

Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors are incredibly versatile. They're used in tiny medical devices and on huge bridges. Often FBG and other types of fiber optic sensors are chosen when many measurements are needed over a long distance and the environment is harsh. A good example of this is the use of FOS in geosynthetic materials used to reinforce earthworks. Tom Graver of Micron Optics writes on this collaboration of technologies and how it could change geosynthetics.

In mid-November 2009, The Geosynthetic Insitute (GSI) - Taiwan held the 4th installment in its series of interntaional geosynthetics conferences in Taiwan. This series has brought expert speakers in from around the world and allowed attendees from across Asia and further to connect with researchers, manufacturers and others in Taiwan's region. Dr. C. Wayne Hsieh, director of GSI Taiwan, has sent along a couple photographs from the gathering.

The Nigerian government has awarded contracts worth N174bn (USD $1.2 billion) to ameliorate the environmental problems in the Niger Delta region. The country's Director of Erosion, Flood Control and Coastal Zone Management, Ministry of Environment--Bawuro Yahaya--says the contracts cover road construction, shoreline stabilization, erosion control and bridges. The expected timeline for work is 12 months. Learn more here.;

WaterWorld Magazine offers a weekly video news cast hosted by its online editor, Angela Godwin. It's called WaterWorld TV. This week's headlines include the steady, annual erosion of Alaska's shoreline; NASA technology aids in river volume flow predictions; and a study shows that nutrient enrichment with waterways may actually disrupt the food chain. Watch it online today. Learn more here.;

Contributed by the Research Council of Norway: Synthetic bags filled with sand was the solution that French and Norwegian partners came up with when they cooperated on a project to find new environment-friendly building materials that can withstand ice erosion and corrosion. The bags will be used as building blocks to protect roads and infrastructure in Arctic areas. The main Norwegian partner in the recently concluded three-year project was the independent research organisation SINTEF. The project was initiated by its French partner, the company TenCate Geosynthetics France S.A.S.

An engineering class at an all-girls school in Bethesda, Md., is designed to make the male-dominated field more appealing to female students. "It's about taking risks and getting them over the anxiety of always having to be right all the time," said physics teacher Chris Lee. Class projects include building robots and researching bridge disasters. Learn more here.;

Can search-engine-optimized video increase your ranking in Google searches (to Page 1 rank status) by up to 53 times? Some consultants believe so. Learn more here.;

AASHTO’s National Transportation Product Evaluation Program (NTPEP) 2010 meeting will be held 10-14 May 2010 in Orlando, Florida. This marks the 17th annual meeting. Erosion control products and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipes are currently scheduled to be discussed in session on May 12. Geotextiles and geosynthetic reinforcement will be discussed in sessions on May 13. Learn more in the agenda (PDF). Learn more here.;

Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana is still playing catch-up from recent years' hurricanes. Road repairs along the coast are expected to include lane and buffer widening with geotextiles and riprap. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved $6.3 million in support for the project. Learn more here.;

The influential American transportation organization, AASHTO, has developed a list of the top ten transportation topics that it forecasts will be part of the national conversation in 2010. Constructing safer roads, securing funding, and capacity management are just some of the issues. Read the full list in AASHTO's release.

A reminder that short abstracts of up to 400 words are due by 16 January 2010 for GeoCalgary 2010, which is co-hosted by the Canadian Geotechnical Society (CGS). All abstracts and papers must be submitted electronically using the easy-to-use Online Abstract Submission feature on the GEO2010 web site: www.geo2010.ca. Corresponding authors will be notified regarding abstract acceptance by 26 February 2010. All technical papers must be submitted by 3 May 2010, accompanied by one full delegate registration. Learn more here.;

The Canadian Young Geotechnical Engineers and Geoscientists Conference is a national specialty conference held every three years and aims to create a relaxed environment where young members of the geoengineering and geoscience communities are provided a great opportunity to share technical knowledge and exchange career experiences. The 3rd cYGEGC will be held 16-18 September 2010 in Waterton Lakes National Park, Calgary. Abstracts of no more than 400 words should be submitted in English or French to the Technical Chairs, Matthew Perras and Maureen White, by 1 February 2010. Learn more here.;

Beginning in 2010 TenCate Geosynthetics will be concentrating on the market launch and sales of TenCate GeoDetect® in North America. This monitoring system, based on geotextiles equipped with optical fibers, has already been used in Europe for a few years. The launch in North America will enable the company's global marketing efforts in the field of geotechnology to be coordinated and the continued development of the system to be intensified. TenCate GeoDetect® is the world's first intelligent geotextile. Learn more.

China's Ministry of Transport may invest roughly 5 trillion yuan (USD $732 billion) in the next 5 years in transportation, ports and water conservation and conveyance. Geosynthetics will play an important role. Learn more here.;

While Twitter is seen as a great networking and communication tool, there are so many trivial ones and so many poor ones that finding ones of real use to you can be difficult. Here's a strong list of 80 twitter feeds for useful small business information and networking. Learn more here.;

The International Symposium on Geotechnical Engineering, Ground Improvement, and Geosynthetics for Sustainable Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change including Global Warming was successfully held 3-4 December 2009 Bangkok, Thailand. The event included 150 speakers, more than 400 pages of proceedings, and attendees and exhibitors from around the world. Dennes Bergado, the conference chair and president of IGS Thailand, has authored a short write up.

In February, the erosion control field and affiliated construction and engineering professionals will gather in Dallas for the International Erosion Control Association's (IECA) annual event. And it's not too late to register for what is the world's largest soil and water event: EC10. With over 60 technical sessions and half-day courses included with a basic conference registration, EC10 provides significant value for those interested in training, networking industry tracking of products, trends, specifications, and more. Visit the EC10 website today and register for this 16-20 February 2010 event. Learn more here.;