Containment

Anyone involved with the design and construction of green buildings can now use the first comprehensive standard contract document that addresses the many challenges associated with these complex projects. The new document, known as the ConsensusDOCSTM 310 Green Building Addendum, was developed by members of the ConsensusDOCS group to help advise the owner, set proper expectations, and avoid delays and other legal hassles in the construction of buildings seeking green certification or other sustainable goals. Read more.

Fort Detrick in Maryland touts itself as "a sustainable community of excellence." The Fort is now correcting some lingering environmental concerns with the installation of a geosynthetic capping system over some contaminated landfill cells. Learn more here.;

Neighbors of Alby Quarry in Alton, Illinois are pleased to learn that the years of blasting they've endured may finally be at its end. A new proposal has suggested converting the quarry into a construction debris landfill. During a public meeting, the proposal was discussed. A clay liner with a geosynthetic barrier would be installed to secure the site. This might be the first instance in the US of the neighbors encouraging the construction of a landfill. Learn more here.;

The ongoing focus on sustainability in construction has contributed to greater interest in vegetative, or green, roof systems, in which traditional roofing material is replaced or supplemented with vegetation. A proposed new ASTM International standard will address an important aspect of designing this kind of roofing: determining the proper roofing and waterproofing membrane for a particular system. The proposed new standard, ASTM WK29304, "Guide for Selection of Roofing/Waterproofing Membranes for Vegetative Roof Systems," is currently being developed by Subcommittee D08.24 on Sustainability, part of ASTM International Committee D08 on Roofing and Waterproofing.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking applications to provide assistance to agricultural producers and rural small businesses to complete a variety of energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, such as anaerobic digester projects. Funding is being made available through the USDA's Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) authorized by the 2008 Farm Bill. REAP is designed to help agricultural producers and rural small businesses reduce energy costs and consumption and help meet the nation’s energy needs. For 2012, USDA has approximately $25.4 million budget authority available to fund REAP activities, which will support at least $12.5 million in grants and approximately $48.5 million for the guaranteed loan program.

The 11th International Conference on Geosynthetics, organized by the International Geosynthetics Society’s Korean Chapter, will be held in Seoul, South Korea 16 – 21 September 2018. The Young IGS Members...

Ken's Foods of Marlborough, Massachusetts, is featured in the latest Environmental Protection magazine for its installation of anaerobic bioreactors to manage wastewater. The system uses geomembrane covers and harvests 200,000 to 300,000 cubic feet of biogas per day. The biogas is converted to energy--enough to power the plant's entire heating needs and half of the electricity for the manufacturing facility. Learn more here.;

Dr. Dennes Bergado writes with news of a gathering in Thailand: Geosynthetics Asia 2012, the 5th Asian Regional Conference on Geosynthetics. The first Call for Abstracts for this event, to be held under the auspices of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) and to be hosted by IGS Thailand, can be viewed in PDF here. Geosynthetics Asia 2012 will take place 10-14 December 2012 in Bangkok.

Low and Bonar PLC, the international performance materials group, and National Petrochemical Industrial Company, a subsidiary of Alujain Corporation, today announce that they have agreed the terms on which they are to establish a joint venture company in Saudi Arabia for the design, manufacture and sale of geotextile products for the fast growing civil engineering markets in the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent. Learn more.

DuPont has achieved zero landfill status in its Building Innovations business by reducing, reusing and recycling manufacturing byproducts and waste at manufacturing sites globally. After three years of focused effort, DuPont Building Innovations has become completely landfill free, reducing its environmental footprint from 81 million pounds of landfill waste annually to zero. Now, through the "Drive to Zero" landfill program, none of the waste generated by the business from the manufacture of DuPont™ Corian® solid surfaces, DuPont™ Zodiaq® quartz surfaces, DuPont™ Tyvek® weatherization systems products and geosynthetic textiles is sent to landfills.

A 7-mile pipeline, which will be used as the conduit for about 900,000 cubic yards of sand to build a new beach south of Pascagoula's Beach Boulevard, was threaded under the U.S. 90 bridge this week. Crews began laying the 18-inch black plastic pipe last week and the project should take three or four weeks. The first order of business will be to fill the Geotubes on site. Learn more here.;

Some are now calling for the complete removal of the artificial surf reef in Mount Mauganui, New Zealand. The project has failed to create the waves promised to surfers, has intensified dangerous rip currents, and has even caused 4.5m of sand scouring. These complaints follow criticism of the Bournemouth geotextile bag reef in England. In both cases, however, the company of design (ASR) contends that construction was never completed; that the lead councils ended installation work too soon. The company's showcase reef along the Gold Coast has performed well, for surfers and in terms of beachfront erosion control. Learn more here.;

Electrical leak locations provide invaluable insight into the integrity of a geosynthetic lining system. All geomembrane-lined containment facilities should be tested for leaks before going into service. Early detection...

BASF SE, the world's biggest chemical company, said it plans to outpace the expected 5 percent annual growth in the global plastics market by boosting operations in Asia. BASF's plastics division will report higher sales and a "significant" improvement in earnings in 2010, board member Martin Brudermueller reiterated at a press conference in Frankenthal, Germany. Demand in Asia will grow at 6 percent a year through 2015, he said. Learn more here.;

A dairy waste lagoon dike has failed, sending possibly millions of gallons of untreated manure into the Snohomish River and creating a big environmental and health hazard. The lagoon, which holds up to 21 million gallons, is at the 750-head Bartelheimer Brothers dairy in Snohomish, Washington. A 30-ft-wide breach has opened on one side of the dike, which has 15-ft-high walls. Only 5 feet of the lagoon is below ground. Learn more here.;

Wyong Shire Council may soon pass an ordinance that would require individual home owners along the Central Coast to pay for the installation of geotextile-based shoreline protection. Erosion has been a significant problem, and home owners will now have to choose to protect the shore or perhaps move their homes. Learn more here.;

Water has been in dwindling supply in Australia in recent years. Drought has ravished farms and rivers are drying up. Geosynthetic liners and floating covers have helped stem some water loss to seepage and evaporation. Officials now report that the month of October was the most successful month of water gain in 17 years. The long-term average of water levels in reservoirs is still 20% down; but the gaining of water at this difficult time is worth recognizing. Conservation technologies, smarter citizen use, and a bit of meteorological luck have combined to compel some needed change. Learn more here.;

In an effort to make finding site-specific solutions easier for its customers, PROFILE Products LLC announces a major redesign of its company website: www.profileproducts.com. John Schoch, president and CEO of Profile Products, said the redesign is intended to provide a better experience and easier navigation, with the "solution focus" that will help customers find the answers they need faster.

Strata Systems has grown significantly in its international presence in recent years. Growth has followed a steady and diverse plan in developing product lines (e.g., StrataWeb®), investing in emerging...

The Spring 2009 issue of MiraFacts, a publication from TenCate Geosynthetics, has been released. This issue contains stories on how geosynthetics help reduce a carbon footprint, new haul roads brochure, a technical note on loading, two case cases, upcoming events, and more. (Continued.)

The Erosion Control Technology Council (ECTC) has recently approved and published a comprehensive General Usage and Installation Guideline for Sediment Retention Fiber Roll (SRFR). These guidelines are the product of consensus amongst leading manufacturers of SRFRs in the industry and are designed to satisfy the needs of engineers and designers and other end-users of these products. These guidelines provide expert information on appropriate application and spacing along with key elements for successful product performance.

Online registration has opened for Great Connections 2014! This new water quality and stormwater management conference from two IECA Chapters will be held 29 April - 1 May 2014 in...

The release of Presto Geosystems' new ATRA® Tendon Clip is providing enhanced load transfer strength for geocell installations. The clip has been designed to transfer slope gravitational forces...

To build a $140-million cobalt mine in a national forest in Idaho, tiny Vancouver junior miner Formation Metals Inc. turned to the state's chief rainmaker, Cecil Andrus. Mr. Andrus was Idaho's longest-serving governor, a Democrat who was elected four times. The company wanted to unearth a metal used in turbines for jet engines and batteries, where demand could spike as electric cars become more common. It would be the only cobalt-focused mine in the United States. More than $600 million in cobalt is used in the United States each year. The top cobalt producting countries are the Democratic Republic of Congo and Canada. Learn more here.;

The Brazilian infrastructure market is expanding rapidly. Over the next three years, USD $500 billion is expected to be invested, both to keep pace with the country's growth and two major international sporting events (2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympic Games). These growth opportunities and more will be discussed at Terrapinn's Infrastructure Investment World Brazil 2010 conference, 31 August - 1 September 2010 in Rio de Janeiro. Key investors, developers, construction companies, government officials, development banks, and hedge and private equity funds will all be involved.