Geosynthetics at Work: Beyond Blankets and Mats

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Geosynthetics are amazing materials. They drain, contain and filter. They separate as well as hold together. They work underground and underwater, on mountainsides and on rooftops. According to the International Geosynthetics Society, the words geotextiles and geomembraneswere coined only about 30 years ago, at the first International Conference on Geotextiles, in Paris. Since then, we have added geogrids, geonets, geosynthetic clay liners, geofoam, and geocomposites. These materials are made of polypropylene, polyester, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), linear low-density polyethylene (LLPDE), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), to name a few. All are flexible and durable.

Geotextiles are one of the largest groups of geosynthetics. Their fibers are either woven, knitted, needle-punched, or matted together into fabrics. They’re porous to varying degrees and are used for separation, reinforcement, filtration, and drainage. Geomembranes are another large group of geosynthetics. These are relatively thin, impervious sheets of polymers. They’re often used for linings and covers to contain liquids or vapors in landfills, reservoirs, and canals.

Geogrids are stretched sheets of polymers that form open grids. Uniaxial geogrids stretch in one direction and have rectangular apertures. Biaxial geogrids stretch in both directions and have virtually square apertures. They can be filled with soil, aggregate, or concrete and almost always are used for reinforcement and to improve load-bearing capacity.

PHOTO: CAPITOL GREEN ROOFS

Article by: Janet Arid. Go Here for Full Story: http://www.erosioncontrol.com/may-2010/geosynthetics-slope-stabilization-1.aspx

Baltimore's green success stories

April 22, 2010 - by Donna M. Owens - http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/

Happy Earth Day! To celebrate, we bring you a sampling of green success stories: local residents and businesses, nonprofits and municipal agencies, all of whom are trying to make the Baltimore area a little greener, a bit more livable.

What: Northwest Honda
Where: Owings Mills
Earth Philosophy: A car dealership with an eco-friendly vibe

If you coax him, you might get Ed Dreiband to climb a narrow ladder, open a steel hatch and stand on the roof of his dealership. From this vantage point 25 feet above busy Reisterstown Road, Dreiband can survey 29,000 square feet of roof — and its 57,000 living, growing plants.
The green roof is the centerpiece of Northwest Honda’s eco-friendly auto facility, which opened in 2006. Its features include insulated glass panels, automatic sensors that control lights, and carwash bays that recycle upward of 3,000 gallons of water daily. “The roof is beautiful, especially in May when everything’s blooming,” Dreiband says of the tiny, drought-tolerant plants (most are a hardy species known as sedum). Green roofs can help reduce, filter and cool stormwater runoff. That in turn can protect sewer systems and watersheds. The roof makes Dreiband happy. “I have kids and grandkids, and I am thinking of them. We have one earth, and we all have to share it.”

GO HERE FOR FULL STORY: http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/bthesite/blog/2010/04/post_46.html

A Beautiful Way To Improve Your Environment

(NAPSI)-When some people find something that's as easy on the eye as it's easy on the environment and the wallet, they just walk all over it. And that's a good thing when it's a pavement that's an improvement.
A pavement that meets those requirements is permeable interlocking concrete pavements (PICPs). These look like popular concrete paving stones but have a small space between them. This space is filled with small stones that allow runoff to filter down and into the soil, reducing stormwater runoff and pollution. In snowy weather, they can reduce icy buildup. The melting snow just drains into the spaces between the pavers so it doesn't have a chance to refreeze into ice.
  The pavers are available in many shapes, sizes, textures and colors for various uses. A light, reflective color, for instance, can reduce the "heat island" effect created by ordinary asphalt pavements. The paving stones are strong and durable because they're made the same way as concrete paving stones are. This durability means homeowners can enjoy their beauty for a lifetime.
  Other easy low-cost and no-cost landscaping tips to protect the environment include:
• Plant trees to act as wind blockers or to shade you from the worst of the sun.
• Plant climbing vines on arbors to help lower cooling costs in the summer.
• Cut down on grass acreage. The less grass you have, the less you have to water.
• Choose native plants that are well adapted to your environment and will require less care.
• Mulch: Mulching saves water and makes it easier to weed.

Homeowners, design professionals and contractors can learn more from the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute and find ICPI-certified installers at www.icpi.org or by calling (703) 657-6900.

Homeowners plant a ‘greenroof' for aesthetics and cooling

Is there vegetation spilling out over the edge of a roof near you? Are you thinking the property owner hasn’t gotten around to cleaning out his gutters? Perhaps it means that house is sporting a deliberately planted surface that makes a cool statement, both figuratively and literally.

Several high-profile buildings such as Atlanta City Hall and the Woodruff Arts Center have planted roofs, and they’re starting to show up on homes as well. These planted roofs are called "greenroofs."
Not “green roof,” but “greenroof,” a term becoming commonly accepted as a way to differentiate the planted roof from a roof made of green-colored building materials.
Some may want a greenroof just because it dresses up an exposed roof area, but a greenroof also serves two important environmental functions: It helps to slow down stormwater runoff and it provides an insulating effect, helping to reduce cooling bills.

Taken From an Article By C. W. Cameron For the AJC. Go Here for full story: http://www.ajc.com/lifestyle/homeowners-plant-a-greenroof-420091.html
Photo by Vino Wong, vwong@ajc.com

FOR INFORMATION ON CELL-TEK'S GREENROOF-TEK SYSTEM GO HERE: http://www.celltekdirect.com/new/system5.html

New Stormwater Rule will impact construction industry

On December 1, 2009, U.S. EPA published effluent limitations guidelines and new source performance standards to control the discharge of pollutants from construction sites. U.S. EPA expects that the New Stormwater Rule1 will reduce the amount of sediment discharged from construction sites by about 4 billion pounds each year. Importantly, the U.S. EPA also estimated the annual cost to comply with the New Stormwater Rule to be approximately $953 million after the rule has been fully implemented.

Erosion, Sediment Control and Soil Stabilization Requirements
This new rule also establishes general erosion and sedimentation control requirements that will apply to all those operators seeking coverage under the stormwater NPDES program (non-numeric requirements). The non-numeric requirements become applicable within 60 days after the final rule is published in the Federal Register, which was February 1, 2010. The non-numeric requirements include provisions related to designing and installing erosion and sediment controls, soil stabilization, dewatering, pollution prevision measures, prohibited discharges and requirements related to surface outlets.

via http://www.lexology.com/ - Roetzel & Andress. USA. March 9 2010
Go here for full article: http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=e08ce201-f9df-4a4e-aea3-015b7193f9dc