The City of Townsville in northern Queensland is Australia’s largest urban center north of the Sunshine Coast. The local Waste Services Department serves nearly 200,000 residents. When the time came to improve stormwater management and install capping on the city’s two largest waste facilities, engineers selected a multi-component geosynthetic clay liner for the essential containment on both projects. The coated...

By John D. Herrmann; Bruce A. Lacina, P.E.; and Monte Madsen – Oil and gas producers have uncovered many challenges when constructing well pads and access roads. Drill rigs have to set up in optimal locations related to where the shale oil and gas reserves are located, anywhere from 1,524 m (5,000 ft) to over 3,048 m (10,000 ft)...

Testing plays a vital role in the design and performance of transportation projects. Testing and monitoring improve infrastructure by providing valuable data before and after construction, allowing the designer and owner to better forecast system response and degradation. Accelerated pavement testing is one of the valuable tools that can be used to predict and validate performance, improve design methodologies,...

By Chris Kelsey – The engineering community is mourning the loss of two of its most influential champions: Dr. Robert M. Koerner and Pauline W. Koerner. The couple, who had recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary, and who were well known throughout the world for their deep contributions to geosynthetics and engineering and education-centered philanthropy, passed away in early...

Traditionally, waste management in the southern regions of Castellón and north of Valencia has depended heavily on external treatment services. This made waste management, particularly with higher volumes of urban waste, prohibitively expensive. Furthermore, the need to transport a significant volume of waste to other regions began to stress their ability to continue accepting the waste stream. To correct these...

The flood disaster of 1997 made a deep impression on many Germans. The Oder and Morava river basins flooded, and the waters spread through regions of the Czech Republic, Poland, and Germany. More than 100 people were killed. Following it, flood protection engineering became one of the most significant topics for communities along the Oder River. In Germany, the...

The International Geosynthetics Society's Technical Committees on Soil Reinforcement (TC-R) and Barrier Systems (TC-B) will gather IGS members and affiliated geotechnical professionals in Barcelona 20 – 23 January 2020 for back-to-back, high-level workshops. Revered international figures headline this 2nd installment in the co-located Soil Reinforcement and Barrier Systems Workshops. High-level discussion, significant interaction with the attendees, and potential white papers...

Geosynthetic reinforced soil structures (GRSS) are transforming India’s transportation networks, commercial construction options, and much more. These reinforcement materials and designs enable more sustainable projects, steeper slopes, safer retaining walls, etc. Every geotechnical and civil engineering company in India should expand their knowledge in this sector! On 5 – 6 December 2019 in Ahmedabad, four geosynthetic reinforcement experts will lead...

Embankment reinforcement along a river and bridge abutment strengthening was required for a new carriageway in Bridgwater, Somerset, United Kingdom. The project team used a load transfer platform design supported by a combination of geosynthetics: Maccaferri MacTex W1 and ParaLink. The £18.4 million project has been engineered to alleviate traffic congestion in the town and open up access to surrounding...

The GAP 2019 transportation engineering event is honored to announce the NSSGA has arranged for Kevin Vaughan of Vulcan to speak on Inverted Pavements, Nov 4-6 at GAP 2019 in Colorado Springs. The conference is bringing together one of the most engaging conversations and collaborations its inaugural event. Developed in partnership with representatives of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Federal...