Researchers test sediment-scrubbing technology

October 1, 2008  |  Features

The testing was conducted at the Cocheco River in New Hampshire. By Beth Potier In a mud flat at the edge of the Cocheco River, just outside downtown Dover, N.H., scientists from the University of New Hampshire’s Contaminated Sediments Center are testing an innovative way to treat polluted sed…
Geotextiles in dams: Forging federal guidelines

August 1, 2008  |  Features

By Douglas A. Crum Abstract The major building era for large dams in the United States, from the 1940s to the 1970s, ended about the time geotextiles were becoming popular. For the last 40-plus years, geotextiles have been used in many dams worldwide for various applications. During this period, fed…
Active LFG control: An unreliable aid to veneer stability

June 1, 2008  |  Features

By Gregory N. Richardson, Stacey A. Smith, and Pieter K. Scheer Abstract The potential for sliding failure of final covers and piggyback liners in municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills equipped with active landfill gas (LFG) control systems is demonstrated and the need for a contingency passive vent…
The GRS bridges of Defiance County

April 1, 2008  |  Features, News

By Michael Adams Introduction Three years ago, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) teamed up with local officials in Defiance County, Ohio, to test a new prototype geosynthetic-reinforced soil (GRS) integrated bridge system. Built in 2005, the prototype GRS bridge on Bowman Road in Defiance Co…
Pipeless drainage system

April 1, 2008  |  Features

From the GMA Techline Subject: Pipeless drainage system — We are designing residue cells for a mine in northern Minnesota, and they’ve opted for a pipeless drainage system in the cells. The residue is a very fine, saturated, silt-sized particle, quite sticky, low LL/PL. I’ve done a…
Strength testing

April 1, 2008  |  Features

From the GMA Techline Subject: Strength testing— Is there now, or in the works, any industry standard for strength testing the extrusion weld connecting 60-mil HDPE to the poly-loc embedded strip? (Bob, Wisconsin) Reply: There are no generic standards or specifications for the situation you de…
Transmissivity: An ambiguous contradiction

February 1, 2008  |  Features

By Richard Lacey, TRI Environmental Introduction Specifying the transmissivity of a drainage product seems straightforward. There are only two approaches defined in the governing test method. One is to specify the required transmissivity, while the other is to specify the required in-plane flow rate…
Testing produces design guidance

October 1, 2007  |  Features

Follow this new anti-scour mat product through the testing process. By Michael D. Robeson Abstract A new product with the application of culvert and stormwater outlet scour protection was tested at Colorado State University. The objective of the testing was to determine the hydraulic and sediment st…
Geotextile compatibility

October 1, 2007  |  Features

From the GMA Techline Subject: Geotextile compatibility— Is there any lab testing method or norm verifying the compatibility between polypropylene nonwoven geotextiles and shotcrete or concrete? Is ISO 12960 relevant? My question derives from my need to prove compatibility between this geotext…
Use of geosynthetics in the mining and mineral processing industry

August 1, 2007  |  Features

By Karin Renken, David Mchaina, Ernest Yanful Introduction This article gives a brief overview and a summary of the results of research work conducted under the 2003 North American Geosynthetics (NAGS) Award of Merit. The NAGS awards were initiated in 1989 as an industry sponsored program to recogni…