Transportation

In Pownal, Vermont, crews will soon upgrade a 2,700-foot stretch of deteriorating road by digging down nine inches and installing a geotextile separation layer, stone and gravel. They will then observe the road for a year before blacktopping it. Learn more here.;

In Pembroke, Ontario, the city has warned residents that the roads may be particularly poor this year when the freeze-thaw cycle snaps the other way. Road construction has not been up to snuff. The Daily Observer's article notes that geotextiles in the sub-base have only been used in special circumstances. An operations manager has noted the city is paying now in potholes, cracking and ruts. Learn more here.;

India-based Bharat Books is offering a sales-tax-free copy of a geosynthetics study that forecasts 5% growth per year between 2010 and 2015. The report suggests geogrids and geocomposites show the greatest market potential and that the transportation sector will be a major driver. The study is from Freedonia. Learn more here.;

West Virginia has become the latest state to slap itself with a hefty erosion and sediment control violation fine. The state Division of Highways (DOH) did not properly monitor its contractors on an I-35 construction job. The lack of sediment trapping devices, poorly monitored silt fence, and other failings led the Department of Environmental Protection to issue a $125,000 fine. Learn more here.;

In an effort to clearly show the benefits of using geotextile separators in roads, the Geosynthetic Materials Association (GMA) is seeking information on projects constructed with and without geotextile separators where maintenance and cost records still exist. GMA needs your help. Are you aware of local projects that were installed and where the key personnel involved are still available? GMA wants to hear from you. Contact Andrew Aho, Managing Director, by email. Learn more here.;

Geosynthetics are being used to repair and strengthen roads in Grand Cayman, the Cayman Net News reports. The National Roads Authority (NRA) has been seeking longer road service lives. The current project is one of the first for the island with the materials. Geogrids and geotextiles are enabling the safe construction over peat. Learn more here.;

Congratulations are due to Woody McGee, the new interim president and CEO of Propex. And plenty of credit and well wishes are due to Joe Dana who is retiring from the position after 20 years of service to Propex. Mr. McGee comes to Propex from Cerberus Capital Management. Read more about the appointment in the release. Learn more here.;

It's a mouthful and it's off limits for the time being. Important portside transportation construction in New Zealand has blocked off an old road with a geogrid reinforced and wrapped wall. John Jones, writing for the Gisborne Herald, seems a touch confused by his introduction to the materials. Learn more here.;

Tensar International Corporation (TIC), a leading developer and manufacturer of technology-driven site solutions, has expanded its pavement reinforcement capabilities with the addition of the GlasPave™ Waterproofing Paving Mat, new from Saint-Gobain Technical Fabrics (SGTF). The GlasPave™ mat joins SGTF’s well-established GlasGrid® Pavement Reinforcement System, used to reduce reflective cracking on highways, runways and parking lots. TIC is the exclusive distributor of both products throughout North and South America. Read more.

Now this is a Friday story: Tecumseh High School in Tecumseh, Oklahoma is the scene of some bad blood between rival booster clubs--one representing the band, one athletics--but also of better parking lot management. While concession stand sales are a sour subject, the school board did opt to improve gravel parking lots at the new field with a geotextile underlay. Learn more here.;

The Williston City Commission has agreed to install a pond liner on a municipal golf course holding pond that has been leaking onto airport property. The drainage issue has impaired the airport's ability to improve runway capacity--a $14 million expansion project the city has been determined to begin. The liner will halt the leakage...so long as they install it properly. Though time presses, one hopes proper CQA is allowed. Learn more here.;

In Stark County, Ohio, a busy roadway has been closed again for flooding. Now, the county engineer's plan to elevate a critical section of the road by six feet is gaining support. Piles were considered too expensive, but a plan to adopt a geotextile design has found numerous funding channels. Learn more here.;

A recent conference encouraged the government of Vietnam to invest considerably in more sustainable business practices and the environment. Representatives form 18 economic sectors, including civil engineering, aquaculture, transportation, and mining, estimated that 120 trillion VND (USD$5.3 billion) was needed for environmental protection. Greater regulation is also thought to be needed. Learn more here.;

The new issue of Construction includes an article on the road safety and expansion project along a 6.5-mile stretch of U.S. 17 in Beaufort County, South Carolina. The ACE Basin Widening Project runs through one of the nation's largest undeveloped estuaries. To preserve that sensitive habitat, the project team has called upon layered silt fence and geotextile-wrapped drainage and filtration materials. Learn more here.;

UK-based Fiberweb PLC is investing millions in a China-based spun-bonded polyester manufacturer, Tianjin Hengguan Nonwoven Co Ltd, and is setting up a joint venture in India to create that country's first premium nonwoven geotextile manufacturing line: booming markets in need of geosynthetics. Learn more here.;

By request of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) Council, the South African Chapter of IGS (GIGSA) will host GeoAfrica 2009 in Cape Town, South Africa, 2-4 September 2009. The theme of this regional conference will be "Geosynthetics for Africa." Download the preliminary flyer here, and visit the IGS website for information on other chapter, regional and global events. Learn more here.;

The first quarter 2008 newsletter from the India-based Business Co-Ordination House is available. The wide-ranging issue includes some interesting statistics on the vastness of India's transportation system--though that particular article does not address engineered materials used in road, rail and runway--and a piece on the growth of the artificial turf industry. Learn more here.;

As many of you know, the infrastructure of the United States received horrible grades in the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) 2005 Report Card. But it seems that quite recently a number of important steps have been taken towards and events occurred in support of more federal funding to update the country's water and transportation infrastructure. Take another look.

geosindex.com lists geosynthetic data and it's free to access. Registration is never requested. For a sample of what the site provides, check out the geotextile data. The interactive table is sortable and users can choose what criteria fields they would like to see, such as CBR Puncture, NTPEP, and tensile strength. Questions on how to use the site or how to list your products? Contact us. Learn more here.;

The ASTM Proficiency Testing Program has just expanded its existing Textiles Proficiency Testing Program to include a new proficiency testing program on yarns and threads. This new PTP is an industry driven quality assurance program for companies doing yarn and thread component performance evaluations on a routine basis. This PTP will provide participants with a statistical tool that will enable them to compare, improve and maintain a high level of performance in the use of ASTM test methods with other laboratories worldwide. The test parameters in the ASTM yarn and thread PTP include the following ASTM standard tests: · D 1422, Test Method for Twist in Single Spun Yarns by the Untwist-Retwist Method; · D 1423, Test Method for Twist in Yarns by Direct-Counting; · D 1907, Test Method for Linear Density of Yarn (Yarn Number) by the Skein Method; and · D 2256, Test Method for Tensile Properties of Yarns by the Single-Strand Method (straight break strength and loop strength). For each test trial, laboratory participants receive a different spool containing 500 yards of a representative yarn or thread for testing, along with interactive electronic data report forms and test instructions. Using the specified ASTM program tests, participating laboratories conduct the tests of their choice that they routinely run. Upon completion of testing, each lab electronically submits their data to the ASTM PTP Center for use in generating statistical summary reports. Final reports, which are electronically distributed within a month of the data submission deadline, contain: · All test results, coded to maintain PTP customer confidentiality; · Statistical analysis of test data; and · Charts plotting test results versus laboratory code. Test results received through the program will allow laboratories to monitor strengths and weaknesses to maintain accreditation status and compare test results and calculated statistical parameters with labs throughout the world. Test cycles will be held in June and December. Companies must be registered by April 30 to be included in the June test trial. The annual subscription fee for both trials in 2008 is $290 USD. For more information on registration and fees, please contact Helen Mahy, ASTM International (phone: 610/832-9683; hmahy@astm.org) or visit the proficiency test program for textiles section of the ASTM Web site at the link below. Learn more here.;

Evaluating soils is a tricky business, as Winston-Salem officials have found out. An additional $830,000 was added to the end of a road-widening project, largely due to the need for unplanned drainage and erosion control operations. The upfront soil analysis missed the trouble zones, and the city's lack of month-to-month project oversight led to the surprise bill. North Carolina recently toughened its EC rules. Learn more here.;

The Xinhua News Agency reports that China will upgrade 270,000 km (167,800 miles) of rural roads in 2008 as part of its vast transportation modernization effort. Also, 5,000 km (3100 miles) of new expressways will be constructed. It is hoped that the massive plan will incorporate more environmental and erosion controls. Learn more here.;

The US House of Representatives voted 361-54 to override a water bill veto of President Bush - the first override of his almost seven years in office. The $23.2 billion bill now goes to the Senate for an override vote. It includes considerable funds for erosion control, flood control, wastewater management and transportation. Learn more here.;

Seattle has found a possible solution to its bridge debate: tunnels. The Route 520 corridor's approach to Interstate 5 has been a contentious transportation issue for years, but now international engineers are evaluating over the next month the possibility of constructing a tunnel instead of a new bridge. Opposition to the project is retreating. A new mode? Learn more here.;

The IGS India promoted workshop: Applications of Geosynthetics - Present and Future” was held 20-21 September 2007 in Gandhinagar (Gujarat), India. Read a review sent by A.C. Gupta, Treasurer, Indian Chapter of IGS.