Lifetime Predictions of Exposed Geotextiles and Geomembranes - Video Interview
Dr. Robert Koerner (right) during an April 2016 interview with Dr. Russell Jones, President of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS). They discussed Dr. Koerner’s on-going 12-year study of geosynthetic aging.

GeoChicago 2016: Koerner Symposium SpeakersASCE Geo-Institute‘s GeoChicago 2016 conference opens next week. Program co-chairs Dr. Krishna R. Reddy, P.E., D.GE, F.ASCE (University of Illinois at Chicago) and Dr. Nazli Yesiller, A.M.ASCE (Global Waste Research Institute) have helped line up an extraordinary plan, which includes two high-level sessions honoring pioneers in the field: Dr. Robert Koerner and Dr. David Daniel.
Also of note for the geosynthetics field, which is heavily incorporated into the larger geotechnical discussions at GeoChicago 2016, is the August 15 session on “Advances in Design, Testing, and Evaluation of Geosynthetics Used for Geoenvironmental Systems.” It is moderated by Dr. Nathalie Touze-Foltz (IRSTEA) and Dr. Tim Bauters (Golder Associates).
Furthermore, key members of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) Technical Committee on Barriers will be at the conference.
GeoChicago 2016 will be held August 14 – 18 at the Sheraton Grand in Chicago. Visit the event website for full program details.

GEOCHICAGO 2016: KOERNER SYMPOSIUM SPEAKERS

The 90-minute Koerner Symposium is a plenary session with the official title of “Geosynthetics—The Pathway to Bonafide Engineering Materials: A Mini-Symposium Honoring the Career of Geo-Legend Robert M. Koerner.” It generated an incredible amount of interest. Dr. Grace Hsuan, who has taken the paper selection lead for the session organizers, has selected 10 papers for presentation from the 30 submitted.
The speakers and affiliated papers include:

  • Shobha Bhatia – Opening Remarks
  • Roman Hryciw – An Update of Robert M. Koerner’s Models for Packing Densities of Sands using Image-Based Intrinsic Soil Properties
  • Bob Holtz – Laboratory and Field Investigations of Separation Geotextiles
  • Sam Allen – The Testing of Geotextile Permittivity and Related Properties Using the Characteristic Flow Equation and Air Flow Measurements
  • Rudolph Bonaparte – Geomembrane-Leachate Compatibility for U.S. Department of Energy CERCLA Waste Disposal Facilities
  • George Koerner – Monitoring Insitu Conditions of Dry and Wet Landfills
  • Te-Yang Soong – Evaluation of Geomembrane Destructive Seam Testing Frequencies and Risk Management
  • Dimiter Alexiew – Four Pioneering Projects over the Last 20 years using Innovative Georinforcement Solutions
  • Mark Wayne – Mechanically Stabilized LayersThe Use of Geogrids for the Development of Mechanically Stabilized Layers
  • Erol Guler – Seismic Behavior of Cohesive Backfilled Geosynthetic Reinforced Wall
  • Thomas Zimmie – Physical Modeling of Geosynthetics Using Geotechnical Centrifuges

Other submissions for the symposium, but for which not enough time is allotted for live presentation, include Craig Calabria, Daniele Cazzuffi, James Collin, Bob Denis, Archie Filshill, Patrick Fox, Georg Heerten, Grace Hsuan, Han Yong Jeon, Kelvin Legge, Dov Leshchinsky, Mike Monteleone, Ian Peggs, Boyd Ramsey, Kerry Rowe, Mark Sieracke, Robert Swan, Rick Thiel, Tim Townsend, Mark Wayne, Andrea Welker, and Jorge Zornberg.
Visit the event website for full program details.