Transportation

Unless issues are sorted out by the 30 September 2009 expiration of the SAFETEA-LU program, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has notified state DOTs that $8.7 billion in budget authority will be rescinded from their unobligated federal-aid highway balances by that expiration date. While for some states this would not have a direct effect, in many states this order would result in an actual cut in funding for highway construction projects. Each state would lose budget authority in a proportion that matches its percent of the total highway funds that were provided over the six-year life of SAFETEA-LU. Learn more here.;

A direct link to the Geotechnical Services File from New Civil Engineer (NCE). This survey ranks UK geotechnical material manufacturers, contractors and other construction professionals. Tensar International has moved into the top spot for manufacturers, having just edged out Terram. NAUE Geosynthetics places a close third. In "Suppliers", Maccaferri places in the top five. Download the file in PDF. Learn more here.;

Japan’s opposition party has vowed to dramatically reduce spending on public works. As Stuart Biggs and Masatsugu Horie write for Bloomberg News, that may be difficult: public works and its closely connected construction spending is the fifth largest employer in Japan. Infrastructure spending accounted for 4.4% of Japan's GDP in 2008. Heavy spending on infrastructure in recent years has led to a public debt rate that approaches twice its GDP (estimated at $175,000 per person). For comparison, US public debt is approximately 61% of GDP ($30,500 per person). Learn more here.;

UK-based New Civil Engineering (NCE) has published its Geotechnical Services File, a top 20 ranking survey of the UK's geotechnical industry. Material manufacturers, contractors, and other geotechnical professionals are ranked by annual turnover, and the survey also gauges future prospects. Geosynthetics expert Tensar International ranks number one for manufacturers in the current survey, after just edging out Terram. NAUE Geosynthetics places a close third. Read the NCE article here. Learn more here.;

Over at the Fabricated Geomembrane Institute's (FGI) website, the latest blog entry notes that the FGI's Tim Stark visited CLI/Clearwater Construction during a visit to the Denver area recently. The FGI is hosting a short course there on October 23. Dr. Stark is beginning to tour about and visit the Institute's members. FGI formed officially earlier this year after the PVC Geomembrane Institute (PGI) completed its core goals. Learn more here.;

The North American Geosynthetics Society (NAGS), the Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Geo-Institute (GI) have signed an agreement to co-organize Geo-Frontiers 2011. The last Geo-Frontiers was held in 2005 in Austin, Texas. The 2011 edition will be held at the Sheraton-Dallas Hotel 13-16 March 2011. A call for topics and sessions will be issued from IFAI in the near future. Learn more here.;

South Africa-based Cape Business News has published an article about the success of PSV Holdings acquisition of Engineered Linings. PSV, which specialises in pumps, valves and spares, paid R40 million to buy out various shareholders in Engineered Linings. Led by Du Toit Viljoen, Engineered Linings supplies and installs geosynthetic liners. The early 2009 numbers from the business have been very satisfying. Learn more here.;

SIBUR, Russia's leading petrochemical company, announces completion of the acquisition of Citco Waren-Handelsgesellschaft m.b.H. ("Citco" or "the Company"), a leading international petrochemical trader. SIBUR has received all relevant approvals for the acquisition from the European Commission's Competition Authorities and other antimonopoly authorities of European countries, non-members of EU. Read more in the release.

The Fabricated Geomembrane Institute (FGI) will offer "Constructing with Fabricated Geomembranes," its popular short course, on 23 October 2009 in Lakewood, Colorado at the Sheraton Denver West Hotel. This course will be presented by many expert speakers from the industry. Course participants are eligible for 6 PDHs. Learn more and view an updated agenda here.

The boundary between the growing cities of Brampton and Caledon in Ontario, Canada is Mayfield Road. It connects major highways, and to keep pace with road capacity needs the area has been undergoing a multi-year Mayfield Road widening project. Two geomembrane-lined stormwater retention ponds are being built to protect nearby wetlands and kettle lakes. Learn more here.;

The British Columbia Ministry of Transportation reports that several rolls of geotextile (manufactured by Nylex) were stolen from a storage yard in Fort St. John. The thief or thieves apparently cut through the chainlink fence, then used a forklift in the yard to remove the 15-foot-long rolls. Barbed wire was also stolen. Learn more here.;

Knowing that the geomembrane rolls shipped to and being handled on site are exactly the ones linked to the original quality certificate is a very important issue. Geosynthetics are designed for specific functions, and the various formulations of products makes them specific to certain application uses. Solmax International ensures its project-specified and certified rolls are the ones on site with the use of a product-marking program. It enables project managers and engineers to link every roll to its quality certificate. Learn more here. Learn more here.;

Cell-Tek Geosynthetics, manufacturer of geo-cellular confinement systems, announces the launch of their new bonded aggregate system, Gravel-Lok. This innovative product is the ultimate solution to bond together a wide variety of aggregates including washed stone and pea gravel creating a permeable decorative pavement system without sacrificing the strength.

JSC Gazprom Neft and SIBUR conducted a regular meeting of the working group on joint participation in promotion of polymer bitumen binders (PBB) substantially improving automobile roads' quality and lifespan. The participants of the meeting, involving representatives of JSC Soyuzdornii, discussed the issues of PBC production units launching and operating in the cities of Ufa (the Republic of Bashkiria), Bogoroditsk (the Tula Region) and Ivanteevka (the Moscow Region) in 2H2009. Production of PBB will be performed at the said units using DST-30-01 thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) produced by a SIBUR's subsidiary JSC Voronezhsintezkauchuk.

This week, word has come out that the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), owners of the Kingston, Tennessee coal ash plant that failed in December 2008, will phase out wet coal ash storage at its many operations to further minimize risk of future environmental disasters. When the unlined, wet ash storage facility in Kingston broke, it released 5.4 million cubic yards of contaminated ash across 275 acres. The estimated cleanup cost, as announced in mid-February, was $525-$825 million. Today, the prevalent estimation is north of $1 billion. Read more.

The International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) has published its latest edition of IGS News. The semi-annual publication contains reports from some of the IGS' 30+ international chapters, event recaps from around the world, short course announcements, and much more. This issue is particularly interesting for its IGS Chapter-centered pieces. John Cowland gives a review of IGS Asia, Jorge Zornberg discusses Chapter growth and communication, and Joanna Borkowska announces IGS Poland. Read more about this issue and link to its PDF version on line.

TenCate Geosynthetics introduces Mirafi 1450BB specifically designed for unbonded concrete overlay applications. This new, innovative product provides an alternative solution to traditional asphalt bond breaker separation layers. Mirafi 1450BB bond breaker is a needle-punched nonwoven geotextile composed of polypropylene fibers, which are formed into a stable network such that the fibers retain their relative position for use as an interlayer for separating cementitious pavement layers. Mirafi 1450BB bond breaker is inert to biological degradation and resistant to naturally encountered chemicals, alkalis, and acids. Read more in the release.

CISEC, Inc. has partnered with the Michigan Tech Transportation Institute (MTTI) to offer its certification and training program nationwide. "MTTI will facilitate national outreach for the CISEC program through our relationships with various national- and state-level organizations, like Local Technical Assistance Program centers and other professional organizations," said Ann Kitalong-Will, MTTI Training Coordinator. Read more in the release.

Applied Market Information (AMI) is offering a seminar titled "The World Plastics Industry" in Brussels, Belgium on 15 September 2009. The seminar will address global prospects, production rates, market conditions and more. AMI research director Andrew Reynolds writes on the event here.

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.;

East Coast Erosion Blankets, LLC, a leading manufacturer of erosion control blankets, has expanded its product line by adding the ECP-3™, a heavy-duty triple net polypropylene Turf Reinforcement Mat (TRM). The ECP-3™ is manufactured with 100% green polypropylene fiber and three ultra-heavy weight polypropylene nets securely sewn together with UV stabilized thread. Under modified ASTM 6460 test method, the product has been able to withstand in unvegetated conditions a maximum flow velocity in excess of 15 feet per second with a maximum permissible shear stress of 5 pounds square foot. Read more about it.

Near Queenstown, New Zealand, ancient landslip soil and rock has become exposed. Heavy rains have begun swift erosion, and road crews, protecting Moonlight Track, had to bring down 90 - 100 tons of rocks that overhung an access road. The rock, while appearing stable, crumbled quickly when crews began their work. A temporary tarpaulin has been installed over the danger zone, and a long-term geotextile cover and protection scheme is being designed. Learn more here.;

In July, India-based FICCI helped organize a conference in Mumbai titled "Geo-synthetics : Opportunities and Challenges." The conference discussions pointed out needs in the Indian market, such as material testing facilities throughout the country, greater standardization, increased specification awareness, and much more. Read about it here.

The SIBUR's subsidiary OJSC Orton has conducted a ceremonial launch of new flat geogrid (geonet) manufacture facility under the Aprolat trademark. Operation of this new plant will secure for the SIBUR 13% share in this market segment. The design capacity of the plant is 3 thousand tons per year. Despite of economic difficulties, SIBUR has completed the investment project that will help it to reduce imports of construction materials and provide domestic consumers with competitive products. Read more.

Marchmont News, a daily, bi-lingual publication (Russian and English), reports that SIBUR Holding is investing $48 million in new geonet production in Kemerova and Orton. It is unclear from either SIBUR's official release or Marchmont's article whether geonets--for drainage--or geogrids--for reinforcement--are actually to be produced. Company comments in their official release would indicate higher-end geogrids are being produced. Learn more here.;