GMA Geomembrane Focus Group meeting will be held in conjunction with the GRI conference. The meeting will take place on 12/12/01 from 8:00am to 2:00pm at the Hotel Sofitel in Houston, TX

Update on CEN/TC 189 activities -short report on the last TC 189 meeting in Lisbon (26 October 2001)

New Test Method for Tensile Testing - Just wanted to let everyone know that the new test method for tensile testing of non reinforced geomembranes will be available through the ASTM website in the next 2-3 weeks. This new test method is ASTM D6693-01 Learn more here.;

Steuler - Surface Protective Systems- Protection & Service (Mechanically anchored lining systems for concrete systems) and Bekaplast System (Chemically resistant and mechanically anchored thermoplastic lining).

The annual Buyer’s Guide issue of Technical Textiles International has now been published. The Buyer’s Guide 2002 contains a listing of over 1300 companies and related organisations worldwide, together with full contact details and contact names. The companies are also indexed according to location and the products they make or services they supply. This means it is easy to find local companies which can supply materials, equipment, services, etc. Subscribers to Technical Textiles International will find the Buyer’s Guide in the December 2002 issue of the magazine. Nonsubscribers can buy the issue separately for GBP65 or USD 98 by emailing sales@intnews.com.

CETCO, announced rollout of its new CETCO-Lining Technologies Engineering Website.

GSA editorial on lab updates Heard at the labs: Some labs are doing shear tests (in addition to peel tests) on each track of double track seams of geomembrane liners. Naturally they are charging twice as much as for single shear tests on both seams. While this is one way for the labs to increase their revenues it is of doubtful benefit in assessing the quality of the seam. It has been my contention for some time that measurement of seam strength provides little useful information anyway, but nothing of any practical importance can be gained by testing each track. Only adjacent geomembrane ductility is important in the shear test. In-service shear stresses only act across both tracks. Peel test are done on each track to assess the quality of the bond on each track and since peeling stresses can be applied to each track in service. The same does not apply to shear stresses. I don't believe it is necessary to do a shear test on each track. Geosynthetica.net offers space for an opposing point of view. Labs are fighting the commodity pricing philosophy of testing just as much as manufacturers and installers. However, we now have over 20 independent labs that are accredited under the GAI-LAP. These labs have quality procedures and documentation in place in line with ISO 9002, and soon ISO 9000 and 1SO 17025 standards, to assure quality data for their clients. It is costly to have these systems in place. GAI-LAP accreditation is surely justification for these labs charging higher testing rates. And when a sample is shown to be outside specifications these results from a GAI-LAP lab should be believed without question. The staff at these labs will review data, and check any results that do not meet industry specification before they are sent out, just to ensure that they are not in error. The practice of requiring the lab to repeat tests that fail, at no cost, should not be necessary. If retesting is required the requester should be prepared to pay for them. For example, in a recent situation a lab was asked to repeat a set of failing tests (at their own cost) and the project engineer sent a duplicate set of samples to a second lab. Thinking ahead, the first lab also sent samples to yet a third lab. The first lab and the third lab both got the same failing results as generated during the first tests. The second lab was able to get passing results!! However, when faced with the three sets of reproducible passing results, the second lab found errors that resulted in incorrect data! Test results can be the basis of some very costly decisions - surely it is worth paying a little more to be assured you have reliable data - the first time? Ian D. Peggs I-CORP INTERNATIONAL, Inc.

International Association of Geosynthetic Installers (IAGI) is making many changes as management and elected officials change: Compelled to really "get things going" IAGI is making some significant changes in operation. IFAI has terminated contract with IAGI and Laurie Honnigford has been retained as the new manager. We got a note from Mr. Haddox telling us that "she's (Laurie) already got us moving again." Frank Taylor has resigned as president of IAGI, Robert Haddox has been placed in the position of interim president. Members can expect to see nomination forms soon, 2 or 3 seats on the Board will need to be filled. Other things to expect from the newly invigorated IAGI: Newsletter, Emphasis on the Certification Program and a face to face board meeting at GRI in December!

To meet the demand of geomembrane stress cracking testing in the UK, Geotrac Rapide is building a 42 station Notched Constant Tensile Load testing machine to perform tests according to the ASTM D5397 standard. A unique feature of this equipment will be web cams used to monitor the strain response of specimens and to record break times. It is understood that there have been a number of failures in the UK of European manufactured HDPE geomembranes to meet the 200 hr and 400 hr break times in project specifications. It may be interesting to evaluate the different methods of determining stress cracking resistance

IFAI Exhibition/Korea- Approximately 80 registrants attended the GSI-Korea Seminar 2001 in Seoul on 9 October for Dr. I. D. Peggs' presentation "Geomembrane Liners for resource and environmental protection: Ensuring Long Term Performance" Prof. H-Y Jeon also outlined the structure, development, and activities of GSI-Korea. After the seminar Peggs, Jeon, and You Kyum Kim from the FITI testing laboratory visited Deuk Wha Lee at the GECO Industrial Co., LTD plant to discuss the broad uniaxial LLDPE coated PET tie back web that will soon be modified into a very strong, high modulus patented geogrid. Discussions were also held with Duek Wha Lee, Director of Sewon Geosyntech on their dense rigid nonwoven geotextiles specially developed for the puncture protection of geomembranes. These will become the basis of three-layer "smart" geotextile composites planned for reinforcement/drainage and puncture protection/drainage.