Ground Improvement

Penton Media's 2010 Global Waste Management Symposium (GWMS), an international forum for the presentation of peer-reviewed applied and fundamental research and case studies on waste management, announces a new special session: "Applicability of USEPA Greenhouse Gas Rules to Landfills," to be held October 4 from 12:00 - 2:00 pm at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa. Learn more.

A sampling of 2010 events and abstract calls. This week's edition includes information on the International Erosion Control Association's EC10 conference; the Geosynthetic Materials Association's Lobby Day in Washington DC; the LatAm Mining Congress; the Global Waste Management Symposium 2010; Waterproof Membranes 2010; and Geo-Frontiers 2011.

The Geo-Institute's 2012 annual congress will focus on the "State of the Art and Practice in Geotechnical Engineering." The event will be held 25-29 March 2012 in Oakland, California and will feature numerous state-of-the-art and state-of-the-practice presentations. Among the many topics to be explored is geosynthetics. This conference represents a unique opportunity for geotechnical engineers from around the globe to advance their professional career and goals and uncover the latest and most beneficial knowledge and technologies. A call for abstracts is expected shortly. Learn more in the first flyer (PDF). Learn more here.;

In Florida, a higher tax will be placed on phosphate companies to encourage quicker closure of former gypsum operations. Florida has a long successful gypsum mining industry, but its environmental legacy is not nearly as admirable. Significant cleanup and capping are required for operations dating back decades. The Ledger article includes an interesting close-up photo of a geomembrane being seamed. Learn more here.;

The lagoon cover at the Miedema Dairy in Ohio blankets a 350-by-160-foot section of a 350-by-305-foot lagoon. Liquid manure enters the lagoon at the covered end and gradually flows toward the uncovered section. The cover is made of 60-mil, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) geomembrane. A new program coordinated by the Environmental Credit Corp. offers farmers a way to finance manure lagoon covers by selling carbon credits. Read about it here (PDF). Learn more here.;

The Fabricated Geomembrane Institute (FGI) is pleased to offer "Constructing with Fabricated Geomembranes -- Flexibility and Superior Performance," its popular short course, on 15 October 2010 in Denver, Colorado. The course organizers have added a presentation on the geomembranes used in the Gulf oil spill clean up. Dr. Timothy Stark will present on the geomembrane technology that was used to assist experts in the Gulf during the clean up and contaminant containment.

A new creek bed is being dug for Jonathon Creek in the city of Moncten, New Brunswick, Canada. It's part of a $3 million remediation project stemming from a poorly closed waste cell. The "pre-causeway channel", that is, the part from the outflow of the CN culvert to the historic river's edge, will be lined with a special geotextile material covered with rip-rap, the round stones used to control erosion. Workers must perform this work in winter when the ground is frozen, else the construction equipment will sink. Learn more here.;

The Province of British Columbia, Canada, is providing $1.06 million in funding for 12 brownfield sites to support environmental investigations, Agriculture and Lands Minister Steve Thomson has announced. "The Brownfield Renewal Strategy program is focused on encouraging the redevelopment of under-used lands that have potential for community benefit," said Thomson. "The goal is for this funding to support the initial environmental work necessary to return these sites back into productive use…." Read more, including a list of projects, in the release.

By Laura Clark – Did you know that all of IECA’s online education and webinars are peer-reviewed? IECA is constantly striving to improve and grow its educational offerings. All...

The Ontario Waste Management Association (OWMA) is very pleased to announce the details for a very unique facility tour in Southern Ontario and New York State to visit various waste management facilities. There will be seven facilities on the tour representing new and innovative technologies and/or management practices. The tour will take place 29 and 30 September 2009. Read more about it.

The name that many in Galveston county will no longer be using is geotube. To access this article, go to the "continued" link below and search Galveston's The Daily News for Carter Thompson's article titled: Shoreline Protectors Run Afoul of Trademark. Learn more here.;

In this latest sharing of work from the GAP 2019 conference--Geosynthetica published GAP's proceedings--Lyan Garcia and Jeb Tingle of the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) share...

The March 2011 Geosynthetic Institute conference (GRI-24) operated under the theme "Optimizing Sustainability Using Geosynthetics." These papers addressed pavement preservation, the reduction of climate-damaging gases, and much more--including biofuels. Drexel University's Prof. Grace Hsuan, writing with four others, focused on "The Roles Geomembranes in Algae Production at Landfills." The waste management sector, it turns out, could become an important player in algae biofuel production.

The Port of Guaymas functions as a shipping, manufacturing, commercial, and tourism center. It lies on the shores of the Gulf of California on the Pacific Ocean in Sonora,...

Over at Trading Markets, a press release of interesting stocks to watch includes Amcol International, parent company of CETCO. CETCO is a leading global supplier of geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs). Read about the stock's performance and the company in the release. Learn more here.;

Washington, D.C. -- Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, and EPW Ranking Member, Senator David Vitter (R-LA), issued the following statement after the...

In "Secure offshore wind energy", the Amrumbank West offshore wind farm exemplifies how geotextile sand containers (Secutex® Soft Rock) enable economical, technically sound and safe construction. Here, NAUE's team...

The Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) has added the 2009-published book Thermal Analysis of Polymers: Fundamentals and Applications by Joseph D. Menczel and R. Bruce Prime. This book emphasizes the practical uses of thermal analysis. Each chapter guides readers through the applications of thermal analysis for polymer characterization, with detailed examples that show how to perform each step. Learn more here.;

The Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) will once again feature two geosynthetics sessions during its IFAI Expo 2012, to be held 26-28 June 2012 in Singapore. The 2011 edition included two courses taught by TRI/Environmental's Sam Allen, while the 2012 edition has now announced that Dr. A. Malek Bouazza will lead two symposiums: "Geosynthetics for Waste and Water Containment" and "Geosynthetics for Roads and Bridges." Learn more at the event website. Learn more here.;

The Atlanta Business Chronicle reports that in Georgia banks are facing stiff environmental fines for housing developments that have been foreclosed on. The problem stems from foreclosures that occurred mid-construction. As banks reclaimed land, the dirt piles left on site become serious runoff risks. The fines are coming back on the banks. (NOTE: Subscription required for access to the full article but a partial article has been posted freely.) Learn more here.;

The International Conferences on Geosynthetics are of particular importance. Every four years these conferences provide a remarkable forum for geosynthetic knowledge. The 10th ICG (www.10icg-berlin.com), taking place at the ESTREL CONVENTION CENTRE...

GeoMontreal 2013 will be held 29 September - 3 October, 2013 at the Hilton Montreal Bonaventure Hotel, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is organized by the Canadian Geotechnical Society (CGS)...

The 25th International Conference on Solid Waste Technology and Management 14-17 March 2010 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The agenda has been announced and includes 160 presentations from 40 countries. Field trips are also involved in this international gathering. Learn more at the event website. Learn more here.;

Northwest Linings and Geotextile Products, Inc. seeks a Project Manager for Kent, WA location. Candidate must have a 4-year degree, 3 years of geosynthetics construction management experience, and an earthworks background including the reading of blue prints, specifications, and submittal processing. Learn more.

Construction employment grew in only four out of 337 metropolitan areas in 2009 as spending on construction projects dropped by $100 billion in December to a six-year low of $903 billion, according to a new analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of federal figures released today.