Montana DOT rebuilds an old bridge with a new system

April 1, 2014  |  Case Studies

Using geosynthetic reinforced soil, this two-lane project was completed faster with lower costs By Craig Abernathy Objective The structure built at the South Fork Dry Fork Marias River crossing was selected for a new technology tested in other states and was proven to work. The new bridge—also…
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Geosynthetics in new transportation applications

April 1, 2014  |  Case Studies

Geosynthetic materials can decrease project costs and time while improving performance and stability. By Timothy D. Stark and David Paiko Introduction Geosynthetics are useful and versatile materials that have found a range of applications in transportation projects (Berg and Suits, 2000). Geosynthe…
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DOT: $600 million for transportation

April 1, 2014  |  Case Studies

The DOT allocates funds for important transportation projects The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has announced that $600 million will be made available to fund transportation projects across the country under a sixth round of the DOT’s Transportation Investment Generating Economic Rec…
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Geosynthetic reinforcement solutions for Lake Tahoe highway

February 1, 2014  |  Case Studies

By Katie Westfall Introduction U.S. Highway 50 crosses the central portion of Nevada through several large desert valleys, basins, and mountain passes. The road climbs steep 8% grades and carries travelers around hairpin turns and through pine forests. In some places, erosion of the slopes adjacent …
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Closing the Crazy Horse Landfill

February 1, 2014  |  Case Studies

First large-scale landfill closure in California to use artificial turf closure system By Christopher M. Richgels 1.0 Introduction The Crazy Horse Landfill (CHLF) is located on a 160-acre parcel west of, and adjacent to, Crazy Horse Canyon Road about nine miles north of the city of Salinas in northe…
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Planes, trains, and geofoam

October 11, 2013  |  Case Studies

EPS geofoam fills void for Chicago metro airport and train station Expanded polystyrene (EPS) geofoam has been used in several recent Windy City construction projects, among them, Millennium Park, Soldier’s Field and, most recently, the Gary Chicago International Airport roadway expansion and …
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Geosynthetics: The solution for managing nuclear power generation water supply in an arid environment

October 1, 2013  |  Case Studies

By Chris Eichelberger, Gerald Hersh, and Shabbir Pittawala 1.0 Introduction The Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station is located 55 miles west of downtown Phoenix and is the largest power producer of any kind in the United States. Its three units are capable of generating more than 4,000 megawatts o…
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Geosynthetic lining systems for shale gas drilling activities

October 1, 2013  |  Case Studies

Usage, regulations, concerns, and challenges By Theresa Andrejack Loux and Archie Filshill 1. Introduction Natural gas has long been used to heat buildings and, more recently, to fuel internal combustion engines and power plants. With natural gas providing an alternative to oil, gasoline, and coal i…
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California dam expansion using geosynthetic-strip reinforced MSE wall

August 1, 2013  |  Case Studies

By Fransiscus S. Hardianto, Robert Lozano, John E. Sankey, and David K. Hughes Introduction The Los Vaqueros Dam was originally built in 1997, creating the Los Vaqueros Reservoir, to improve the quality and reliability of water available to the Contra Costa Water District (CCWD) in Northern Californ…
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Geofoam solution for underground coal mine tunnel

August 1, 2013  |  Case Studies

By Terry Meier About 30 miles east of Salina, Utah, nestled in the western bituminous region of Sevier County, is Convulsion Canyon (Photo 1). This is home for a productive Southern Utah Fuel Co. (SUFCO) underground coal mine, where a longwall mining system and continuous miner units extract more th…
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