Though geosynthetics have been used for close to 50 years, the field has matured primarily in the last 25 years; and much of the world has yet to utilize the technologies on a regular basis for infrastructure. India, with its significant (and growing!) population and transportation and wastemanagement needs, is one of the most intriguing places for geosynthetics today.
Protecting Your Long-Term Investments: Geosynthetics improve the long-term environmental security and value of a great many application sectors: waste management, road building, wall reinforcement, and much more. The longevity and reduced maintenance needs associated with the incorporation of these materials decreases the potential need for future remediation, improves current valuable assets, and corrects past environmental ills. But it's important to stress that geosynthetics work only if they are properly understood by design engineers and handled/installed properly on site.
This is easier said than done. Perhaps due to the fact that geosynthetics are generally buried, they wind up being part of the "out of sight, out of mind" principle; which is to say they are thought closely enough by all partners in a construction project.
For example, a geomembrane is a brilliant barrier for solid waste containment, but it is not a load-bearing material. Sharp construction equipment and poor handling on site-such as large machinery driving and turning directly on top of the geomembrane-can puncture and tear a geomembrane. Suffice it to say: geosynthetics are highly engineered materials manufactured for specific uses. This rule must be respected by design engineer, facility owner, general contractor, installer, etc.
Communication & Oversight: The successful adoption of geosynthetics is dependent upon experienced understanding in design and installation; but success is also heavily dependent upon communication in educational institutions, within professional associations and societies, among engineering firms, between contractors, and so on. Communication is key.
In this way, geosynthetics are no different than any other construction material. Misuse the material and you greatly increase the likelihood that your site will experience a failure. But geosynthetics are perhaps more important at this stage because they are used almost wholly for environmentally sensitive work. Six venues for information sharing are worth noting.
First, the websites of geosynthetica.net and geosindex.com deliver news, technical information, material data and more for free to users all over the world. Also, professionals all over the world contribute their project information to articles on geosynthetica. It provides a global dialogue for testing, material selection, standardization, construction tips and more. Whether you are using geomembranes, geotextiles, or geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs); whether you are
specifying geogrids, drainage geocomposites, erosion control blankets or turf reinforcement mats (TRMs); useful information and contacts for these materials are shared free for access online.
So on the first level of influence, the information on the materials has been made more readily available. Geosynthetics Second, publications such as The Masterbuilder have been essential in elevating discussion among professionals who otherwise might not have encountered an introduction to the materials. Though online is often spoken of as the mode of the day, we cannot stress enough how important print publications (and their online homes!) are to construction fields. Third, professional societies and organizations are helping extend information.
The International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) is the largest professional group dedicated to geosynthetic information. The IGS even offers an Indian Chapter. Visit http://www.geosyntheticssociety.org for more information on the larger IGS, and visit http://www.cbip.org/cigsi/index.html for information about IGS India
The Business Coordination House (BCH) of India is another good venue for professional interaction. BCH has helped orchestrate seminars and training opportunities, such as the one-day workshop "Geotextiles in India: What, Where and Why" whichwas held in October in conjunction with Constru India 2008 (Mumbai). Learn more at http://www.bch.in.
The America-based International Association of Geosynthetic Installers (IAGI) has done extremely admirable work with the establishment of its Certified Welding Technician (CWT) Program. The CWT Program is improving the quality of installations by giving project teams a way to specify experience. More than 40 firms now employ CWT-qualified welders. (The welding, or seaming, of geomembranes is critical on site, as most geomembrane installation sites require multiple panels of geomembranes. While some panel types can be fabricated together in the controlled environment of a factory, a good number must still be joined on site. This is not an easy process. If poorly conducted, minor breaks in a seam could lead to leakage, and the leakage to larger failures, litigation and a need to redo or remediate the site.) Learn more at http://www.iagi.org.
IAGI has also launched an Approved Installation Contractor (AIC) program that is helping further raise the bar of quality by vetting the business strength of geosynthetic installation companies, including issues such as bonding readiness.
The Geosynthetic Institute (GSI) continues to improve site inspection with its Construction Quality Assurance Inspector Certification Program (CQAICP), which focuses on both geosynthetic and compacted clay liner construction quality assurance (CQA). GSI White Paper #8 addresses the CQA-ICP and cites a dramatic figure from research conducted by Forget, Jacquelin and Rollin in 2005: covered geomembranes were found to have an average of 6.5 leaks per acre when the project did not use CQA; but only 0.2 leaks per acre when using CQA. Learn more at http://www.geosynthetic-institute.org.
Clearly, experience is a driving factor in significantly reducing long-term risk. A fourth significant development is the role of conferences for training and networking opportunities. In India, important events during 2008 included Waste Management 2008 (January, Mumbai), INDA training events (July, Ahmedabad and Coimbatore), the 12th International Conference of the International Association for Computer Methods and Advances in Geomechanics (October, Goa), Constru India 2008 (October, Mumbai), and Geosynthetics India (November, Hyderabad).
A fifth source for information exchange is found in short courses offered by specific geosynthetic companies. Look for these events posted in publications such
as The Masterbuilder and on the websites of the geosynthetic firms. Finally, a sixth significant development in the global information exchange has been the advent of TCLIC's training sessions.
TRI/Environmental Inc., one of the most experienced testing laboratories in the United States, and ICORP International Inc., an engineering firm with more than two decades of geosynthetic liner integrity testing experience, has jointly developed the TRICORP Liner Integrity Center (T-CLIC). T-CLIC has spent the last few years training contractors and engineers how to properly perform electrical resistivity tests on installed barriers. This is otherwise known as electrical leak location or liner integrity surveys (LIS).
LIS training, like the CWT Program and the CQA-ICP certification, is putting more qualified professionals in the field. T-CLIC's combined approach of short-course classroom education, hands-on field training, and follow-up oversight has resonated. While the course is generally taught in Austin, Texas (often with international participants flying in), they are sometimes combined with CQA-ICP training and can be held at alternative sites. One session, for example, was conducted in New York State by invitation and arrangement of regulators there.
Anyone interested in the possibility of a T-CLIC training course in India should contact the Center via the website at http://www.geosyntheticstesting.com. Sam Allen can assist. Dr. Ian Peggs of I-CORP INTERNATIONAL (http://www.geosynthetic.com) can also discuss requirements for training in India.
Keep the discussion moving!
I encourage all readers of The Masterbuilder to continue the geosynthetics discussion going. Send your thoughts, questions and project news to the editors. And we welcome your insights and questions at geosynthetica.net as well. Geosynthetics are the future strength of our everexpanding infrastructures, but they require experienced management and smart oversight. This is paramount as their applications and adoption increase. Christopher Kelsey is the editorial director for geosynthetica.net. He has worked in this sector for more than eight years. He can be reached at http://www.geosynthetica.net, email chris@geosynthetica.net.
