Ground Improvement

Wisconsin's Door County is known for its natural beauty, with much of its economy tied to nature-related tourism and businesses. Despite its strong reputation, the area has not actually...

Sustainability is becoming an increasingly important issue in the construction industry. At the same time, sustainable building also involves the use of sustainable building materials. As the first manufacturer...

TenCate Geosynthetics announced that the TenCate Miragrid® XT geogrid product line has completed the first ever evaluation by the National Transportation Product Evaluation Program (NTPEP) which incorporated an onsite audit of the manufacturing facility. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) in conjunction with NTPEP have developed a process for the evaluation of production data and field performance data for reinforcement geosynthetics. Learn more.

The Geosynthetic Institute's (GSI) first newsletter of 2012 is, as expected, a crowded issue. This issue includes an overview of multiple research projects being conducted by the Geosynthetic Research Institute (GRI), such as the "Exposed Lifetime of Facing Geogrids Used at Landfill Berms"; an update on special information projects being created by Jamie Koerner (e.g., allowable leakage rate for waste ponds); an update on the Institute's wall certification program; and much more. Read it here (PDF)

While it's renowned for its geosynthetic solutions, TenCate also has a very successful synthetic turf division. In the 2012 / 2013 season, the Dutch premier league club Heracles Almelo will be playing on a TenCate turf innovation that increases the durability of the turf system for consistent, long-term performance and increased site sustainability. The construction patented by the company for the Heracles Almelo project is now planned for entry into the general marketplace through TenCate's GreenFields® system.

By decree of the President of the French Republic dated 20 February 2012, Roger Genet has been appointed president of Irstea, the National Institute for Environmental and Agricultural Science and Research. The new identity has been created to more clearly assert "the organisation's positioning at the heart of environmental research in France on issues related to water, environmental risk management, environmental technologies and sustainable land development." Irstea has historically utilized geosynthetics in various applications and studies. International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) Council Member Dr. Nathalie Touze-Foltz is a researcher at Irstea.

On 3 January 2012, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a Federal Register notice requesting additional data on the performance of technologies in controlling turbidity in stormwater discharges from construction sites. The notice also requests information on other topics relevant to establishing numeric effluent limitations for stormwater discharges from these sites, including sample collection, applicability to electric transmission line construction, cold weather considerations, and the ability of small sites to meet a numeric standard. The comment period closes March 5. Simultaneously, the agency has submitted a final general permit on construction site stormwater discharges to the White House for review. This permit excludes turbidity limits. The final permit is expected by February 15. Learn more here.;

The bienniel Geosynthetics conference series continues 1-4 April 2013 in Long Beach, California. This event will be co-located with the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) annual Southwest Geotechnical Engineers Conference and the Geosynthetic Institute's (GSI) 25th Geosynthetic Research Institute conference (GRI–25). Geosynthetics 2013 has issued a call for proposals for short courses, panel discussions, and technical papers. Deadline for submission: 1 February 2012.

The International Erosion Control Association (IECA) has announced the launch of its first podcast series, Clearing the Waters. The podcast, recorded and distributed in MP3 format, allows the listener to download it to any MP3 device (e.g., an iPod) or to listen to it from a computer desktop or laptop. The purpose of the podcast series is to provide listeners with an inside look at IECA's annual conference and expo, Environmental Connection 2012 (EC12). The 2012 conference will be held at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino Las Vegas from February 26-29, 2012.

Geotextile sand containers (GSCs) have grown substantially in erosion control and scour protection applications. Beachfronts, ports, and property have all gained substantial protection using these “soft armor” solutions. NAUE’s...

Tensar International Corporation has published its latest issue of GeoTalk, a regular geosynthetic technology and project stories publication. This issue adds seven stories to the series: Building Public Transportation over...

The latest issue of Tensar's GEOTALK newsletter is now available. This issue includes case studies on the Port Mann/Highway 1 (PMH1) Improvement Project (British Colombia, Canada), a $500,000 cost reduction on a Michigan road rehab project, and a lake's restoration in Belleville, Wisconsin. Other articles focus on seasonal flood protection, the approval of key grade separation solutions, and Alabama Power's Hydromulch trials. Learn more here.;

Tensar International has released the latest issue of GeoTalk. This 19th volume of the company's geosynthetics applications newsletter includes the introduction of TriAx Geogrids in the Americas, steep slope reinforcement, the GlasGrid system in California, saving on railroad track aggregate use, the construction of the new American Indian Cultural Center and Museum (AICCM), and more. Download the issue in PDF. Learn more here.;

Tensar International has released the latest issue of GeoTalk. This 18th volume of the company's geosynthetics applications newsletter includes a field study on geogrid performance in roads, new paving reinforcement materials, use of geogrids by the US Army Corp of Engineers for border zone installations, slope retention and dewatering. Download the issue in PDF. Learn more here.;

In 2015, Geosynthetica wrote about the expanding US market of Titan Environmental. The Canada-founded entity grew substantially in its first decade, moving quickly from a small team focused on...

The organizers for GeoMontreal 2013 have released the latest updates for the event, including a reminder of the 31 July 2013 early-bird registration deadline. GeoMontreal 2013 will be held...

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MoDNR) will host CQA Week 7 – 9 September 2016 in Jefferson City, Missouri. Three courses will be offered as a single...

CQA Week was established 10 years ago to provide technically advanced but immediately implementable, revenue-generating expertise for geotechnical engineering businesses. The focus is on providing the type of training that will...

During the recent CQA Week events at TRI/Environmental's campus in Austin, Texas, two days were given to the T-CLIC geoelectric Liner Integrity Survey and Assessment (LISA) course, which combines both classroom and practical, hands-on field training in on-site test cells. The course saw a very eclectic, enthusiastic, and international group learn about locating leaks in geomembrane lining systems. Participants came from South Africa (2), Portugal, and Peru, as well as North America. Installers, engineers, and construction quality assurance (CQA) firms were represented. In a new development for the course, instructor Ian D. Peggs (I-CORP INTERNATIONAL) was supported by Abigail Beck of Ausenco Vector. Ms. Beck presented segments on development of LISA as a business, liner design considerations, case histories and defects found, and future directions. Rich Lacey (TRI) presented the segment on Electricity 101. Read more.

Chris Eichelberger, Technical Manager of American Environmental Group, Ltd. (AEG) joins Ms. Abigail Beck of Asuenco Vector as guest presenters/teachers at TRI's CQA Week. Chris has over 9 years experience in the geosynthetics industry including; constructability reviews, project management, contract administration, specification and material selection, with field experience in CQA of soils and geosynthetic materials. Chris is active within the International Association of Geosynthetic Installers (IAGI), a voting member of ASTM Committee D 35, and the Fabricated Geomembrane Institute (FGI). Previously, Chris has worked with a large environmental construction company and a geotechnical engineering firm. Learn more. Learn more here.;

TRI reports that only a few spots are left for participation in the next CQA Week at the TRI campus in Austin, Texas. During the 6-10 December 2010 CQA Week, the already excellent course lead by Dr. Ian Peggs will include expert education from Ausenco Vector's Abigail Beck. Ms. Beck's 49 million square feet of electrical leak location experience is the perfect complement to Dr. Peggs' 30+ years of Geosynthetic Materials Science & Electrical Leak Location experience. Construction quality assurance (CQA) training at TRI focuses on geomembrane liner integrity surveys, QA/QC of geosynthetics installation (geotextiles, geomembranes, geogrids, etc.), and QA/QC of compacted clay and geosynthetic clay liner (GCL) installation. Optional certification exams are also offered. Download a flyer (PDF)