Congress recently passed the most significant piece of land conservation legislation in a generation. The Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA)—a rare bipartisan effort—will provide full funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund at $900 million annually and will put $9.5 billion over the next five years toward the deferred maintenance backlog on public lands. The GAOA provides $6.5 billion specifically for the 419 national park units. President Trump signed the bill into law on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020. Increased Use and Lack of Funding Caused Maintenance Backlog This piece of legislation will have a historical impact on National Parks in the United States. The number of visitors to national parks has increased by 50% since 1980, but budgets have remained virtually flat. This imbalance has contributed to a $12 billion backlog of repairs to access roads, trails, campgrounds, monuments, and other parks infrastructure. Parks and recreational trails have recently become even more popular due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With limited indoor entertainment options, people have rediscovered their love for the outdoors. As this trend continues, our national parks must be equipped with the infrastructure necessary to sustain them in the long term. The Importance of Green Infrastructure & Low… Read more »
Yearly Archives: 2020
Quick Repair of Track Subgrade & Railroad Right-of-Way
GEOWEB® Geocells — Quick Fix, Long Term Protection Be prepared to repair washouts and track issues quickly and economically with one solution. The GEOWEB® 3D Soil Stabilization System is a proven 40-year solution, delivering emergency repair for track and railroad right-of-way embankments, bridges and channels. Stock readily available allows for fast deployment by local railroad crews. Contact us for more information about our GEOWEB Emergency Repair Kit Stocking Program. Wash Out Repair & Armoring: Right-of-Way Embankments | Earthen Berms | Bridge Protection | Drainage Channels Variable Infill Options: Soil/Vegetation | Aggregate | Concrete Economical Solution: Less Down Time: GEOWEB material is quickly installed to repair any size emergency and minimize track disruptions. Installation Benefit: Railroads can install the GEOWEB material with their own crews. Reduce Rock Size: Rock confined in the GEOWEB structure replaces expensive rip-rap, reducing aggregate size up to 10 times. Fast Deployment: Strong, yet light-weight GEOWEB sections are easy to transport and quick to deploy, even in difficult site access areas. Most repairs do not require large construction equipment. Construction & Repair Versatility The GEOWEB Soil Stabilization System has been successfully employed for railroad construction and repair for over 40 years. GEOWEB sections are packaged in collapsed, easy-to-handle… Read more »
Build a Stronger Foundation for Infrastructure Projects with 3D Soil Confinement
It’s no secret that America’s infrastructure is desperately in need of investment. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) gave the country’s infrastructure an overall grade of D-plus in its 2017 Infrastructure Report Card—dangerously close to an outright failing grade. The ASCE estimates that the U.S. will need to spend nearly $4.5 trillion by 2025 to fix the country’s roads, bridges, dams, and other infrastructure. Our nation’s roads and bridges—commonly referred to as the “backbone” of the U.S. transportation system—received grades of D and C-plus, respectively. These transportation systems are deteriorating due to advancing age, increasing use, and inadequate funding. This degradation leads to a significant cost to users in terms of time, money, and safety. There are over 4 million miles of road in the United States, and the cost to maintain these roadways can vary greatly by state. Several factors determine maintenance costs, including the type of pavement surface, its current condition, its geographical location, average precipitation, number of annual freeze/thaw cycles, and frequency of use. Three-Dimensional Geocells Provide Solutions to Aging Infrastructure The long-term performance of infrastructure construction projects depends on the strength of the underlying soil. Through an interconnected honeycomb-like network, 3D geocells confine and stabilize… Read more »
Keep Projects Moving Forward With Our Free Design Tools and Project Evaluations
There’s no denying that life looks a lot different than it did a month or two ago. Most of us have been affected by COVID-19 in some way. While the degree to which we are feeling these effects varies by person, population, industry, etc., this situation has changed the way we all live and do business. Those who are able to work remotely are adjusting to a new normal. With schools closed indefinitely, many of us are now simultaneously trying to manage workloads while homeschooling and meal prepping. People in many industries are working tirelessly on the frontlines ensuring that we have access to essential goods and services, and we are incredibly thankful for them. Learn From Home and Earn PDH Credit With shelter-in-place orders still in effect for many regions, we will continue to evaluate how we can better serve our partners in the engineering and construction industries. Over the past month, we have increased our offerings of live webcasts to stay connected and provide colleagues and customers with a direct line to our engineering team. We will continue to offer these webcasts, as well as customized virtual technical presentations for your engineering staff. Free Design Support and Tools As we begin to… Read more »
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