GMA will host Geosynthetics Morning
March 25th, 2022
GMA will host Geosynthetics Morning at Outlook Conference 2022, with a focus on infrastructure and coal combustion residuals, as well as other important topics and current trends. The lobby of the Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, Va., in 2016. Photograph by Antony-22. Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) The Industrial Fabric Association International (IFAI) Geosynthetic Materials Association […]
DOT hosting brainstorming call on strategic plan
March 10th, 2022
DOT hosting brainstorming call on the agency's Research, Development & Technology Strategic Plan on March 18. The March 18 DOT call for ideas will focus on the Research, Development & Technology Strategic Plan, including many aspects of U.S. infrastructure. Photograph by Npangarkar (WMF), Creative Commons license Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) The U.S. […]
Flood reconstruction with geosynthetics
February 16th, 2022
The use of geogrid-reinforced earth allows reconstruction of a flood-destroyed German bridge in record time. The Swistbach Bridge in Heimerzheim, Germany, was destroyed by floods in July 2021. Photograph courtesy of Heitkamp BauHolding GmbH With the increase in extreme weather events worldwide because of climate change, such as those in July 2021 in Germany (in […]
DOT announces historic bridge investment under Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
January 17th, 2022
More than $27 billion to states and tribal transportation facilities to fix an estimated 15,000 bridges nationwide Bridge at Overpeck Park in Bergen County, N.J. The DOT bridge guidance notes that federal funds can be used for 100 percent of the cost of repairing or rehabilitating locally owned bridges. Photograph by FeldBum. Creative Commons License: […]
Distinctive uses of geosynthetics
October 1st, 2020
This issue of Geosynthetics takes a look at bridges, drainage/coal combustion residuals and highways/geosynthetic wall systems. It’s a diverse issue showing the breadth of geosynthetics applications. Patricia Guerra-Escobar’s “Reinforced embankments for the causeway for a North Wales bridge project” examines the use of geogrids in the replacement of a 160-year-old bridge in the U.K. “CCR […]
Kentucky plans more than 100 new bridges as part of the Bridging Kentucky Program
May 22nd, 2019
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) announced plans this week for a major design-build project that will advance construction of more than 100 bridges in eastern and southeastern Kentucky. The project is part of the state’s Bridging Kentucky Program, a statewide initiative that represents an unprecedented commitment by Gov. Matt Bevin and the Kentucky General Assembly […]
Americans cross deficient bridges 178 million times per day
May 6th, 2019
The American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) released it’s 2019 Bridge Report, and it rates 47,052 bridges as structurally deficient, 7.6% of all bridges. The structurally deficient bridges carry 178 million travelers per day. Thirty-eight percent of all bridges, some 235,020 spans, have identified repair needs. This includes structurally deficient bridges and one in […]
Infrastructure funding remains uncertain
April 1st, 2019
Nearly a year has gone by since we published the June/July 2018 issue with a theme of “Geosynthetics Used in Highways and Bridges.” The editorial in that issue noted, “As of this writing, the White House and U.S. Congress are working on an infrastructure bill or bills after President Donald Trump released an infrastructure proposal […]
Performance evaluation of a multi-span GRS–IBS
April 1st, 2019
The I-70 multi-span bridges (Figure 1) over Smith Road in Aurora, Colo., included design methodology changes that were classified as “experimental features,” and, thus, additional project funds were included for evaluation. In order to understand the geostructural performance of the multi-span geosynthetic reinforced soil–integrated bridge system (GRS–IBS), the abutment was instrumented with a vertical chain […]
FHWA video features GRS–IBS history and construction techniques
October 5th, 2018
A Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) YouTube video showcases the history and construction techniques of the geosynthetic reinforced soil–integrated bridge system (GRS–IBS). The video illustrates how to build a GRS–IBS. It is intended to educate designers, engineers, contractors and inspectors on the fundamentals of the GRS–IBS. The video follows the GRS–IBS Interim Implementation Guide (FHWA-HRT-11-026). The […]