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Geosynthetics Conference 2021 short course lineup announced

August 1, 2020

By Barbara J. Connett The Geosynthetics Conference 2021 Organizing Committee is pleased to announce the Short Course Roster. These half-day in-depth courses feature detailed instruction in a small group setting. All courses provide four professional development hours (PDHs) and are included with full registrations at no extra cost.   For full descriptions, visit https://geosyntheticsconference.com/program/short-courses. AASHTO …

Stabilization and reinforcement of wind farm access roads with geosynthetics

October 1, 2019

This project is the construction of the first commercial-scale wind farm in North Carolina. It was for a renewable power generation facility providing clean energy. Constructing the wind farm required subgrade stabilization and reinforcement for more than 60 miles (97 km) of access roads that needed to be built in order to erect 104 turbines …

Expansion of the Annacis wastewater treatment facility

August 1, 2019

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, is expected to grow to a total population of 3.4 million by 2041—an increase of about 1 million residents. The increased population will weigh heavily on the city’s existing infrastructure, requiring upgrades or new developments to fill the gap. A key initiative to help meet the region’s wastewater treatment needs is …

Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust foundation improvement

June 1, 2019

The Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust needed a foundation improvement solution for its new and innovative earth-sheltered facility. Jon Irvine, the project engineer, of Irvine Geotechnical Inc., suggested using a mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) mattress as an affordable alternative to overexcavation and replacement. Schedule, performance and cost were significant project drivers, but the overriding …

Geocomposite waterproofing for Washington weather

April 1, 2019

The wet weather in Washington state is a bane to the region’s travel infrastructure, plaguing the pavement with perpetual problems.  The westbound 3-mile (5-km) stretch across the US 2/I-5 interchange from Bickford Avenue in Everett, Wash., was in particular need of repair. A valuable pipeline for business and commuting, the bridged area transported an average …

Slope reinforcement at the Atlanta airport

February 1, 2019

PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS Atlanta airport slope stability General Contractor: C.W. Matthews Contracting Co. Inc. Design Engineer: Propex GeoSolutions HPTRM manufacturer and fabricator: Propex GeoSolutions HPTRM installer: Athena Construction Group Inc. HPTRM product: ARMORMAX® Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the world’s busiest airport, accommodating more than 100 million passengers and more than 950 thousand flights annually. Heavy …

Geocells protect wind turbine generator footings in India

October 1, 2018

Soil erosion from wind and rainwater runoff was plaguing Suzlon Energy Ltd., exposing the foundations for its twenty wind energy generators (WTGs) at Behpur, Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh, India. The foundations are circular footings set at shallow depths. Sites for WTGs are selected based on where the intensity of wind is high over a major period …

Safe storage of mining waste focus of report

August 1, 2018

In December 2017, the United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) and GRID-Arendal, an organization that supports environmentally sustainable development in partnership with UN Environment and other collaborators, published “Mine Tailings Storage: Safety Is No Accident.” The report recommends mining companies adopt simple steps to reduce environmental destruction and death by changing the way they store …

Final inspection: GRS–IBS bridge in place in 80 hours

June 1, 2018

The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) began work on the McCormick Quarry Bridge over Warren Avenue in East Providence on Sept. 23, 2016, using a geosynthetic reinforced soil–integrated bridge system (GRS–IBS). According to the Federal Highway Administration and RIDOT, the technique allowed crews to cut the closure time for the bridge from one year …

Geosynthetics: To protect and conserve water

April 1, 2018

Geosynthetics are part of a flexible, cost-effective infrastructure that helps to treat, store and deliver clean water around the world. If you’ve had a glass of clean water today, you can likely thank a geosynthetic product. Geosynthetics perform behind-the-scenes work to ensure communities have access to adequate potable water and clean waterways. They also hold …