WWTP pond clean-outs should be planned maintenance
Understand sludge volume, organic loading, digestion and oxygen demand, and plan pond clean-outs with bathymetric survey review and geobag dewatering.
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Kontain Practical Technical Articles
Kontain’s explanations of geosynthetic research, material selection, design inputs, installation and project lessons for local and global projects.
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Each article is written as a practical starting point. Final selection, testing, verification and design responsibility remain project-specific.
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Geosynthetics in Practice · Issue 1
How AI can help engineers apply geosynthetic research
The first edition of Geosynthetics in Practice explores how AI can help engineers assess research, compare alternatives and build confidence in better designs.
Geomembrane welding & durability
HDPE welds after four years outdoors: what should we take from the results?
A field study found satisfactory seam strength after four years outdoors, alongside lower OIT in the weld. Practical lessons for designers, installers and asset owners.
GCL performance
Same bentonite. Better performance with polymer.
A same-bentonite study gives a strong case for polymer modification in landfill caps exposed to calcium-rich water and wet–dry cycling. What the data mean for designers, installers and asset owners.
Pavement geogrids
Reactive soils and pavement heave: a stronger case for geogrids
New research strengthens the case for geogrids over reactive ground. Retaining pavement thickness and targeting better resilience is a practical place to start.
GCL design and performance
Laminated GCLs: a stronger case than the peel number suggests
Why polymer formulation, finished-layer durability, texture and joints deserve more weight when comparing coated and laminated GCL barriers.
Pavement geogrids
A geogrid is not just a sheet of extra strength
What lateral-restraint research means for grid placement, aggregate compatibility and defensible pavement performance claims.
Reinforced-soil design
Before you import better fill, compare the whole wall
A practical way to compare local and imported fill in reinforced-soil walls without losing sight of drainage, durability and construction risk.
Geobag dewatering
Geobag dewatering is not “set and forget”
Why failed geobag projects are often predictable — and why crystal-clear filtrate can still leave wet, difficult-to-handle biosolids.
Geomembrane performance
The Wrinkle Was Small. The Storm Made the Defect Consequential.
A 2026 field study shows how crossed geomembrane wrinkles and one extreme storm combined to control leakage through a waste cover defect.
GCL performance
A GCL Can Remain Intact While Its Bentonite Barrier Changes
What a 12-year exhumation study reveals about bentonite redistribution, cation exchange, membrane efficiency and the risk of treating virgin GCL data as permanent.
Pavement stabilisation
Geogrid Carbon Savings Require a Redesigned Pavement
A field-validated study reported 6–24% embodied-carbon reductions, but only after geogrid performance was converted into thinner, project-specific pavement sections.
Technical guidance
Project-first geosynthetic selection: what to define before choosing a product
A practical framework for moving from the ground, load, water and construction problem to the right geosynthetic function, evidence and supply pathway.
Geobag safety
A Little Over-Fill Is a Big Problem: Why Fill Height Governs Geobag Safety
Hoop tension, the square law, hidden settlement in stacks, and how to engineer the risk out of passive dewatering.
Tailings dewatering
The Tailings Solution Australia Keeps Walking Past
Geotextile dewatering stacks, the rupture conversation we’ve avoided, and a cost case that small mines can actually fund
Dredging & containment
Offshore Dredge Disposal Under Pressure?
For decades, offshore disposal of dredged material has been the default approach.
Biosolids dewatering
Why Some Biosolids Geobag Dewatering Projects Succeed — and Others Quietly Fail
Why polymer control, sludge variability, filling sequence and realistic cake expectations determine whether biosolids geobag dewatering succeeds.
Geobag filtration
Optimising Geobag Dewatering: Why Pore Size Matters More Than You Think
Why apparent opening size, permeability, sludge behaviour, polymer response and seam capacity must be assessed together when selecting a geobag.
Geobag safety
Why Geobag Overfilling Still Happens — And Why the Industry Needs Pressure-Relief Standards
Why fill height, pressure, seam capacity and operating controls govern overfill risk in large geotextile dewatering containers.
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