7th International Conference on Geosynthetics: Graduate Student Paper Competion: Gigsa calls on all students to participate in the IGS Student Awards Program for submitting a paper on geotextiles, geomembranes or any related products.

Gigsa is organising an afternoon site visit to the Holfontein Waste Site, Springs on 11/1/01. Gigsa is organizing an afternoon site visit to the Holfontein Waste Site, An informative presentation on this new design technique will be provided and followed by a site inspection. For more information contact Rod Drayton aqua@aquatan.co.za

EPI lauches the Liner Letter designed to keep you informed of ongoing developments in PVC geomembranes and current activities at EPI.

International Newsletters is pleased to announce the publications of a new report. The report looks at company initiatives, strategies, current and future objectives, new product development programmes, capital expenditure plans, geographical market expansion and much more. If you order immediately, you can benefit from a special prepublication discount of more than 10%

Polyfelt manufactures reinforcement geosynthetics in Asia

International Erosion Control Association announce candidates for the IECA Board of Directors. They are as follows: Shirley Morrow, Senior Environmental Scientist/Landscape Designer for Burns & McDonnell, Michael Frankcombe - working with the Department of Main Roads in Far North Queensland in Austrailia, Ron Faucher - Source Protection Coordinator of Portland Water District's Water Resources Division, Thomas Carpenter - President of Carpenter Erosion Control, Daniel Waldman - founding publisher of IECA's magazine Erosion Control. and Jesus Cardozo - a civil engineer working with a wire gabion manufacturing company. Vote of 3 of these candidates by downloading the ballot form from www.ieca.org. Ballots due by October 20, 2001.

IFAI's publications welcome your company's latest announcements on projects, changes and products. Member press releases help IFAI stay on top of the industry's vital news. For information on which magazines will best keep you connected with your industry markets, or for subscription information, please vissit www.ifai.com and click on Publications.

PP Liner Seams - "I am doing some research on separation-in-plane during peel tests on PP geomembrane seams, but it is amazing how difficult it is to make SIP happen, when you want it to happen in the laboratory! If you come across some peel test SIP breaks in the field and can spare and send me some tested (SIP) specimens and adjacent untested seamed material for more detailed examination I would be most grateful. It would also be useful to know the welding parameters (speed, wedge temperature, nip roll pressure, and liner temperature) used to make such seams. If you could also give me an idea of the ranges of welding parameters used that do NOT result in SIP breaks, that too would help generate an understanding of this interesting phenomenon." Please send responses to: icorp@geosynthetic.com

Geosynthetics 2003 will be held 10-13 February 2003 at the Cobb Galleria in Atlanta. It will be a very different event than in the past. It will not be sponsored by NAGS but only by IFAI and GMA. The emphasis will not be on technical papers subjected to peer review but on "How to ---" sessions and the "proceedings" will be a book with different "How to ----" chapters written by invited practical experts. Dave Suits will be chairman of the conference. Exhibitors will have the opportunity to present their own mini-workshops/seminars. The conference will be heavily promoted internationally. Look out for further details in early September. Contact dfettig@ifai.com. This perhaps opens the door for NAGS and the Geo-Institute to introduce a more scientific geosynthetics conference.

High-Energy Treatment of Tubing & Molded Parts - E-Beam Services reports that plastic tubing and molded parts processed by means of the company's high-energy electron-beam process can replace more expensive engineered products in automotive under-the-hood applications. Such parts are said to exhibit outstanding performance and durability, as well as temperature and chemical resistance.E-Beam's high-energy process permanently alters the polymeric matrix by converting the material to a crosslinked polyethylene (PE) or PEX, the company explains. Utilizing electron beam technology, the process does not change product formulation or processing, E-Beam notes-unlike many thermochemical processing methods, electron beam crosslinking is performed on the fully formed component or product. Automotive design engineers can used this crosslinking process on HDPE tubing and molded parts to provide in-service temperatures as high as 120C, E-Beam says, noting that, in comparison untreated HDPE tubing normally withstands in-service temperatures of approx. 60C. In addition to improving performance temperatures, the process is also said to increase thermal stability under load. When tested at 80C, PEX tubing performs at 870 psi, while untreated HDPE tubing fails at 670 psi, according to E-Beam Services. Enhancements are also said to include increased tensile strength; increased impact resistance; improved resistance to slow crack growth and environmental stress crack; reduced rapid crack propagation; and improved resistance to oils, petroleum and solvents.