In 2004 The Plastics Technology group has seen a steady increase in enquiries and orders for long-term property (creep & fatigue) evaluation. One growth area has been environmental creep rupture testing which has helped to address many chemical compatibility and environmental stress cracking issues for the packaging industry. It is felt that not enough plastic component manufacturers realise that long-term properties are fundamental to how a plastic product will perform in service. The use of this data is vital for good product design and an important preventative measure against premature failure in the field. Properties of a plastic material will deteriorate simply with time. This natural process accelerated by the application of stress, temperature, and chemical environment. The benefit of such testing is the assurance of not having to deal with mass product failure in the field at significant expense. If you would like further information regarding this service then please contact: coconnor@rapra.net

Rapra is currently recruiting speakers for autumn 2005. If you are interested in any of their events, please contact Dr. S. Humphreys at shumphreys@rapra.net, or submit an abstract through Rapra's web site at the "continued" link below.

I-CORP is seeking potential licensees to manufacture an internationally patented structured geomembrane/bentonite (or other mineral layer)/geotextile single unit composite liner - constant thickness, no sideways migration of bentonite (place on walls), always intimate contact, etc. Contact icorp@geosynthetic.com.

Do you know of any published references to the use of geomembranes earlier than the 1953 reference by C. W. Lauritzen and W. H. Peterson "Butyl Fabrics as Canal Lining Materials", Bulletin 363, Utah State Agricultural College, Agricultural Experimental Station? There may be a USACE publication dated 1951. gsa istrying to find the earliest paper published on geomembrane - can you help?

View the many events occurring at Geo-Frontiers, all conveniently located on one page. If you see that your organization's meeting is not included, please contact us and we will be happy to add it to the page.

The Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) is conducting a nationwide study of the availability of relevant educational opportunities for current and future dam engineering/ dam safety professionals, and the need for increasing the number of professionals who specialize in dam engineering and dam safety. All academics and professionals who work or study in the U.S. and whose professional or academic interests relate to dams are invited to participate in ASDSO's survey, which is posted at the "continued" link below. The survey is brief, consisting of only 10 questions, but some respondents may elect to answer only item #9, which addresses the availability of relevant educational opportunities for current and future dam engineering/ dam safety professionals. Surveys can be returned to ASDSO via mail, e-mail or fax. Responses are requested by January 21. For more information on this effort, please contact: Sarah Mayfield, Association of State Dam Safety Officials, 450 Old Vine Street, Flr. 2, Lexington, KY 40507-1544, Tel: 859 257 5140, Fax: 859 323 1958, E-mail: smayfield@damsafety.org, Web: http://www.damsafety.org. Learn more here.;

Rob Swan (SGI) and Ian Peggs (I-CORP), both geosynthetica.net Underwriters, examining the exposed parts of a bend in a low geocell wall they came across in Fernandina Beach, FL. on New Year's Day.

The PVC Geomembrane Institute has teamed up with CETCO in offering two new short courses titled "Constructing with GCLs and PVC Geomembrane." The first will be on March 7 2005 in Denver, CO, at the Denver Merchandise Mart. The second will be on March 8, 2005 in Cheyenne, WY at the Little America Hotel. These courses focus on how GCLs and PVC geomembranes can be used together as a composite liner. The cost of the course is $40. The fee is waived for governmental employees and students. For more information or to register for these courses go to the "continued" link below. Learn more here.;

GFR magazine's Spec Guide provides data on more than 1500 products: geotextiles, geomembranes, geosynthetic clay liners, drains and geonets, geogrids, geocells and erosion control materials. Also, the Guide connects you with 200 application and service specialists to help you on yourprojects. To order a copy, contact Barbara Connett, +1 651 225 6913, fax +1 651 631 9334, email bjconnett@ifai.com.

For the first time, 743 ASTM standards related to transportation and highway engineering have been compiled into a three-volume set, ASTM Standards on Transportation Applications. The compilation, now available from ASTM International, meets the needs of industry, the Department of Transportation, and the Federal Highway Administration, and it includes documents from nine volumes of the Annual Book of ASTM Standards. ASTM Standards on Transportation Applications is an invaluable publication for railroad, air, and port authorities; engineering firms; state and federal highway officials; and members of all transportation and highway engineering associations. The set includes standards developed by 11 ASTM technical committees, including: -- C01 on Cement, -- C09 on Concrete and Concrete Aggregates, -- C12 on Mortars and Grouts for Unit Masonry, -- C13 on Concrete Pipe, -- C15 on Manufactured Masonry Units, -- D04 on Road and Paving Materials, -- D18 on Soil and Rock, -- D35 on Geosynthetics, -- E17 on Vehicle-Pavement Systems, -- E50 on Environmental Assessment, Risk Management and Corrective Action, and -- F17 on Plastic Piping Systems. Copies of ASTM Standards on Transportation Applications (2004, 4,379 pages, hard cover, ISBN 0-8031-3337-5; Stock #TRANS04) are available for purchase from ASTM Customer Service (phone: 610/832-9585, fax: 610/832-9555, or e-mail: service@astm.org) for $795 North America; $875 elsewhere. Established in 1898, ASTM International is one of the largest standards development and delivery systems in the world. ASTM standards are accepted and used in research and development, product testing, quality systems, and commercial transactions around the globe.