Transportation

Well, this is interesting. Geosynthetics are rarely introduced to students in early education; but Andrew Harris, a high school junior in Riviera Beach, Florida, will compete in the Palm Beach County Science and Engineering Fair with his study "Geosynthetics: Creating a Stronger Soil." Harris did tests with soil samples for his project research. Read about it in the Sun-Sentinel. Learn more here.;

Geomembrane and fabrication specialist firm BTL has issued its annual letter regarding holiday closure dates. The company and its staff will close for a holiday mid-day on December 23 and will reopen on January 5. Read general manager Ron MacKenzie's letter here.

We have a number of stories were following in the global press that may interest users of geosynthetics. A handful of them are highlighted on our Press Brief page along with news of events we've added to our database. More updates will be available as stories are produced and events announced throughout the day. Visit the Press Brief page.

On 18 September 2008, engineers completed the new St. Anthony Falls Bridge. Its 2007-collapse underscored the need for major revision to the United States Infrastructure. The new I-35W bridge measures 10 lanes, promises a 100-year lifespan, and uses high-strength geotextiles in the project. A modern design and the most modern materials are correcting the design errors of the past. The overall bridge rebuild occurred in a stunningly concise 339 days. Read the release from TenCate the role geosynthetics are playing.

Organizers for StormCon 2009 remind readers that the deadline for the submission of abstracts is Wednesday, 3 December 2008. They invite your submissions for six key conference tracks: BMP Case Studies; Low-Impact Development; Stormwater Program Management; Water-Quality Monitoring; Advanced Research Topics; and Source Control. The conference will take place 16-20 August 2009 in Anaheim, California. Learn more here.;

SKZ's Irina Bender has written a short report on the recent "Lifetime of Geosynthetics" conference in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The two-day event in late October marked the first time this conference took place outside of Germany. Dr. Helmut Zanzinger chaired the sessions and was joined by experts such as Dr. John Greenwood (ERA Technologies), Hartmut Schröder and Peter Trubiroha (BAM). Mrs. Bender's report indicates that attendees (from 13 countries) reponded favorably to the discussions and showed a particular interest in geosynthetic performance with ponds and in tunnel linings.

Joel Sprague of TRI/Environmental has authored a piece about the International Erosion Control Association's (IECA) Southeast Chapter Training and Field Days. The two-day October event included a full day at TRI's Denver Downs Research Facility, a large-scale testing facility for erosion and sediment control products and systems. Read the report and see photos from the event at ErosionControl.com. Learn more here.;

Erosion Control magazine editor Janice Kasperson writes about the eighth annual StormCon event, which will take place in Anaheim, California, 16-20 August 2009. Six conference tracks are being offered: BMP Case Studies; Low-Impact Development (LID); Stormwater Program Management; Water-Quality Monitoring; Advanced Research Topics; and Source Control. Read more about the event in Kasperson's write-up. Learn more here.;

Firestone Specialty Products produces geomembranes that are the durable, dependable solution for nearly any application. Whether for decorative commercial water features or critical containment applications such as agriculture, aquaculture, mining and other water containment, Firestone’s geomembrane systems are easy to install and built to last. The company has retooled the design and layout of its website. We encourage readers to give the new site, with its clean look and organization, a spin. Learn more here.;

Advance registration ends 30 November 2008 for the Transportation Research Board (TRB) 88th Annual Meeting. The event will takes place 11-15 January 2009 in Washington DC. More than 10,000 transportation policy makers, administrators, practitioners, researchers, and representatives of government, industry, and academic institutions are expected to attend. Learn more here.;

The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) will offer a free informational webinar to detail its projected $2.6 billion, I-15 CORE (Corridor Expansion) in advance of the release of the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for the design-build project. The webinar will be a live broadcast from Salt Lake City on 2 December 2008 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (MST). The RFQ will be released and posted on the UDOT website on December 3. UDOT's previous I-15 work involved a significant amount of geofoam. Learn more here.;

In 1992, during the construction of the third runway of Sydney's airport (Australia), reinforced earth walls were designed into the runway's perimeter. Within four years, clear subsidence was observed. Litigation followed, and finally all of the case's issues seem to have been resolved. The ruling has found that either compaction was not to the proper density or not enough care was taken in placement of the necessary geotextile fabric over joints in the fabric. Read more at Mondaq. (Registration required.) Learn more here.;

Organizers for TechTextil North America have updated registration information for exhibitors and attendees at the conference website. The event will be held 21-23 April 2009 at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Among the many sectors included in the show one will find geotechnical and building material suppliers. Learn more here.;

Environmental Connection is the annual conference from the International Erosion Control Association (IECA). We remind all of our readers that EC09 is just around the corner! The event will take place 9-12 February 2009 in Reno, Nevada. EC09 provides short courses, new technology exposure, networking, a large exhibitor hall, and much more. An early registration discount is available. Deadline for the "early bird" rate: 12 December 2008. Act now! Learn more here.;

The International Erosion Control Association (IECA) invites you to a fundraiser dinner on 9 February 2009 for Save Our International Land (SOIL). The charitable fund dinner will be held in conjunction with the EC09 conference. James Ridgway of Land and Water's Erosion and Sediment Control Network (ESCN.tv) will host. All proceeds go to SOIL. More information will be available soon. Learn more here.;

From the Department of Did You Know? comes news that the International Erosion Control Association (IECA) has a Facebook page. Facebook and other social networking websites have increasingly transitioned from being teenage communities to more advanced forums, including the establishment of businesses on Facebook. IECA invites users of the service to become an IECA "fan," which is a mark of support and community among Facebook users. Learn more here.;

The Bulletin of Bend, Oregon has published a little Q & A with geomembrane specialty company BTL. In the past year, BTL has moved into an even larger facility--this following a short stint at what seemed to be a large enough new home but that didn't meet BTL's capabilities and client needs. The profile and interview includes discussion of the economy, industry challenges and projections for 2009. Learn more here.;

Tensar has released a short brochure on the performance of geogrids in cold climates--and how geogrids can be installed quickly without the curing time or cold weather issues related to the use of lime, cement and fly ash. Read more in the PDF brochure. Learn more here.;

Waterproof Membranes 2008 is underway. It's the second in what is anticipated to be a longer-term series organized by Applied Market Information (AMI). And there was something about the program for Waterproof Membranes 2008 that really caught our eye. Key subjects this year include green roofing, sustainability, membrane durability and geotechnical applications. Others in the geosynthetics industry and related construction industries have seen this too, as our first night at the event revealed. Read the report from the opening night's reception. Learn more here.;

The second day of Waterproof Membranes 2008 proved to be crowded with activity. We ventured into deeper (waterproofed) waters with a long but welcomed day of presentations; afterwhich we were treated to a fine, friendly dinner across from Cologne's iconic cathedral. Read the report on Day 2's papers and happenings. Learn more here.;

TenCate Geosynthetics has taken home the top prize in the Geosynthetic Projects category of the 2008 International Achievement Awards (IAA). The winning entries in the IAAs were announced in late October during the Industrial Fabrics Association International's (IFAI) annual conference, which was held this year in Charlotte, North Carolina. IFAI conducts the IAAs each year. TenCate's winning project comes from British Columbia, Canada, where an 85m stretch of road passed between two lakes over some rather swampy terrain. Over a 30-year period the road had settled nearly 2m. TenCate's geotextile reinforced soil (GRS) expertised helped stabilize the situation and preserve a fish passageway between the waters. Read more about the project at TenCate's IAA entry page. Learn more here.;

A San Jose-based BioFuelBox Corp. plans to take biowaste normally dumped in landfills and convert the waste into biodiesel. Roughly 350 billion gallons of diesel are used each year; only about 450 million gallons of that are biodiesel. The company’s initial focus is on fats, oils and greases extracted from wastewater. An agreement with a major meat-producing company in Arkansas has been announced. Learn more here.;

Synteen Technical Fabrics has announced that the company will expand its wide-width weaving capacity by 400% at the Lancaster, South Carolina plant. Synteen Technical Fabrics weaves high-strength polyester geosynthetics for soil reinforcement and stabilization applications, such as for segmental retaining walls, base course and subgrade stabilization for roadway construction, and slope stabilization and repair. Read more in the release.

The International Erosion Control Association's (IECA) membership voted to re-elect Becky Gauthier to the 2009 Board of Directors. Joining Gauthier to the 2009 Board of Directors are new board members Phil Handley and Rick Morse. Read more in the release.

The Geosynthetic Institute (GSI) has announced some short courses. The current offerings include: Geosynthetics in Waste Containment Liner and Cover Design. The course will be offered 8 December 2008 and 9 March 2009 ** Quality Control / Quality Assurance of Geosynthetics Installation. The course will be offered 9 December 2008 and 10 March 2009. ** Examinations for Inspector Certification. This certification exam will be offered 10 December 2008 and 11 March 2009. For more information, please download the short course brochure (PDF).