GCL Conference – Würzburg, Germany

Ian D. Peggs, Ph.D., P.E., of I-CORP International is currently in Würzburg, Germany for the 3rd International Conference on Geosynthetic Clay Liners, September 15-16. The event has been spearheaded by three key independent organizations on its scientific committee: SKZ (Germany), Cemagref (France) and the Geosynthetic Institute (USA). Time permitting during the conference, Ian has agreed to share updates from Germany with Geosynthetica’s readers. He filed the following on the evening of September 14.

**

SKZ’s Helmut Zanzinger outside the Würzburg office.

We arrived in Frankfurt right on time early Monday and caught the ICE train to Würzburg right from the airport. Talk about convenient! Met up with Helmut Zanzinger for a tour around SKZ’s labs. For an ex-lab rat, now without lab facilities I was very envious of their facilities and capabilities for testing all geosynthetics, pipe, and any engineering plastic component, both for conformance testing and research. Several pieces of equipment were covered over for confidentiality!

SKZ has interesting programs on evaluating high-density polyethylene (HDPE) stress-cracking resistance from stress/strain curves, stepped isothermal method (SIM) testing, combined normal/shear stresses on geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs), pipe testing and now erosion control products testing–everything from sheep’s wool to straw, wood, and fine geogrids.

Also of note, SKZ has a highway/bridge embankment covered with about 48 test plots. They are now about one year old and are planned for another two years.

In the evening we had dinner at the table next to actor Orlando Bloom, who was in town for the film remake of The Three Muskateers. It is being filmed not only at The Residence but at the Fortress Marienburg, which is the location of the conference. I am sure I saw him nudge his companion to say that Zanzinger and Peggs were on the next table!

On Tuesday we caught up on our zzzzzzzs, walked around the old town, then attended the speaker’s dinner at the Ratskeller in the evening.

Tomorrow morning, 85 registrants from more than 20 countries get to work seriously.

Two more photographs from the day’s activities:

SKZ’s 43-plot erosion control test embankment. The site has been monitored for one year and will be for another two.

Patrick Fox (USA), Helmut Zanzinger (Germany) Conference Chairman, and Peter Davies (South Africa) at the speakers’ dinner.

More updates as time allows.

Ian D. Peggs is president of I-CORP International. He can be reached at icorp@geosynthetic.com.