April 1, 2013
By Tarik Hadj-Hamou and Bertrand Breul Abstract Final closures of old abandoned landfills often pose technical and logistical challenges. A small (5 hectares/12 acres) landfill created by pushing waste into a tidal wetland on the edge of Suisun Bay in Northern California was no exception. The initially proposed final cover design called for 60cm (23in.) …
February 1, 2013
This project, submitted by TenCate Geosynthetics, won an Outstanding Achievement Award in the 2012 International Achievement Awards(IAA) / Geosynthetics presented by the Industrial Fabrics Association International. Each project in its own special way, exhibits outstanding innovation, technical skill and design excellence. Submissions of geosynthetics projects for the 2013 International Achievement Awards are being accepted now. …
The largest human form sculpted into the landscape By Patricia Guerra Escobar 1. Introduction 1.1 Project concept Northumberlandia is the world’s largest human form sculpted into the landscape, designed by renowned landscape architect and artist, Charles Jencks. The woman earth sculpture is lying at the entrance of a surface coal mine in southeast Northumberland, near …
Geosynthetic materials provide hurricane protection through erosion control for Louisiana levees, and a Florida canal By Andy Burran Introduction Hurricanes and other extreme storm events seem to be intensifying, putting the U.S. infrastructure at increasing risk of failure. As the nation assisted the Northeast in rebuilding after Hurricane Sandy last fall, we were reminded of …
October 1, 2012
The articles in this series encompass all types of geosynthetics and their applications viewed from the context of sustainability. Traditional solutions are compared with geosynthetic solutions from both cost and carbon footprint perspectives. (from the Geosynthetic Research Institute’s 24th conference, 2011) Cost and sustainability perspectives Abstract All municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills require a final …
Finalist for 2012 award for Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement By Ron Bygness The challenge Cherry Island Landfill, operated by the Delaware Solid Waste Authority (DSWA), has been used for municipal solid-waste disposal since 1985. Built on an old dredge disposal site at the confluence of the Delaware and Christina rivers in Wilmington, Del., the subsurface …
Reuse and recycle By Joan A. Smyth and Stacey A. Smith Introduction The Lexington County Highway 321 landfill site was recently awarded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Region 4 Excellence in Site Reuse: Superfund Redevelopment Award. This site, located in West Columbia, S.C., contains several waste disposal areas that were active from the 1950s …
August 1, 2012
By Alex Strouth, Mark Pritchard, David Roche, and Calvin VanBuskirk Introduction Picturesque Fitzsimmons Creek flows through the heart of Whistler, B.C., Canada—about 80 miles north of Vancouver and one of the host sites for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Few visitors to Whistler realize that Fitzsimmons Creek poses a debris flood risk to the village. This …
The articles in this series encompass all types of geosynthetics and their applications viewed from the context of sustainability. Traditional solutions are compared with geosynthetic solutions from both cost and carbon footprint perspectives. (from the Geosynthetic Research Institute’s 24th conference, 2011) Abstract Mechanically-stabilized earth (MSE) berms are increasingly utilized by landfill owners to efficiently create …
Stabilizing the bluff By Jeremy Joseph The Briarcliff City Apartments sit high on a bluff in Kansas City, Mo. The master-planned community offers residents fine views of downtown and the Missouri River valley. Apartment dwellers enjoy restaurants, shops, and trails located within walking distance of the residential apartment complex. But the bluff that made the …
