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 [...]

Forj thermoplastic, a product of ResinFiber LLC, recently won an Outdoor Retailer Innovation award. Forj tape-ribbon is a pure polymer ribbon, that when heated, becomes moldable into any shape. Once cooled, its molecules couple and harden forming a tensile strength of 1,000 pounds. Each tin of Forj comes with 20 feet of white ribbon and [...]

The Department of Commerce announced March 4 that U.S. construction spending reached a record level in 2018, rising 4.1% to $1.3 trillion, beating the previous record high of $1.16 trillion set in 2006. Despite the record high, the percentage increase was the lowest since 2011. Public construction fell 0.6 percent, a drop fueled by a [...]

Hurricane Michael caused extensive damage to Florida’s power grid network, leveling more than 100 transmission towers in a 34-mile (55-km) right-of-way from Port St. Joe to Callaway. This right-of-way crosses swampy, remote and hard-to-reach areas, making rebuilding the grid even more challenging. This extremely wet, muddy ground prevented Duke Energy repair vehicles from accessing the [...]

Fabric, including these aerial silks, played a starring role in Circus Juventas’ 2018 performance of “Steam” in St. Paul, Minn. Circus Juventas is a nonprofit performing arts circus school for young people. Photo: Bill Raab. Fabricators go to great lengths to make sure every piece of material they produce or distribute will be [...]

Close-up bobbins with blue colored thread for industrial textile machines. The future of fabric or any manufactured product boils down to the components that make it up. For fabric that means yarns and threads—the building blocks of fabric possibilities. It’s an exciting time to be a part of yarn and thread innovations—innovations that [...]

"It is the obvious which is so difficult to see most of the time. People say ‘It’s as plain as the nose on your face.’ But how much of the nose on your face can you see, unless someone holds a mirror up to you?" ~Isaac Asimov   Since March 2008, our cover has featured [...]