Please note the new phone and fax numbers for CAAWSystems (phone: +1.262.965.4366, fax: +1. 262.965.4369). Also, Matt Albert, formerly of GSI, has joined the company to handle the estimating needs and project managment.

The forum, Geosynthetics in Engineering : Moving Towards New Application Practices, was held in Quebec City, Canada, on February 11-12, 2004, and gathered about 150 participants. Cont'd 2/16/04 The 2-day conference was about geosynthetics applications to road construction & rehabilitation and environmental applications - Barry Christopher, Dave Suits, George Koerner, Andre Rollin, Bob Denis, Eric Blond and others presented excellent papers. Abstracts to follow shortly. A short report from Terrafix's Bruno Herlin follows: "Being in attendance for only one day of a two day event at the Forum Geosynthetics 2004 Conference in Quebec City organized by Sageos, my observations and comments as a delegate to this forum was that organizers at Sageos put together a list of speakers, papers, and information which would rival any industry related conference on geosynthetics. The quality of the presentations provided at this forum was very informative and top notch. It offered all those in attendance an added update on the industry and provided everyone with items to add to their own personal bag of tricks to use for upcoming projects requiring geosynthetic solutions. As per George Koerner's comment during his presentation 'Geosynthetics…they can do the job, they have shown that they work, we as engineers and designers would have to be negligent not to use them'. This statement got everyone's blood flowing in the room. The forum was presented in both official languages. A complete package of the forum can be purchased from Sageos, however a package doesn't replace the added information which was supplied from a list of highly educated presenters put together for this forum. The added benefit of this forum in particular is the small venue atmosphere, an atmosphere which other geosynthetics conferences should follow. The small venue offered an atmosphere where all can communicate to exchange information, something which is lacking when conferences are held in large venues. Not to be missed, are future forums to be presented by Sageos later this year. From Quebec City signed, Bruno Herlin, P.Eng. Project Engineer, Terrafix Geosynthetics Inc."

Huesker Geosynthetics (a gsa underwriter), along with Allan Block Corporation, sponsored Columbia University on the first full-scale seismic testing ever performed on SRW walls. In the Fall of 2002, a series of three tests were conducted on Allan Block walls reinforced with Huesker geogrids at a seismic research facility in Japan. 28-page Executive Summary at http://www.allanblock.com/seismic/seismicreport2.pdf . For the 4-page summary, please go to the continued link below. Learn more here.;

gsa is investigating a welding machine claimed to be able to weld different geomembrane materials together. If this is of interest to you please let us know and indicate the types of materials you would like to weld.

That GFR Editor, Christopher Kelsey, is also an award winning cook? His winning prize? A bottle of Beano! The following is his famous vegetarian recipe. cK Chili: 1 med. White onion - diced, 3 stalks celery - diced, 3 bell peppers (different colors, preferably) - diced, 2 serrano peppers - cored, seeded and finely chopped, 1 jalapeno pepper - cored, seeded and finely chopped, 6 cups (or three 12-ounce cans) mixed beans (e.g., black, pinto and cannelini), 4 cups (or two 12-ounce cans) vegetable broth or water, Extra-virgin olive oil, Chili powder, Cumin, Thyme (fresh or dried), a sprig or two's leaves, Cilantro (fresh, chopped) * a few sprigs, Oregano (fresh and chopped, preferably) * a few sprigs, Srirachi (Thai red chili) sauce, and finally, Corn starch - optional. 1. In warm pot with olive oil, sweat the onions and celery for three minutes. Add all peppers (bell, Serrano, and jalapeno) and a bit more olive oil. Give a good stir. Add oregano, cilantro and thyme. Stir. Let sweat for a minute. Add beans and broth. Bring to a boil. 2. Add a few squirts of srirachi sauce and cumin and chili powder to taste. (Perhaps a tablespoon of each.) Stir. Lower to simmer. 3. Add corn starch to thicken (if desired). Excellent when served hot over bread.

Huesker recently announced that they had purchased the assets of Geocomp Inc. located in Shelby, NC. According to Tom Collins, President, "this expansion will allow Huesker to grow faster and will provide access to numerous water-related markets that are central to our long term plans." Huesker Inc. of Charlotte, NC, is a manufacturer of specialty geosynthetics for the soil reinforcement market.

The new bilingual internet site went live today. Infogeos.com was created to inform the geotechnical French community (in Canada, Europe and North Africa) on geosynthetics activities and products. Learn more here.;

CONTECH Construction Products, Inc., will share insights gained from more than 100 years of expertise in civil engineering solutions with the relaunch of its Web site, www.contech-cpi.com. The civil engineering industry resource provides access to hundreds of documents and tools to assist in the development of innovative applications for detention systems, stormwater treatment and drainage, sewage lines, bridges, tunnels, retaining walls and erosion control. The new site helps specifying engineers, design/build professionals and contractors plan and implement civil engineering projects with minimal cost and maximum efficiency. Visitors have the opportunity to register, free of charge, to enjoy exclusive access to a more comprehensive portfolio of tools and information including estimating calculators, CAD files, design software, in-depth case studies, and product installation instructions. "It became clear that the Web was one of the most effective ways to leverage our 100 years of experience to our customers' benefit," said Rick Stepien, CONTECH senior vice president of marketing. "This resource is designed to be an invaluable tool that industry professionals can use to make their jobs easier and help projects run more smoothly." Information is easily accessible thanks to enhanced navigation and an intuitive layout. Visitors can search for information by industry, application, or product category. CONTECH expects the new site to continually evolve and grow, so civil engineering professionals can rely on it as an ongoing resource throughout their careers. Learn more here.;

Jacquie Dettman started 3 February as Manager of Business Development for TRI (a geosynthetica underwriter). Jacquie has previously worked for Poly-Flex, Golder, and Jacobs Engineering.

Le schéma préliminaire pour l'infogeos.com. Le site sera en service a partir du 12 février 2004. Infogeos.com is a new web site that will be on-line by February 12. It is a bilingual site created to inform the geotechnical French community (in Canada, Europe and North Africa) and Canadian engineering professionals on geosynthetics activities and products. 12e.