October 1, 2008
Stabilizing a “living roof” with biodegradable geotextile: Interlocking plant trays help the new California Academy of Sciences building blend into hilly surroundings. By Shelby Gonzalez Introduction Lead architect Renzo Piano envisioned the new California Academy of Sciences (CAS) building as an organic part of its setting, San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. So his design crowned …
October 1, 2007
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 stability threshold conditions. This article presents the engineering design …
August 1, 2007
By Sarah Willnerd and Ron Bygness Introduction With ownership of some 900 quarries around the world to sustain its building materials operations, the Lafarge Group claims a commitment to achieving sustainable development hand in hand with environmental compliance. However, attempts to stabilize a large stockpile at its Woodstock, Ontario, quarry were challenging that goal. Lafarge …
Installation of a reservoir liner restored more-efficient irrigation to a Colorado resort By Richard A. Millet, P.E., Jennifer L. Williams, P.E., Dennis A. Minchow, John B. Heap Introduction Fisher Cañon Reservoir is an off-channel storage facility that supplies irrigation water to the golf courses at the legendary Broadmoor Resort near Colorado Springs, Colo. The Fisher …
June 1, 2007
The expansion of a massive Serbian coal mine requires moving a river. By Svetomir Prokic and Ronald K. Frobel Overview The Kolubara open pit mine is the largest and most critical supplier of lignite coal in the Republic of Serbia and a crucial component in that country’s emerging economy. The mine encompasses more than 600km2 …
A district irrigation department in West Bengal, India has initiated a geotextile tube project on an experimental basis in an effort to check coastline erosion. A 1-km test section on the Bay of Bengal coastline from Shankarpur to Jalda in the district of East Midnapore was installed this spring. The project, implemented to stop the …
April 1, 2007
By Stan Boyle and Kathy Robertson Abstract In October 2003, stormwater overflows from an intense, short-duration storm eroded approximately 20,000 yds.3 of soil from the bottom and side slopes of a ravine between the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and a subdivision near Tacoma, Wash. The erosion ruptured two storm drains and left undermined slopes that continued …
Five years ago, a housing develoment company needed to prepare a stormwater management plan and design best management practices (BMP) for stormwater management at historic Fort Sheridan. The military base, situated on bluffs overlooking the shores of Lake Michigan in the northern Chicago suburb of Highland Park, was in the midst of transformation from a …
June 1, 2006
American Excelsior Co. and Uzet World Dublin have partnered to introduce e-Staple to the erosion-control industry. The devices offer an option in biodegradation from cold to warm conditions and will not soften during storage through humidity pickup. The e–Staple product can also be used on coastal erosion installation projects and for sod as well, and …
Back to the beach in Mexico. By Enrique Álvarez, Ramiro Rubio, Herbert Ricalde Abstract The beaches of the northern coast of Yucatan in Mexico have been in an erosion process that has dramatically increased in the past 15 years. Changes in the littoral dynamics, mainly due to human action, have generated a coastline regression rate, …