Ground Improvement

After months of review and revision, the Erosion Control Technology Council (ECTC) has updated its guidance document for use by industry professionals. The document, “A Technical Guidance Manual: Terminology, Index & Performance Testing Procedures for Rolled Erosion Control Products,” can be found on ECTC’s website at the link below or on ECTC’s website, www.ectc.org, under the “Testing” category in the “Documents & Tools” section. This document was originally developed by the ECTC to aid in the understanding and use of the most recent terminology, index/physical property test methods, and performance research for RECPs. It also was intended to assist engineers, geologists, soil scientists, landscape architects, contractors, research facilities within the erosion control industry in the selection of RECPs. The new document continues with these efforts and includes bench scale testing information. It also contains updates to all ASTM standards to reflect the current state of practice. Learn more here.;

At each annual conference, the Association of State Dam Safety Officials recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the field of dam safety. This year’s award winners were recognized on September 12th, at the 2006 ASDSO Awards Banquet in Boston. One of those awards was the National Rehabilitation Project of the Year, awarded to Gannett Fleming, Inc. for Loch Raven Dam. William B. Bingham, Vice President of Gannett Fleming, Inc. reports that "geotextile filter fabric in the drainage system including interface drains (old dam to RCC buttress), face drain (RCC to Facing Concrete), and foundation/toe drains" were used in the project. Loch Raven Dam is a 131-foot high, 700-foot long concrete gravity structure owned by the Baltimore Department of Public Works. The dam impounds approximately 23-billion gallons of water in the Loch Raven Reservoir, the "crown jewel" of the water supply system for the greater Baltimore region. A failure of the dam would jeopardize the lives of more than 3,000 people, public and private property, and vital infrastructure, Accordingly, Maryland regulations require that Loch Raven Dam safely pass the probable maximum flood (PMF). When evaluated against this criterion, two major deficiencies were noted: inadequate factors of safety for structural stability, and insufficient spillway capacity. Maryland Dam Safety directed the City of Baltimore to rehabilitate or remove the dam. City officials quickly concluded they had no choice but to rehabilitate the dam. They selected Gannett Fleming to design a solution that would increase the dam’s stability and confine PMF overflow to the 288-foot-wide spillway. To this end, Gannett Fleming decided to increase the structure’s mass, install rock anchor, and raise non-overflow sections of the dam. Of prime concern during the development process was the reservoir’s essential function of supplying water for nearly a million people. Building a new structure downstream was not an option, nor was an alternative to widen the spillway. The solution: Renovate the dam in two steps, one half at a time, while maintaining normal capacity. Throughout the three-year project, the contractor faced formidable challenges. Unusually frequent and heavy rainfalls caused overtopping of the spillway, complicating the diversion scheme. All work took place in a pristine watershed environment, in compliance with stringent regulations and under close scrutiny from the surrounding communities. In spite of these complexities, the project was completed five months ahead of schedule and $500,000 under budget. The project was a great cooperative effort. The Maryland Dam Safety Program required the City to conduct additional investigations and to make needed repairs. The City, Gannett Fleming, and the ASI/Cianbro JV team created an excellent design and construction project. All performed their jobs admirably, and all deserve credit for the project’s success.

The Lawrence County Soil and Water Conservation District, Indiana, is giving a tour on December 5 of a farm with heavy use animal traffic zones. Part of the tour will demonstrate the benefits of installing geotextiles in the heaviest traffic spots. Read about it in the Times-Mail. Learn more here.;

While NPDES and various erosion control regulations are issued and monitored by state agencies, these regulations often start at the disturbance of more than one acre of land. Many developments fall below this mark, and these developments can cause significant sediment problems without infringing standard EC codes...unless counties and cities establish their own. This problem is exemplified by a case in North Carolina. Learn more here.;

In South Africa, access roads to the popular Stellenbosch wine region was threatened by erosion to the gravel roads. A combination of geotextiles and geocells were installed to improve the conditions. Read about it in Mining Weekly. Learn more here.;

The Indian geotextile industry continues to grow, as Vertex Spinning Ltd. has announced a venture into geotextiles for general civil engineering and transporation. India, though, remains a country in which the word "geotextile" is used interchangably for geosynthetics and biodegradable, natural fiber erosion control products. The company's exact offerings are still in need of detail and data. Learn more here.;

While the removal of a condo development plan in Waterbury, Connecticut is not solely the result of an inadequate erosion control plan, it's interesting to note that cities, counties and journalists continue to stress this in development discussions and articles. And developers continue to underplan. Better approaches to development and erosion control are just some of the discussions to be tackled at February's EC 07 conference in Reno. Learn more here.;

CONTECH has reorganized its website to put all the information you need in one easy-to-find place. Now, all CONTECH solutions from their bridge, drainage, earth stabilization and stormwater divisions are on one integrated, cross-searchable site. Learn more here.;

Offered by Maccaferri is this short course on Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE) Retaining Structures & Rockfall Mitigation Using Drapery & Fences. November 7 (Ventura), 9 (San Diego), 14 (Reno), 15 (Sacramento), 16 (Bay Area) and December 5 (Boise), 6 (Seattle), 7 (Portland). Learn more here.;

In Rahway, New Jersey, officials concluded that river erosion had been exacerbated by years of purely hard solutions, such as concrete channels. A state environmental protection agency grant helped revitalize the river bank with geotextile underlay, erosion control blankets and other material combinations. Learn more here.;

ASTM International Committee D35 on Geosynthetics has developed a new standard that is an important step toward the improvement of filtration design for non-woven geotextiles. The standard, D 7178, Practice for Determining the Number of Constrictions “m” of Non-Woven Geotextiles as a Complementary Filtration Property, will provide engineers and researchers a common basis for accurate determination of an important products property… Learn more here.;

On November 7, residents of Austin, Texas will vote on $567.4 million bond proposal to improve water quality, largely through flood control, erosion control and drainage management measures. Read about it online. (But how will Austin-based TRI's employees vote?) Learn more here.;

The Oakland City Council has approved $350,000 for winterizing erosion control and drainage work around four imminently at-risk homes threatened by a landslide earlier this year. Landslides are common in many areas of California, but response methods vary greatly. Geosynthetics could play a greater role. Learn more here.;

The Fox Waterway Agency in Illinois has said that geotextile tube filling around Grass Lake is nearing completion. The project is correcting a quarter century of erosion to the 27-acre island. Read about it in the Northwest Herald. (Scroll to end of news roundup.) Learn more here.;

Yes - There is Such a Thing as a Free Lunch! North American Green, the leading provider of erosion and sediment control solutions in the world, believes that education is the cornerstone of any successful erosion control project. Recently they introduced the North American Green Brown Bag Seminar Program to educate customers on developing solutions to erosion and sediment control problems and comply with NPDES and other industry regulations. Now engineers, contractors and specifiers who must comply with today’s strict erosion and sediment control regulations can benefit from their training and get a free lunch – without even leaving the office. While customers enjoy a free lunch, North American Green’s regional manager or local Erosion Solutions Specialist will present an informative, concise seminar on one of the following three topics: ECMDS® (Erosion Control Materials Design Software) - Using North American Green’s ECMDS for selection of materials for slope erosion protection and channel stabilization. Government Regulations and Initiatives - Update on local, state and federal industry regulations, Best Management Practices, NPDES Phase II, LEED Green Building Rating System, and more. Designing Solutions for Slopes, Channels and Shorelines - Rolled erosion control products as effective BMPs, guaranteed solutions for controlling erosion on slopes, channels and shorelines. To sign up for the North American Green Brown Bag Seminar, call 1-800-772-2040 or register online at the link below. Learn more here.;

In New Zealand, a new town with more advanced stormwater filtration zones is to be built. A series of runoff pits and stormwater ponds will be constructed with various filter media, such as gravel and sand. The most significant collection zones will use geotextile linings to trap sediment. Learn more here.;

Carol Forrest (GeoSyntec Consultants engineer) perished in a crash yesterday during a 40-person "helicopter recreation" of the Lewis and Clarke expedition. Read the full story on the IECA website. Learn more here.;

If flow rate, creep, and permeability are issues important to your project, GSE has some exciting updates to share on their latest drainage products,GSE PermaNet Geonets and Geocomposites.

Nonwovens Industry's 37th Annual Guide lists suppliers and producers of nonwovens around the globe in one comprehensive listing. Learn more here.;

In Libertyville, Illinois, Butler Lake is being dredged. Project engineers are installing geocell panels in the water right at the shoreline to hold water willow plantings that will provide some erosion control during operations. Read the short article online. Learn more here.;

The Presumpscot River Youth Conservation Corps placed erosion control mats, vegetation, and other sediment control measures along the formerly barren banks of the river. The two-year, $740,000 project was paid for by a grant from the US Environmental Protection Agency. From KeepMeCurrent.com. Learn more here.;

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has announced a $2.2 million settlement with a large farm operation that was responsible for a manure spill involving an out of date lagoon. The agreement covers environmental clean up costs and stipulates the erosion control and liner needs/design for future operation. Learn more here.;

On July 7, 2006, the UK public listed company Low & Bonar PLC announced the proposed acquisition of Colbond Investments bv. The acquisition is subject to shareholder approval at an Extraordinary General Meeting scheduled for July 24, 2006. Low & Bonar is a specialist flooring and technical textile group. Colbond has leading positions in several of its non-woven markets, which are different from, but complementary to those served by Low & Bonar’s Yarns & Fabrics division. The acquisition will offer increased market access for Colbond products through the Chinese sales infrastructure of Low & Bonar, and Colbond’s US infrastructure will offer in turn access to new market opportunities. Low & Bonar is operating from the divisions Yarns & Fabrics and Floors. Because of the similarity of the product groups and possible synergy effects, Colbond will operate within the Yarns & Fabrics division. “We are very pleased with this acquisition”, says Jan van Boldrik, CEO of Colbond. “The strategy of Colbond and the approach of the Yarns & Fabrics operation of Low & Bonar complement one another to a great extent. Both companies supply specialty products for niche applications and have a clear focus on their core competencies.For Colbond, the acquisition paves the way for further long-term growth and continuity with increased resources for investment into profitable developments and promising innovation processes. At the same time, the transaction widens the scope for our workforce and represents an opportunity to gain additional expertise in new product and application segments. We expect our current and future customers to benefit from the integration of Colbond in the enlarged group. Most obvious of course is the continued focus on high-quality products and services and the drive for process development in line with customer demands. But also the now even increased worldwide presence of Colbond as a member of Low & Bonar will represent a major advantage for our customers and partners in the respective markets. Against the background of the aforementioned benefits, we are looking forward to our future in the Bonar group.”

The city of Chicago is opening up furthering grant support for green roof retrofits. Chicago's City Hall has a retrofit green roof, and since its installation in 2001 the city has become a national leader in the green roof movement. These systems generally draw upon the drainage, erosion control, rainwater collection and membrane sealing systems developed in geotechnical applications. Geosynthetics are involved plentifully. Read more about the new initiative in Architectural Record (link below). Learn more here.;

Will transgenic grasses be used in the immediate future's rolled erosion control products (RECPs)? Current biotechnology is creating shorter, slower-growing, greener grasses. If the environmental concerns over genetic modification can be quelled, the landscape of lawncare, bank stabilization, green roofs, and other fields may change quickly. Read it in Wired. Learn more here.;