Emeritus Professor of Civil Engineering at Drexel University
Director Emeritus of GSI
Dr. Robert M. Koerner’s interest in geosynthetics spans thirty-five years of teaching, research, writing and consulting. He holds his Ph.D. in Geotechnical Engineering from Duke University. He is a registered Professional Engineer, a Distinguished Member of ASCE, a Geotechnical Engineering Diplomate, and an Honorary Member of the International Geosynthetics Society and a member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering. Dr. Koerner has authored and co-authored over 750 papers on Geosynthetics and geotechnical topics in journals and at national and international conferences. His most widely used publication is his book entitled “Designing with Geosynthetics” now in its sixth edition. Dr. Koerner is presently Emeritus Professor of Civil Engineering at Drexel University and Emeritus Director of the Geosynthetic Institute. Dr. Koerner is currently fully involved in distance learning via live presentations of Geosynthetic courses and webinars over the Internet.
Supported by the Geosynthetic Institute:
The Geosynthetic Institute (GSI) was founded in 1986 as a consortium of organizations interested in, and involved with, geosynthetics. All types of polymeric geosynthetic materials are involved: geotextiles, geomembranes, geogrids, geonets, geospacers, geocomposites, geosynthetic clay liners, geopipe, geocells, and geofoam. The organizations include federal and state governmental agencies, facility owners, designers, consultants, QC and QA organizations, testing laboratories, resin and additive suppliers, manufacturers, manufacturer’s representatives and installation contractors. GSI currently consists of 71 member organizations of which ca. 65% are international. GSI’s Mission is to develop and transfer knowledge, assess and critique geosynthetics, and provide services to the member organizations.
Dr. Eng. Alberto M. Scuero
Chairman & Executive President, CARPI TECH, Switzerland
A.Scuero graduated in Hydraulic Civil Engineering at Turin Polytechnic in Italy. After working for major civil engineering construction companies in Italy and Africa, in 1986 he joined CARPI, a private Dutch group that works in the field of waterproofing with geosynthetics. He has been involved in research on geomembrane technologies, for which he invented and holds several patents, in design and application of waterproofing geomembrane systems to all types of hydraulic structures, including 120 large dams. He was the coordinator of the ICOLD European Working Group who prepared ICOLD Bulletin 135 on Geomembrane Sealing Systems for Dams.
Dr. Eng. Gabriella Vaschetti
VP - Technical & Marketing Manager, CARPI TECH, Switzerland
G. Vaschetti graduated in Civil Engineering at the Turin Polytechnic in Italy. After three years as assistant teacher to practical lessons in the same University, she worked as registered professional engineer for private consultants.
In 1992, she joined CARPI, a private Dutch group that works in the field of waterproofing with geosynthetics. She has been involved in the design and tendering phases for application of waterproofing geomembrane systems to all types of hydraulic structures, and in research and development of new application techniques.
She was the secretary of the ICOLD European Working Group who prepared ICOLD Bulletin 135 on Geomembrane Sealing Systems for Dams.
This lecture presents the contents of the latest bulletin published by the International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD) on the subject of geomembranes as sealing systems for dams.
Bulletin 135, published in 2010, is an updating and expansion of ICOLD Bulletins 38, published in 1981, and 78, published in 1991.
Bulletin 135 has been prepared, under the aegis of the ICOLD Committee on Materials for Fill Dams, by the ad-hoc European Working Group for Geomembranes and Geosynthetics as Facing Materials, composed by experts from nine European countries, with external contribution from USA.
Different competences were covered by the Group, which included geomembrane scientists, dam designers, geomembrane systems designers, dam owners, and geomembrane specialist contractors. The bulletin is composed of 9 chapters, in total 464 pages for the English and the French versions.
The lecture outlines the history of the constitution of the Working Group, the preparation of the database on geomembrane systems in dams all over the world, discusses the topics covered by each chapter, and gives some statistics based on the database.