Geosynthetics are uniquely suited

Geosynthetics are found in the strangest of places. But that just speaks to how versatile and useful they are for a wide variety of applications. Dewatering, energy-site closure, erosion control, reinforcement and stabilization are just a few applications that geosynthetics address in this issue. In addition, many of the geographic areas discussed here are sensitive natural areas, and geosynthetics help protect the environment by doing their job. 

This issue includes geotextile tubes being used to recover rare earth elements while dewatering Appalachian acid mine drainage, a geomembrane/turf component system to close an Illinois coal combustion residual pond and a capping system for a Communist-era eastern German uranium settling basin. It also digs into erosion control with research into the effectiveness of two geotextile tube applications in dunes and bluffs on the Massachusetts and New York coastlines, geogrids for the repair of a landslide at a remote North Dakota Badlands oil well platform, and a geosynthetic concrete composite mat for the trails and access roads in a California natural area.

It is also time for putting together the 2020 Geosynthetics Specifier’s Guide, and the online form for submitting chartlines is available now. Visit www.ifai.com/buyers-guide for more information. 

Geosynthetics are uniquely suited for the applications featured in this issue. Not steel, not cement, not asphalt, not glass—no other material could handle the breadth of uses displayed in these pages.