Coulby Pond's Future
Coulby Pond in Wickliffe, Ohio is getting so full of sediment that the aquatic life is declining. City officials are to debate tonight, Monday, whether to move forth with dredging. But dredging operations may not be enough. Bank reinforcement may be needed, and a liner may need to be installed to prevent further erosion.
Learn more here.;
Deterring Pavement Failure
The Appleton Post-Gazette has published an article on the role of geogrids in improving roads in Menasha, Wisconsin. After more than 20 years of failures, officials finally specified geogrid reinforcement for the 2-mile rebuild. Poor soil conditions along the road shoulders are thought to be a contributor to the years of poor road performance.
Learn more here.;
Resin Update
Plastemart's weekly resin price updates are available. See the general North American update at the link below, the polyethylene update (by cutting and pasting the folowing URL into your browser: http://www.plastemart.com/plasticnews_desc.asp?news_id=11129&P=P), and the polypropylene update (by cutting and pasting the folowing URL into your browser: http://www.plastemart.com/plasticnews_desc.asp?news_id=11130&P=P).
Learn more here.;
Workshop Review
The IGS India promoted workshop: Applications of Geosynthetics - Present and Future” was held 20-21 September 2007 in Gandhinagar (Gujarat), India. Read a review sent by A.C. Gupta, Treasurer, Indian Chapter of IGS.
Class Cancellation
Regarding the NAGS sponsored FHWA National Highway Institute Newly Revised Geosynthetics Course: The reinforcement class is scheduled for November 1-2 as planned. There is still room for participants - please ignore the registration deadline date on the brochure, but submit it ASAP if you are planning to attend. The roadways class scheduled for Oct 31 - Nov 1 has been cancelled.
Learn more here.;
TRM Needed
The Winchester Star in Virginia has published a list of 30 requirements needing to be met at a new high school site. Among the list, provided by View Engineering, is to correct the plan's specification of a woven geotextile where View believes a TRM is more appropriate. A number of TRMs and their data can be seen at geosindex.com.
Learn more here.;
Hanging Lake Tunnel
The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is finishing repair work on a large panel crack that formed in the tunnel roof at Hanging Lake. Part of the repair involved installing geofoam blocks and geosynthetic reinforcement--though the author of the article did not seem to understand geosynthetics if we're to judge by the description of the installation.
Learn more here.;
Too Much Parking
Aerial surveys are revealing some troubling aspects about parking lots. Conventional pavements are known to be fantastic carriers of pollutants. The number of parking lots being constructed raises alarm. Solutions? More porous pavement installations, turf reinforcement mats vegetated with metal-consuming remediation plants, better inlet protection, etc.
Learn more here.;
NJ Wants Living Shorelines
The state of New Jersey wants to armor its shorelines...but softly. The old hard armor embankments, so common in the state, are no longer desired by state agencies. Instead, they would like to see softer solutions. This might include geotextile tubes, vegetated turf reinforcement mats (TRMs), and much more.
Learn more here.;
SDSU's Erosion Control Lab
The Bend Weekly News contains an article on the erosion control testing lab at San Diego State University (SDSU). Rain machines and tilted tables, coir logs and turf reinforcement mats (TRMs); the list of clients, both public and private, is long. The writer seems to have enjoyed his introduction to the subject, and he's done a decent job capturing the basics of what different erosion control materials aim to do.
Learn more here.;
Underwriters Featured
The forthcoming issue of Land & Water will feature a generic article on canal lining geosynthetics. The article, "Smarter Infrastructures" by Chris Kelsey, offers a general introduction to types of liner materials.
Construction Specifications
Need construction specifications that include geosynthetics? Many manufacturers offer documents at their websites. For example, visit Propex. Under "Landfill/Waste Containment," one finds documents regarding lagoon closure, lining system support, leachate collection, and more (found at the "continued" link below). Other manufacturers may be found at this link https://www.geosynthetica.net/ProductsServices.asp
Learn more here.;
Then and Now
American Chronicle has published an article on textile history. The short but wide-ranging piece touches upon terminology, antiquity, applications, and plant, animal and mineral textiles. It also includes a couple nods to geotextiles for industrial applications and embankment reinforcement.
Learn more here.;
Stabilizing Huff's Levee
Today Yolo County, California is awarding roughly $3 million in contracts to stabilize the eroded levee at Huff's Corner. One of the key elements in the approved design's repair will be geogrid reinforcement layers spaced every two feet. Along two sections of a quarter-mile stretch, 25 percent of the levee washed away in a New Year's 2006 storm.
Learn more here.;
First Geogrids in Arran
Soft peat beneath roads has caused subsidence concerns on the Scottish isle of Arran. Geogrid reinforcement is being installed, though. It is the first time the material has been utilized there for road improvement, so crews have gone slowly. While the delay has frustrated business owners, the long-range road plan and design was badly needed.
Learn more here.;
Geogrids in the News
In Cumming, Georgia, the construction of a 24,000 square-foot retail center required plenty of drainage support and land management. An 850-foot-long, 20-foot-high block wall was constructed along a cut for the back of the site. Geogrid reinforcement was installed.
Learn more here.;
Protecting Cancun
Roughly 1200 meters of geotextile tubes will be installed along Cancun beaches as part of an erosion control protection scheme. Cancun lost much of its beach sand after Hurricane Wilma (October 2005). Restoring sand cost $20 million. The tube reinforcement design will cost roughly $1 million. Cancun is also the site of the 1st Pan American conference, GeoAmericas 2008.
Learn more here.;
Synthetics and Biodegradables
The mix of erosion control materials available on the market is great. Depending on the needed functional longevity, grade, water velocity and cost, project teams may prefer to mix short-term and permanent devices, reports Tara Beechem in Erosion Control. Colbond's Enkamat turf reinforcement mats is one of the materials noted in the article. Read it online.
Learn more here.;
Blanket Statements
Roberta Baxter explores several projects that have employed erosion control products in a variety of settings and conditions. Read the Erosion Control magazine article that highlights the products of the following geosynthetica.net Underwriters: North American Green, Colbond, East Coast Erosion Blankets and Propex.
Learn more here.;
Golfing on Geo
The 73rd Masters Tournament begins today, Thursday, in Augusta, Georgia. Did you know that geosynthetics often play a role on golf courses? Pond liners, netting to reduce erosion of sand traps, vegetated erosion blankets and turf reinforcement mats (TRMs), and much more. North American Green even has a golf products series.
Learn more here.;
The Latest from EC
The latest issue of Erosion Control magazine includes a turf reinforcement mat (TRM) article with citations to geosynthetica.net Underwriters Colbond, East Coast Erosion Blankets, North American Green, and Propex. Read the article at the link below to learn more about the materials profiled in the piece.
Learn more here.;
Propex's Latest
The Landlok 300 turf reinforcement mat (TRM) from Propex uses a netless, 3-dimensional woven construction to create more surface area for trapping and protecting soils and vegetation. The mats match riprap in performance and exceed hard surfaces economically. This new product is designed for steep slope and channel applications. For more information, visit the Landlok 300 page.
Learn more here.;
Product Highlighted
Maccaferri's Steelgrid woven geocomposite steel mesh system is featured on-line at the World Highways website. Read more to learn about this alternative system for applications where conventional rockfall netting requires extra reinforcement with cables.
Learn more here.;
Case Study: NCAT Test Track
The Alabama Department of Transportation installed Tensar's GlassGrid 8501 geogrid for reinforcement of a critical section of a National Center for Asphalt Technology's (NCAT) test track. Read about the grid's performance--including the absence of longitudinal cracking in the reinforced zone.
Learn more here.;
Revegetation / EC Need in Hawaii
On the Hawaiian island of Moloka'i erosion problems are affecting development potential. A recent environmental report encouraged revegetation for erosion control. Perhaps turf reinforcement mats (TRMs) might be used? Read about it in the Honolulu Advertiser's environment column.
Learn more here.;
