There continue to be a number of instances where there is a misunderstanding between installer and contractor or contractor and owner about the amount of geomembrane that should be paid for in a lining system. This should be clearly spelled out in the project specifications. The installer should be paid for all material used to make the installation, including seam overlaps, anchor trench material, repair patches, penetration boots, destructive samples and patches, and trial seaming material. The easiest way to do this is to determine the amount of material delivered to the site and to subtract the amount of useful material removed from the site. The next simplest is to measure the accumulated length of each panel removed from a roll. The CQA firm can keep such records in conjunction with the installer. However the most common method is to reference the area of the horizontal projection at a specific level of the facility, typically the top of slope. It then is the responsibility of the installer to incorporate factors for the anchor trench and the other items. The horizontal projection should be surveyed at the start of the project for initial estimates of cost. A final survey of the installed liner would also be appropriate. The anchor trench material can easily be calculated with material from the top of slope to the front of the trench, down the trench, and across the bottom. Material should not be folded in the bottom of the trench. The CQA firm should ensure that material is not billed up the back of the trench but only installed to the bottom of the trench. The anchorage of the liner in the trench is a critical part of a properly designed lining system. A waste factor of 10 to 12% might be allowed for a typical rectangular facility with slopes of 10%. Both anchor trench and seam overlaps will account for about 3% each, slope gain for 1 to 3% and 2 to 5% for the remainder. More complex shapes will require larger waste factors. If horizontal seams are not allowed on slopes the waste factor could be as high as 20 to 30%. Clearly, the answer to the problem is make sure that all parties understand the basis of measurement, so that an appropriate bid can be placed by the installer, and so that all understand on what area payment will finally be made. Installers should not assume that if they put qualifying statements in their bid others will take note of them. Confirm that a statement such as "area of material laid" does or does not include overlap and patches etc. Remember, the person who wrote the specifications or the contract probably does not appreciate the finer details of liner installation.

The Gas Technology Institute (Gas Research Institute) has moved. The new address is 1700 S. Mount Prospect Road, Des Plaines, IL 60018-1804. This is a good resource for information on the performance of HDPE: material, different HDPEs, welds, lifetime, causes of failures. Http://www.gastechnology.org (some fees may apply)

GEOTrac Rapide is working on a test method to evaluate all of the impressions on test surface from the cylinder test, in order to avoid subjectivity in visually identifying the three deepest impressions for measurement. Russ Tebay also has equipment to measure the hydraulic conductivity of GCLs under a confining pressure and high water pressures.

Stuart McMutrie has left Nylex to pursue a new life as the Marketing Manager of a leading semi-trailer manufacturer in Melbourne.

I-CORP INTERNATIONAL has been awarded a contract by the Portland Classical Chinese Garden in Portland, ME, to locate leaks in the GCL-only liner of its 8,000 ft2 ornamental lake. Using new technology I-CORP will perform what is believed to be only the second comprehensive leak survey on a non-geomembrane lined pond while covered with water. I-CORP is also working on pitch-scan noncontact ultrasonics for nondestructively assessing the bond strength of every millimeter of geomembrane seams

The IFAI welcomes entries for the 2001 International Achievement Awards. The International Achievement Awards recognize the latest advancements in technical fabric design and manufacture in 29 categories. Entries will be displayed at IFAI Expo in Nashville, Tenn. On October 18-20, 2001 and winers will be featured in IFAI publications including: Industrial Fabric Products Review, Fabric Architecture, IFAI's Marine Fabricator, Geotechnical Fabrics Report and In Tents. DEADLINE for submitting entries: July 1, 2001. Entered projects must have been completed between July 1, 1999 and June 30, 2001. For a brochure and entry form contact: Rita Chuk-Petroskas, International Achievement Awards Manager, Industrial Fabrics Association International, Phone: 651-222-2508 or 800-225-1324, Fax: 651-631-9334, Email: awards@ifai.com. Web site: www.ifai.com

Brazil, Apr 18, 2001 (Gazeta Mercantil/SABI via COMTEX) -- Bidim, a company from BBA Nonwovens is reporting a 12% annual growth in the Brazilian market. In 2000 it claimed R$35mil turnover while in 1999 it reached R$29mil, and in 1998 R$25mil. According to its CEO in Brazil Mr Carlos Caldeira the company is investing to expand capacity at its plant based at Sao Jose do Campos, Sao Paulo state, which was acquired by Rhodia Ster in 1997 for R$40mil. For 2001 the plan is to destinate R$12mil for equipment acquisition. It will allow to increase production by 36%. It is currently estimated at 7,000 m tons per year. Bidim expects to reach R$37mil turnover in 2001. The Brazilian nonwoven textiles market is estimated at 100,000 m tons per year. Copyright (c) 2001, South American Business Information, All rights reserved

The UK Environmental Agency held a seminar titled "Landfill Engineering for a Brighter Future" to launch nine new Technical Guidance documents, five of which involved geosynthetics: 1. Geosynthetic Clay Liners, 2. Geomembranes, 3. Geotextiles, 4. Geomembrane Protection using the Cylinder Test and 5. Geophysical Testing of liners. All of these documents will soon be available on the EA web site on www.geosynthetica.net. Additional documents in the development stage include Quality Assurance, Permeability Testing, Impermeable Pavements, and Leachate Management. Bernard Myles made a presentation on BSI/CEN/ISO standards and strongly emphasized the legal requirements for engineers to comply with specifications established by CEN for the different geosynthetics used in different applications. The days of individual unique specifications are gone. Ian Peggs commented on international experiences with geomembrane performance, demonstrated the importance of SCR and OIT measurements for HDPE specifications, and introduced the Material Durability Factor. David Hall outlined the capabilities of the LandSim Release 2 computer model for assessing leakage from a landfill and its subsequent characteristics. Release 2 is also capable of handling a double composite lining system. Neil Dixon and Russell Jones made a concise presentation on the intricacies of interface shear strength measurements and the lessons learned from a number of waste and soil slippages around the world. The importance of dealing with "during-construction" conditions as well as final operating conditions was emphasized. Approximately 100 people attended the seminar, organized by Rob Marshall, at the Manchester University Conference Centre.

Geo Plastic would like for their own manufacturing needs, to purchase on regular bases (spunbond fabrics 1,0 oz/sq. yd.). If you have anything similar, plese send them your prices for this product and samples to: Geo Plastic International, 1560 N. Prospect Avenue, Suite 607, Milwaukee, WI, 53202. Fax #: 414-298-1542.

PVC makers should be able to find their way out of the darkness in the next couple of years, thanks to low global inventories and a recovery in demand growth. North American PVC producers were hammered in the second half of 2000 as demand plummeted and have faced tough business conditions in early 2001 as well, though they have been able to increase prices an average of 3 cents per pound. Smith, with Houston-based Chemical Market Associates Inc., said at his firm's World Petrochemical Conference that PVC will lead the petrochemical rebound, just as it was first to slide in 2000. "The fundamentals are all there for PVC to take off," Smith said.