Transportation

Rebecca McWatters from Queens University (Canada) won the 2009 North American Geosynthetics Society (NAGS) student paper competition. The award was announced in February at the Geosynthetics 2009 conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. McWatters' paper, "Diffusive Transport of VOCs through a Co-Extruded Geomembrane with a Nylon Barrier for use in Landfill Cover and Contaminant Barrier Systems," was judged on the content and her presentation at the conference. She is working for a PhD under the direction of Professor R. Kerry Rowe at Queens University. Read more about the award.

This 451-page manual provides procedures recommended by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) for analyzing and designing effective highway drainage facilities. The "Hydraulic Design Manual" was originally published in March 2009. Learn more here.;

The highly-anticipated Quality Data Oversight and Review (QDOR) program and website from the Erosion Control Technology Council (ECTC) has been released. Products bearing the QDOR seal have been manufactured and tested according to industry standards, and the data on those products has been compiled, submitted, and reviewed in accordance with QDOR's guidelines. Engineers, specifiers and government agencies should benefit considerably from this innovative quality check in what has been a rapidly changing, technology-driven erosion control product landscape. Learn more here.;

The March 2009 issue of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) News is available. IGS News is a semi-annual publication containing chapter reports, event recaps, course announcements, etc. Highlights of the March issue include reports from RemTech, Geosynthetics 2009, and "Lifetime of Geosynthetics"; a German draft on geosynthetic reinforcement recommendations; a call for IGS Council candidates; and much more. Download the issue in PDF today. Learn more here.;

GeoFlorida 2010, the annual geo-congress of the Geo-Institute of ASCE, will be held 20-24 February 2010 and will present a broad perspective on new developments in geotechnical engineering analysis, modeling and design. Technical topics will crosscut all areas of the profession, such as stability analysis, geoenvironmental engineering, and case histories. The deadline for abstracts has been extended to 24 April 2009. Download the Call for Papers in PDF.

Defiance County, Ohio, was in the news frequently for a landfill fire last year and concerns about the damage the fire may be doing to the geosynthetic containment system. This year, the county is becoming known for a more positive geosynthetic issue: construction of a bridge with geosynthetic reinforcement on the abutments. The 130-foot-long steel beam construction bridge over the Tiffin River will cost under $1 million. It has received federal dollars due to its use of geosynthetic reinforced soil (GRS). The footprint for GRS use is larger than conventionally used. Learn more here.;

Though the global economy has battered construction and construction services companies, Aspect Environmental Lining Ltd of Frankton, Hamilton, New Zealand is a welcomed exception. The fledgling firm--just 16 months old--is run by Craig McMillan and Greg Terrill. They began with only one installer but now employ six. The decorative and agricultural liner markets have largely gone away, but larger, more complicated installations, such as for landfills, remain strong. Read about their success in Nikki Preston's article for the Waikato Times. Learn more here.;

During the Geosynthetics 2009 biennial conference in Salt Lake City, Utah (25-27 February 2009), the former PVC Geomembrane Institute (PGI) officially launched its new identity as the much more-expansive Fabricated Geomembrane Institute (FGI). The FGI’s inaugural meeting was deemed a great success, and we expect news soon about initial membership and research projects. We now find that within the last seven days the FGI has launched a new website at www.fabricatedgeomembrane.com. Read more.

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.;

geosynthetica's Chris Kelsey writes on the benefit of seeing and handling geosynthetic materials up close, whether it's on a project site or at a trade show or seminar. "We receive a great deal in the post each week: short course announcements, industry magazines, and the occasional product sample. As last week closed out, we received…." Continued.

Tensar International Corporation introduces Tensar® TriAx™ Geogrid to North and South America. With its proven performance, TriAx Geogrid offers the engineering and construction industries an advanced solution for lower cost, longer lasting and more reliable trafficked surfaces. This geogrid was released in Europe in 2007 and has won numerous awards. Read the full release on its arrival in the Americas.

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) student conference opens on Saturday in Helena, Montana, and one of the teams competing in this year's concrete canoe competition is using geogrid reinforcement within their team's design. The host school, Carroll College, is entering a 300-lb canoe that uses sealant over an acid-based stain, concrete, two layers of geogrid reinforcement, and Styrofoam sheets. The team's canoe split in half last year. They hope the addition of geosynthetic reinforcement will keep it together (and afloat). Learn more here.;

Erosion during India's monsoon season is a major concern. The state of Goa is dealing with a double-edged problem: a grounded vessel and erosion (the latter being connected in part to the presence of the grounded vessel and what may occur if the ship is moved during monsoon). To remedy all of the this, funds are being made available to halt further problems along a 1.1-km shoreline on Dando-Sinquerim beach. Project partners hope to use submerged geotextile tubes to break the waves and control erosion so that some dredging and reclamation work may be performed around the ship. Learn more here.;

The Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal in England is reopening after an £8.5 million (USD $12.2 million) renovation. The upgrade included the installation of a barrier membrane for the canal's clay liner--though referred to in the article as permeable--and geotextile separators to serve as underlay to riprap. Learn more here.;

SKZ, with scientific committee support from Cemagref and the Geosynthetic Institute (GSI), announces the 3rd International Symposium on Geosynthetic Clay Liners, to be held at the Fortress Marienberg in Würzburg, Germany 15-16 September 2010. Abstract and papers for oral or poster presentations are invited on the following topics: Application / case studies (Landfills, Canals, Reservoirs / Dams, Transportation Infrastructure) • Durability / Lifetime • Laboratory testing • Performance (Cation exchange, Desiccation, Experience from excavation • Regulations / Approvals. Abstracts must be submitted via e-mail to: gbr-c2k10@skz.de no later than 30 September 2009.

Erosion control specialist North American Green is offering a free technical seminar for engineers who specify erosion control and vegetation establishment products. Three sessions will be offered in April, with one taking place April 8 in Charleston, West Virginia and the other two April 15 and 16 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Attendees will earn 3.0 Professional Development Hours (PDH) as credit and will receive valuable information for immediate use. Every attendee will receive a free, 2-gig USB flash drive, pre-loaded with helpful design and specification data. Learn more here and link to the registration online.

When Robert Koerner and Joe Welsh put together the first hard-bound book on geosynthetics (Construction and Geotechnical Engineering Using Synthetic Fabrics, 1980), neither could truly known the impact this materials sector would have on all of civil, geotechnical and environmental engineering. After witnessing (and contributing to) 30 years of dynamic practice, fascinating designs and product innovation in the geosynthetics field, Dr. Robert Koerner looks back at that first book, which he and Joe began compiling after a chance encounter with a publisher in the late 1970s.

Propex Inc. announced today that it will now operate outside of bankruptcy after spending 14 months under Chapter 11 protection. The Chattanooga-based, premier global supplier of polypropylene fabrics and fibers for the geosynthetic, concrete, furnishings and industrial markets used its time in protection to right size its balance sheet, restructure its debt and create additional cash flow. Read more in the release.

ASTM Committee D35 on Geosynthetics' Sam Allen and George Koerner have announced that a Geosynthetic Research Institute (GRI) / ASTM Workshop on "Geosynthetic Material Durability: Field and Laboratory Experiences" will be held 29 January 2010 in San Antonio, Texas. This important, new workshop will immediately follow the two days of D35's winter meetings. The four segments of the workshop will focus on long-term field experiences; accelerated weathering studies; polymers and additives packages; and a panel discussion. Abstracts for presentations will be accepted through 30 September 2009. Read more about the event.

The International Erosion Control Association (IECA) has announced that Shirley D. Morrow, CPESC, CISEC has been named the new Chair of the Professional Development Committee (PDC). The goal of the PDC is to provide technically sound and proficient educational courses and programs that enhance members’ professional knowledge at each career stage through technical information exchange, facilitation of research opportunities and encouraging diversity in professional development.

The next geomembrane installation training sessions from Firestone will be held April 21 (Atlanta, Georgia) and May 7 (Tampa, Florida). Partner/Hosts are common to these gatherings. The Atlanta session will be with Ewing Irrigation, and the Tampa session will be with RH Moore and Associates. PondGard Installation Training seminars are four hours long and are recommended for landscape contractors, water feature designers and geomembrane installers. Subjects include decorative ponds, retention ponds, waterfall features and the associated project nuances involved with these types of applications. Learn more about these sessions and register to attend via Firestone's website. Learn more here.;

The Geosynthetic Institute (GSI) has announced that it is reinstating GRI standard GM18, "Test Methods, Test Properties and Testing Frequencies for Flexible Polypropylene Nonreinforced (fPP) and Reinforced (fPP-R) Geomembranes." This reinstatement follows a four-year absence and significant discussion in the geosynthetic community on the proper testing of and standardization approaches for polypropylene geomembranes and service life estimations. GRI's standards are generic, voluntary and free for use. A copy of the specification is available here.

SKZ's 2nd International Conference - Geosynthetics Middle East will be held in Dubai, UAE (10-11 November 2009). A first announcement and call for papers has been issued with proposals due by 30 March 2009. This year's topics include polymer developments; products (Geomembranes and Geogrids; also, Geotextiles, Geocomposites, Erosion control products, Geopipes); testing, quality assurance, certification; installation, welding; applications, projects, case studies; durability, lifetime. Dr. Helmut Zanzinger will chair the seminar. Download the call for papers here and send your abstracts to SKZ by March 30.

During the Geosynthetics 2009 gathering in Salt Lake City, Prof. Dennes Bergado, who is the director of the Asian Center for Soil Improvement and Geosynthetics (ACSIG), informed us that from 3 to 4 December 2009 the International Symposium on Geotechnical Engineering, Ground Improvement and Geosynthetics for Sustainable Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change would be held in Bangkok, Thailand. The brochure for this intriguing gathering can be viewed in PDF here.

Dr. Dennes Bergado writes with news of a gathering in Thailand: Geosynthetics Asia 2012, the 5th Asian Regional Conference on Geosynthetics. The first Call for Abstracts for this event, to be held under the auspices of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) and to be hosted by IGS Thailand, can be viewed in PDF here. Geosynthetics Asia 2012 will take place 10-14 December 2012 in Bangkok.