Get listed in the Geosynthetics 2019 Specifier’s Guide
October 1st, 2018
The annual call for listings in the Geosynthetics 2019 Specifier’s Guide opened September 19. Thousands of companies, engineers and government agencies turn to this annual guide to purchase products and services. This comprehensive resource lists suppliers of geotextiles, geomembranes, geogrids, geosynthetic clay liners, drainage materials, geocells and erosion control materials, as well as services related […]
The many applications for geosynthetics in the energy sector
October 1st, 2018
The opportunities for geosynthetics in energy applications are nearly endless. There are huge energy categories, such as oil, natural gas and coal, but geosynthetics also play a role in nuclear energy, hydropower, wind power and solar power, among others. Geosynthetics line storage tanks, support roads to remote sites, line tailings ponds, provide filtration, dewater coal […]
Multilinear drainage geocomposites to filter oil sands tailing slurries
October 1st, 2018
Mining and some energy operations generate large quantities of water-containing tailings. These tailings are made of crushed-rock particles that are deposited in a slurry form. This is the case for coal, tar sand, lead, zinc, gold, silver, copper, molybdenum, nickel, taconite (iron), phosphate, bauxite (aluminum oxide), uranium, trona (soda ash) and potash, for example. There […]
Automation of large-scale geotextile and geomembrane fabrication
October 1st, 2018
The development of a large-scale fabrication machine was conceived during the fabrication of geotextiles for a tailings pond cap in 2010. The machine joins five strips of material at a time to create fabricated panels for large projects. It is capable of both welding geomembranes and sewing high-strength geotextiles. This machine was specifically designed to […]
Geosynthetics opportunities and solutions in shale gas extraction
October 1st, 2018
While natural gas contained within shale rock is geologic and thus ancient by its very nature, the practice of its removal by horizontal drilling coupled with hydrofracking is a relatively recent development (Figure 1). Indeed, these dual technologies are making possible the recovery of huge amounts of natural gas—so much so that one can envision […]
Geosynthetics and coal combustion residuals
October 1st, 2018
According to the World Bank Group, in 2015 coal produced 41% of the world’s energy and about 34% of the energy production in the United States. While global warming and pollution are serious challenges according to most scientific evidence, and coal burning is cited as one cause of both, there are many staunch advocates of […]
Construction inspection of MSE walls, berms and slopes is focus of GSI online course
September 27th, 2018
The Geosynthetic Institute (GSI) will host an online short course entitled “Course 2: Construction Inspection of Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE) Walls, Berms and Slopes,” Nov. 6–8, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. EDT each day. Robert M. Koerner and George Koerner will teach the course. All Geosynthetic Materials […]
Barry R. Christopher honored with 2018 Koerner award and lecture series
September 11th, 2018
The Geosynthetic Materials Association (GMA), led by a Koerner awardee selection task force, selected Barry R. Christopher, Ph.D., P.E., as the recipient of the 2018 Dr. Robert M. Koerner Award and Lecture Series. The award and lecture series is named for Dr. Robert M. Koerner, Ph.D., the founder and director emeritus of the Geosynthetic Institute […]
GSI’s Koerner to host webinar on the development of geosynthetic drainage, GMA members get discounted rates
August 21st, 2018
The Geosynthetic Institute (GSI) will sponsor a webinar entitled “Sand Drains-to-Wick Drains-to-Sand Columns,” on Sept. 12, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. EDT. The webinar will be hosted by Dr. Robert M. Koerner. GMA member companies and their employees receive discounted rates on all GSI webinar and short course registrations. This webinar will begin with […]
Geocomposite lamination strength ASTM test method: Time for an update
August 1st, 2018
Recent project experience that included continuous peel testing across the roll width of geocomposite materials has shed light on the issue of peel strength between geotextiles and geonets that are heat-bonded together. The variability of peel strength across a roll width is found to be much greater than expected, with the typical standard deviation often […]