My Items

Held every four years, EuroGeo explores the appropriate use and beneficial impact of geosynthetics on civil infrastructure and sustainability throughout Europe. The 2025 conference, which is a major regional technical conference and trade show of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS), is organized by IGS France. The main theme of the Conference is: Technical Challenges and Environmental Imperatives for the 21st Century. The new challenges faced by construction professionals, environmental concerns, innovation and risk management will be at the heart of the discussions and presentations. More information at EuroGeo 8 - 8th European Regional Conference on Geosynthetics - Lille, France - IGS ( geosyntheticssociety.org )

Floods and heavy rains caused by climate change, trigger major problems throughout European cities. It is increasingly urgent to find solutions to mitigate the sudden rise of the water level of rivers. Detention basins are above-ground storage basins or facilities that allow river flow control through attenuation of stormwater runoff.   Ditches along two rivers in Tuscany used as illegal landfills were reclaimed and restored as natural expansion basins. The project started with a temporary detour of the watercourses, surface and deep removal of the stored waste. Secondly, the restoration of the bottom of the new detention basin, followed by the reconstruction of the basin’s bank and the protective embankments.   The embankments were built using a reinforced earth system with uniaxial grids of different sizes. Removable formworks were used to prevent damage to the water-resistant layer; the inner side was waterproofed with a bentonite geocomposite, and finally a geo-mat for slope erosion control.

On the 14th of May the NGO, in cooperation with IGS Netherlands, will organise an International Symposium on ‘’Geosynthetics and sustainability’’ (Environmental, civil and Hydraulic Engineering. The venue will the Technical University Delft, faculty civil engineering and Geosiences Building 23, Stevinweg 1 in Delft, the Netherlands. The event will take place on the 14th of May 2024, from 13.00-18.30 CET. The event will be both a physical event + online streaming. Register for free via www.ngo.nl/symposium24 . For more information, email to mail@ngo.nl

The use of a woven geotextile in renovating Ostend-Bruges Airport's runway replaced traditional gravel methods, significantly reducing CO2 emissions. Compared to gravel, the geotextile required only three trucks for transport, resulting in a 92% reduction in CO2 emissions. Its polypropylene (PP) composition further enhances environmental benefits over polyester (PET) granulate. The geotextile acts as a separation layer between fractions, providing rigidity through its E-modulus property, and offering strong tensile strength with good soil density. The geotextile thus combines environmental advantages with functional superiority, showcasing its role in sustainable infrastructure solutions.

Rees Flood Channel: a Bypass for the Rhine River.  The branch of biological engineering is still a niche in landscape architecture and gardening. Bio-engineering measures, which form an integral part of large building projects, are therefore performed by companies from other branches of industry.   The Rees Flood Channel is a fine example of a future-oriented and sustainable construction measure in hydroengineering. The materials and construction methods that were used in this project can be easily applied to small-scale projects such as revitalization activities along brooks and smaller rivers.   Therefore, they seamlessly blend in with the field of activity of landscape architecture and gardening and bear significant potential for new business applications.

​

In walls in contact with the soil, moisture and water seepage can undermine the stability and longevity of the structure, while also potentially making interiors such as cellars, basements or other underground rooms unhealthy. Geosynthetics like studded membranes and drainage geocomposites play a key role in protecting foundations, preserving the integrity of waterproofing, and draining water.   In this age of climate change, with extreme events like weather bombs bringing huge amounts of water to be "eliminated", it is imperative to preserve the integrity of underground walls — being in direct contact with the soil — the protection of which needs to be suitably redesigned. Some of the main considerations to be factored in to the design of foundation walls include: · the site's topography · the type of soil (slimy, sandy, gravelly) · the expected amount of water based on historical rainfall records · whether there is considerable groundwater present.   To deal with these many and varied situations, sometimes with more than one factor in play, the solutions to be adopted are aimed at protecting the waterproofing layer and draining water fully.

The remediation of former industrial sites with contaminated soil is one of the major ecological challenges of our time. Those containing radon are even a public health issue and gas drainage is mandatory and must be implemented.   Geotextiles offer a quick and cost-effective solution to this issue. The combined solution of a waterproofing membrane and of a geotextile installed horizontally under the concrete slab constitutes a real barrier against radon and other gases from the ground.   Containment is based on the application of a drainage geocomposite to create a preferential path and prevent gas from accumulating below the membrane. Drained gases are discharged to one or more collectors placed on the periphery of the treated area and connected to one or more outlet stacks.   Under certain conditions, providing a gas barrier by overlapping membrane strips is sufficient, while in other cases waterproofing the geomembrane by welding is necessary. Apart from economic considerations, the benefits are also practical : the concrete slab being directly applied onto the geotextile in no time.   Moreover, the usage of geotextile avoid the treatment and removal of contaminated soil. Here again, geotextiles offer an efficient and lasting answer to an important ecological issue.

In the urban environment, space is a key resource that is becoming more and more limited. Flyovers and bridges are vital infrastructure elements to solve traffic and mobility problems, but their ground footprint is a critical aspect when it comes to sustainable development. Building vertically presents numerous advantages, notably the ability to make the most of limited ground space and enhance overall quality of life. Planar and high-adherence geostrips, ensure long-lasting performance of a vertical wall’s system: resilience in harsh conditions and highly alkaline environments; adaptability to unusual structures or obstructions; friction and pullout capacity in every terrain and an excellent response in areas with high seismic risk.

Civil Engineers, planners and contractors who often support complex infrastructural projects such as direct economic highways, airports and other traffic routes often find themselves having to build on poor soils, marshlands and sometimes even land that needs to be reclaimed! In many cases, the sub-grade is too weak to allow construction to proceed at a normal rate. Soft, cohesive soils are very slow to consolidate. 90% settlement can take up to 20-25 years without the use of vertical drains for soil consolidation. Prefabricated vertical drain are not only providing a solution for fast soil improvement : it significantly reduces the needs of new material to substitute the soil in place, preserving the natural resources.

A comparative life cycle assessment of geosynthetics versus conventional construction materials, filter function in a river construction is now available on the EAGM website. The conclusions are: 1: Overall, the geosynthetic alternative causes between 10% and 50% less ecological impacts than the gravel/sand alternative 2: Greenhouse gas emissions are reduced by 12 to 26% through the use of geosynthetics 3: The cumulative energy requirement is reduced by 13% to 28% through the use of geosynthetics More information can be found on the EAGM website at Case 5 Water Ways | EAGM

Landfills for inert, non-hazardous and hazardous waste are governed by specific laws in each country, which set out precise regulations on the construction and maintenance of these sites. Many types of waste can take years, even decades, to disintegrate and complete natural decomposition processes. At this stage, they produce: - a large amount of slurry, such as leachate, that must be kept isolated because they are extremely contaminating for the soil and for groundwater; - biogases, mainly methane and carbon dioxide, due to the breakdown of organic material. Drainage geocomposites are a great solution to the drainage of rainwater and biogases in the capping and also of leachate in bottom and banks of the landfills. They replace the traditional system that used aggregate reducing from 100 to 1 the number of movable trucks and, consequently, pollution. Moreover, crrectly controlled biogases could be used to produce renewable energy.