Geosynthetics June/July 2019 - 42

INDUSTRY NEWS
GEO NEWS AND NOTES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Thrace-LINQ completes
expansion project

Tenax launches a composite
for retaining gravel

Thrace-LINQ Inc. announced the
completion of the installation of a new
ANDRITZ needlepunched nonwoven
line. The Thrace Group invested more
than $9 million in this project to satisfy the growing demand for its highperformance nonwoven fabrics in North
America. This state-of-the-art needlepunched nonwoven line was designed
to produce world-class quality fabrics
for geosynthetics, automotive and floor
covering markets. An in-line tenter oven
and calender, along with finished-width
capability beyond 20 feet (6 m), are just a
few of the features this equipment offers.

Italian company Tenax's new product
GRAVEL LOCK is a geocomposite made
up of a cuspated, rolled high-density
polyethylene geogrid coupled with a
polypropylene nonwoven fabric. It is ideal
for creating draining and stable gravel
floors for pedestrian and vehicular passage. The shape in rolls and the reduced
amount of gravel required for filling (less
than one-third compared to classic gratings) make GRAVEL LOCK an effective,
durable, aesthetically pleasing and economical solution.

Roundtable focuses on
geocomposite peel testing
On February 12 during the Geosynthetics
Conference 2019 in Houston, Texas, a
roundtable discussion was held regarding geocomposite peel testing and a
potential new approach for testing
of this index property. The session
was moderated by Richard Thiel and
included approximately 65 attendees.
The lively discussion focused on the
previously unrecognized high variability of the bond strength between the
geonet core and the heat-bonded upper/
lower nonwoven geotextiles across the
roll width of manufactured geocomposites. The fact that this variability could
affect the shear strength and constructability of the product was recognized.
It was suggested that the Standard Test
Method ASTM D7005, Determining
the Bond Strength of Geocomposites,
be considered for revision so that the
test results would accurately reflect the
variability in the bond strength across
the roll width.
42

Geosynthetics | June July 2019

Solmax introduces
RockArmour geomembrane for
oil and gas pipeline protection
Solmax has partnered with Rock Armour
LLC to introduce an innovative rockshield
pipeline protection offering to the oil and
gas industry. RockArmour is a conductive geomembrane material designed to
shield pipelines from rock impact damage during backfilling and problems
caused by land movement after pipeline
installation. RockArmour is made of a
perforated, conductive low-density polyethylene geomembrane that exceeds the
industry standards in impact resistance
and tear strength. The core layer provides
the impact and tear strength, while the
inner layer is textured and conductive. The
perforation allows for cathodic protection
current to protect against damage on the
coated pipe surface. "With RockArmour,
contractors may save as much as 75% in
labor costs and maintain or exceed the
run rate required to stay ahead in the field,
essentially giving contractors more miles
for less," said Mathieu Cornellier, vice
president of technical services and business development at Solmax.

Women leaders in textile
industry share expertise-
and encouragement
More women than ever now own textile
companies, and IFAI's recent Women in
Textiles Summit brought together many
of these business leaders to share their
unique expertise within a highly specialized industry. This year's inaugural summit, held March 6-8 in Savannah, Ga.,
facilitated what IFAI President and CEO
Steve Schiffman calls an "investment
in the future." Year one of the summit
brought together 60 women who shared
their business experiences and paths to
success. Linden Wicklund, IFAI director of events and member programs,
says, "IFAI has long known there are a
great many strong female leaders in the
industrial textile industry, but they often
are not the ones to come forward and
participate in the association activities
that push the industry forward."

Plastatech unveils
line of prefabricated
geomembrane accessories
Plastatech Engineering Ltd. launched
a new line of prefabricated accessories
featuring product styles such as a straight
pipe boot, angled pipe boot, inside corner,
outside corner and other customizable
options. Designed to provide time-saving
solutions for a variety of geomembrane
projects, accessories are available in
polyvinyl chloride (PVC), high-density
polyethylene (HDPE), reinforced polyethylene (RPE), linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), reinforced polypropylene
(RPP) and thermoplastic olefin (TPO).

Geosynthetics June/July 2019

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