GEOSYNTHETICS APPLICATIONS NEWSLETTER

Tensar International Corporation:

Checking in at One Year

s you probably know, theres a new Tensar on

the block: Tensar International Corporation (TIC).
Established to provide a global business platform
for our site development solutions, TIC is now
approaching one year old.

So how is the new venture coming along? Recently, we sat down

with Bob Vevoda, former President of Tensar Earth Technologies
and now President and Managing Director of Tensar International
Corporation, to find out.
Q: Tensar Earth Technologies (TET), Tensar International Corporation
(TIC), Tensar International Limited (TIL) thats a lot of Tensar
companies to keep straight! Can you give us the short answer on the
role each played in the creation of Tensar International Corporation?
A: As an international enterprise, our business structure is a little
more complex than it was before. Basically, we have two Tensar
operating companies Tensar International Corporation

ISSUE 17.1 | 2007

The new Tensar International Corporation combines

business activities in 85 countries across the globe.

incorporated in the state of Georgia, and formerly known as Tensar

Earth Technologies, operates in the Western Hemisphere. Its sister
company is Tensar International Limited, incorporated in the United
Kingdom, which together with its overseas affiliates operates in the
Eastern Hemisphere. These two companies, which together have
worldwide span, are commonly owned by our new parent company,
Tensar International Corporation, incorporated in the state of
Delaware with me as President.
Q: What benefits resulting from the acquisition of Tensar Group
Limited (parent company of TIL) have impressed you the most so far?
A: The ease with which the integration has occurred. In a relatively
short period of time, the respective management teams have come
together quickly to work on common goals and approaches for
product development, marketing and sales. Weve exchanged best
practices and have incorporated them into a universal working
document. Our employees are excited about the integration and
continued on back cover

2 SierraScape Systems
Tame Rough Terrain
for Western Resort

3 Tensar M-E
Pavement Design
Method Rolls Out
New Understanding
of Geogrid Properties

4 Alaskas Gravel-toPave Program

Unrolls with Tensar
BX1200 Geogrid

5 Spectra Rail System

Breathes New Life into
Greenbush Rail Line

6 Protection of a
U.S. Navy Cable Array
with Tensar UX
Marine Mattresses

SierraScape Systems Tame

Rough Terrain for Western Resort
WIRE-FORMED WALLS USE UNIQUE FACING
TO BLEND WITH RUSTIC SCENERY
Harmonizing with nature is what its all about for residents
of an exclusive ski and golf community in Big Sky, Montana.
When the developer, Voyager Construction LLC of Big Sky,
Montana, was considering options for creating grade
separations at one particularly challenging area of the
property, they quickly rejected the look of conventional
concrete and segmental retaining walls (SRWs) as too
artificial. The design team was also concerned about the
geotechnical constraints of the site, including relatively
high seismic exposure. These issues led the design team
to select the Tensar SierraScape Systems for three of the
main retaining walls in the development.
Im a big fan of Tensar Products and the SierraScape
Systems in particular, says Brian Williams, P.E., P.G.,
geotechnical project manager for NTL Engineering &
Geoscience, Inc., in Great Falls, Montana. I really like the
positive, mechanical connection between the reinforcement
and the facing units used in the SierraScape Systems. Weve
employed SierraScape Walls with great success in landslide
repairs and bridge abutments at other Big Sky projects, and
given the geotechnical and aesthetic constraints of these
retaining wall sites, the SierraScape Systems provided the
ideal solution for this project.
Working with Tensar Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE)
managers Joe Kerrigan, P.E., and Gary Sander, P.E., Williams
came up with a novel strategy for combining the SierraScape
Wire-Formed Retaining Wall Systems with shotcrete and
native stone. Essentially, the design involved shotcreting
the SierraScape Facing Units and then attaching a veneer
of native stone with hidden mortar joints.
It made the face look like dry-stacked stone, Kerrigan
says. But the design provided the strength and cost
benefits of a MSE structure.
Construction on the first two structures, a 10-foot-high by
170-foot-long SierraScape Wall that provides partial support
for a 110-foot-long, 15-foot-high SierraScape Wall, began in
the summer of 2005 and was performed by Westwood Curtis
Construction of Wilson, Wyoming. It was a first-time deal
for us and I was a little skeptical about it working, says Lee
Miller, the firms project superintendent. But the SierraScape
Systems turned out to be a really good, strong system that
made a nice finished product.
Even though the Westwood crew was new to the
SierraScape Systems, they became proficient installers in a

Tensar SierraScape Systems were chosen

for three of the main retaining walls in
the development.

Construction of a 10-foot-high by 170-foot-long SierraScape Wall provides

partial support for a 110-foot-long, 15-foot-high SierraScape Wall.

remarkably short time even mastering the sometimes tricky

task of creating serpentine walls with a near-vertical face.
It took a little time to fine-tune the installation process,
Miller says, but once we got it down, the whole thing turned
into a regular assembly line. Wed do a lift and lay the grid for
the next course and just keep moving along.
Ease-of-installation enabled the crew to quickly assemble
the geogrid-reinforced, welded wire-forms for the required
vertical wall face. They ensured facing alignment during
construction by connecting all adjoining vertical and
horizontal facing units with closely spaced hog rings. This
construction technique resulted in a near-vertical wall face
that was within the 1-in. vertical tolerance specified for the
walls on the project.
Design of the walls employed Tensar UX1500MSE Geogrid
at each course for the primary reinforcement, with shorter
lengths of Tensar BX1500 used between courses (and
protruding a nominal 3-in. from the facing units) to provide
an attachment point for the welded wire that supported
the shotcrete facing.
NTL also designed the walls to withstand the vertical loads
that would be imposed by potential construction equipment
and, after performing a site-specific seismic evaluation, the
firm further decided to include a seismic acceleration of 0.28g
in the design. Post-construction monitoring indicated that
there has been no movement one year after initial completion
of the SierraScape Walls.
Combining the SierraScape Systems with shotcrete and a
thin stone veneer was a great solution, Williams says. The
owner wanted a dry-stack look, but it would have been costprohibitive to do it any other way.
It turned out extremely well, Kerrigan says. We expect to
do a lot more of these types of SierraScape Walls especially
as customers learn about the cost savings and speed of
construction. Im personally very excited about the potential.
Miller agrees and says he wouldnt be surprised to see it
featured on more projects. I was really amazed how well it
went together, he says. Its really structurally sound. I dont
expect it will be going anywhere. <

The crew was able to quickly and easily

install the SierraScape Wall.

The construction technique resulted in a

near-vertical wall face that was within the
1-in. vertical tolerance specified for the walls
on the project.

Tensar M-E Pavement Design Method Rolls Out

New Understanding of Geogrid Properties
Tensar International is paving the way toward a better
understanding of the dynamics of geogrid reinforcement in
road construction and the future of road construction itself.
The Tensar Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design
Method (Tensar M-E), developed to comply with the American
Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
(AASHTOs) pending M-E-based design guide, offers new
insights on the ways Tensar Biaxial Geogrids interact with
and stiffen surrounding soils in base course reinforcement
applications. These advances are due in large part to the
innovative use of Discrete Element Method (DEM) techniques,
todays most advanced technology for simulating complex
interparticle interactions.
Successfully used in the aviation, pharmaceutical, oil and
gas, chemical and several other industries, DEM enables the
development of virtual models at a near-molecular level to
provide extremely accurate representations of real-world
material interactions. DEM geomechanical models were
created to replicate critical geogrid-soil interactions
including load transfer mechanisms, deformations, particle
rearrangements and more. Studies conducted by ITASCA,
the internationally renowned DEM consultant, confirmed that
significant residual stresses develop as aggregate particles
interlock with Tensar Geogrids during placement, compaction
and service loading, creating a stiffer soil layer above the
geogrid. Further, the level of stress depends upon the geogrid
products geometry, rib and aperture shape, stiffness and
other relevant properties.
Initially proposed by a major M-E pavement design
research study at the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign (U of I), the concept of residual stress represents
a fundamental breakthrough in the way we model and
predict the performance of geogrids in base course
reinforcement applications, commented Nicholas Reck,
Application Technology Manager for Tensar International.
The resulting M-E design method adopts the residual stress
concept and allows us to more accurately analyze different
pavement structures reinforced with Tensar Geogrids, Reck
continued. Conversely, U of I studies also confirmed that
unreinforced pavement sections do not develop sufficient
residual stress and are subject to significant aggregate
displacement, resulting in poorer pavement performance.

DEM modeled soil particles and geogrid show

the ability to model the interlock mechanism
and aggregate strike-through.

Reck presented the results of these studies at the annual

meeting of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) held in
Washington, D.C., in January results that were positively
received. Several people commented that they see the work
as a real step forward in improving the understanding of the
mechanisms and benefits that Tensar Geogrids provide as
structural members in pavements, remarked Joe Cavanaugh,
P.E., Vice President of Technology for Tensar International.
The issue was also addressed at the Geosynthetics 2007
conference held in Washington, D.C., the week prior to TRB.

STUDY FINDINGS INCORPORATED INTO

SPECTRAPAVE3 SOFTWARE
Results from these studies will be incorporated
into new methodologies for base course
applications in the upcoming release
of SpectraPave3 Software, developed
to support the analysis and design
of flexible pavements and unpaved
roads. SpectraPave3 Software will
soon be available at no charge online at
www.tensar-international.com for use with
Tensars Spectra Roadway Improvement System.
For more information on the Tensar M-E Pavement
Design Method, please request the DEM Flyer on the
business reply card. <

Notice the molecular particles that make up the node in this DEM Model of
Tensar Biaxial Geogrid.

Its unique structure allows the Tensar

BX Geogrid to get a good grip on the
aggregate particles and results in effective
mechanical interlock.

This DEM rolling wheel model indicates

stress transfer from an imposed load
on an asphalt-aggregate-subgrade
pavement section.

Alaskas Gravel-to-Pave Program

Unrolls with Tensar BX1200 Geogrid
Alaska is known not only for its rugged beauty, but also for
its rugged conditions conditions that have never been kind
to its extensive network of unpaved, gravel roads. Severe
winters, freeze-thaw cycles, wet climates and weak soils have
all contributed to extreme cases of gravel road rutting, washboarding and failure in every region of the state.
In response to the problem, the Alaska DOT (AKDOT)
has undertaken an ambitious, long-term gravel-to-pave
program, which has focused primarily on feeder routes
throughout the state. A recent paving project near Homer
(pop. 4,000), a fishing-arts-tourism community on the
southwest tip of the Kenai Peninsula, features an Alaska-sized
installation of Tensar BX1200 Geogrids just in time for the
onset of winter conditions.
The project involved nearly 12 miles of gravel roadways
that rutted up to 12-in. Conditions were so severe
that a high-strength fabric, installed just a year ago, had
migrated to the surface in some areas, explained Mark Lally,
Tensar Internationals northwest regional manager. The
Seattle-based representative worked nearly a year securing
AKDOTs approval of Tensar Geogrid for the subgrade
improvement project.
Homer receives up to three feet of snow, and water seeps
into the subgrade, causing thaw weakening in the spring,
commented Newt Bingham, P.E., AKDOT central region
materials engineer, from his Anchorage office. Our objective
was to cut back on maintenance costs and use existing
materials to the best of our ability. We selected geogrid to
overcome thaw weakening of the subgrade and frost cracking
of the pavement, he continued.
The roads were cut full-depth beginning in August, and
installation of BX1200 Geogrid on top of a geotextile layer
continued through late October. Long-time distributor Polar
Supply Company provided 185,000 square yards of product
one of the largest BX Geogrid orders in the companys history,
according to Steve Gordner, Civil Division Manager.
As crews from Anchorage-based Quality Asphalt Paving
completed installation, Project Foreman Mike McGlothlin
explained the additional challenges on this job: We were

The project involved 12 miles of roadways that rutted up to 12 inches.

The Alaska DOT has undertaken a long-term gravel-to-pave program,

which primarly focuses on feeder routes throughout the state.

dealing with a narrow road and laying geogrid on hairpin

turns and curves. We had one-way-in, one-way-out
construction traffic, and we had local traffic that we were
rerouting as well, he said. Heavy construction traffic soon
followed. We were receiving up to 45 trucks about 8,000
tons of material a day from a site about 20 miles away,
said Jason Baxley, P.E., project engineer. Both Marcus Forkner,
grading inspector, and he were impressed with how the
BX Geogrid functioned in a haul road, continuing to hold
up under the relentless traffic.
The geogrid was topped with 12-in. of aggregate, followed
by a 4-in. base course and a 2-in. asphalt surface. Paving
of the 24-foot-wide road began in early October, but as
temperatures dropped into the 20s, the final mile was left
for the warmer weather in 2007.
Our expectations are to not see cracking in the finished
pavement this winter, Bingham remarked. As installation of
BX Geogrid in the Homer, AK, area successfully weathered last
years winter, all indications are that these new roads will
withstand this rugged test as well. <

A total of 185,000 square yards of BX1200 Geogrid was used on the

12 miles of roadways.

Spectra Rail System Breathes

New Life into the Greenbush
Rail Line
Bostons South Shore district hasnt enjoyed rail service
since the 1950s, but that will change in 2007 when the
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA)
reactivates the old Greenbush Rail Line. The 11-mile corridor
will provide access between central Boston and a terminus in
Weymouth. Like a growing number of rail projects, much of
the line will rest on a foundation reinforced with Tensars
Spectra Rail System.

The 11-mile corridor of the Greenbush Rail Line will provide access between
Central Boston and a terminus in Weymouth.

INITIAL PLAN RELIES ON TRADITIONAL STRATEGIES

The existing railroad bed and surrounding soils included
old ballast, fine sand and silty soils. In addition, the soils
contained contaminants such as pesticides and polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which was consistent with its
historical use as an operating railroad.
The design/build team of Jay Cashman, Inc., and Balfour
Beatty Construction Inc., planned to rebuild the line by
excavating the existing grade and importing sub-ballast. Large
amounts of contaminated materials were to be removed and
transported to a suitable permitted disposal facility.

ARTICLE POINTS TO COST SAVINGS

Estimates suggested the design would involve a large
investment in worker hours, sub-ballast material costs and
environmental disposal fees, notes Chief Engineer Franklin
Grynkewicz. Those projections got Grynkewicz thinking about
a journal article he had read describing another embankment
stabilization project.
I thought if we could use the Spectra Rail System, we
could forget about importing sub-ballast, recalls Grynkewicz,
now a principal with FGG Consulting. That would create a big
cost saving. We would also save by being able to leave some
contaminants in place.

SPECTRA RAIL SYSTEM DELIVERS

VALUE-ENGINEERED SOLUTION
Grynkewicz decided to meet with Ken Stevens, a
representative with Tensars local distributor, A.H. Harris &
Sons, and John Biondo, Tensars northeast regional manager.
It was a good application for the system, says Biondo.
We anticipated it would allow the general contractor
to reconstruct the rail bed with significant savings in
aggregate and labor while mitigating environmental
clean-up costs.

MBTA reinforced the ballast with Tensar BX1300 Geogrids.

Biondo suggested reinforcing the ballast with Tensar

Biaxial (BX) 1300 Geogrid as part of the Spectra Rail System
solution. The BX Geogrid would provide a major structural
benefit to the ballast, while eliminating the need for a subballast layer. Courser particles in the ballast would partially
penetrate the grid apertures and create a strong, mechanical
interlock to combat horizontal shear forces. He expected that
these advantages would improve rail foundation durability by
reducing and more evenly distributing the loads imposed on
the subgrade.

TRACK INSTALLERS ADAPT EASILY TO

SPECTRA RAIL SYSTEM
Tensar worked with Grynkewicz to value-engineer a new
design for the multi-million dollar project. This effort included
providing an analysis showing that the BX Geogrid would
provide the stability necessary to keep the ballast in place
without the need for an expensive sub-ballast layer.
With MBTA approval, crews began grading and proof rolling
the subgrade to a specified elevation and density. They then
covered the subgrade with a non-woven geotextile to ensure
ballast separation from the underlying subgrade. Next, they
placed the BX1300 Geogrid longitudinally over the geotextile,
making sure to overlap each roll by 18-in. before covering it
with 18-in. of railroad ballast.
While the crews had no previous experience installing
geogrids, they became proficient quickly, notes Grynkewicz.
The track work guys loved the geogrid, he says. They think
its the best thing going. There was no wasted ballast since
the grid immediately confined the placed stone.
With the Spectra Rail System, the value-engineered proposal
was successful. Work is proceeding quickly and with a significant
reduction in costs. At completion, the crews will have installed
close to 184,000 square yards of TensarBX Geogrid. <

Close to 184,000 square yards of BX Geogrid will be installed.

Protection of a U.S. Navy Cable

Array with Tensar UX Marine
Mattresses
BROWARD COUNTY FEDERAL SHORE
PROTECTION PROJECT
The Broward County Federal Shore Protection Project
(completed in February 2006) included the construction of
three rubble mound shore stabilization structures along
approximately 700 feet of chronically eroded Atlantic Ocean
shoreline in southern Broward County, Florida. The structures
were located immediately south of the Port Everglades
Entrance Channel and seaward of the U.S. Navys Naval
Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division and its South
Florida Testing Facility (SFTF) where more than 120 highly
sensitive, jacketed, wire and fiber optic cables ranging in age
from 1 to 50 years extend from a shore-based facility to
offshore acoustic and oceanographic monitoring equipment.
The SFTF facility is in continuous use by the U.S. Navy for
offshore testing associated with national defense matters as
well as a conglomerate of academic institutions for numerous
oceanographic investigations and underwater systems
testing. The facility and the cable array are unique in their
location relative to the nearshore deep waters of South
Florida and the large commercial area at Port Everglades.
After construction, the structures were buried with
hydraulically placed beach fill.
Two of the three shore stabilizing structures associated
with the Broward County Shore Protection Project were
designed to be placed along the area of convergence and
highest concentration of the Navy cables. Representatives
from the U.S. Navy and the SFTF indicated that the cables
were capable of withstanding large compressive loads, but
would likely fail under dynamic or localized point loading
that could be produced by the structures if constructed as
a conventional rubble mass.
The goal of the project was to successfully construct three
rubble mound groins without damaging any of the cables.
The structures themselves, as well as the equipment required
for construction, would be placed and/or operated directly
across all 120 cables. In sum, the project design required
the placement of over 4,000 tons of armor stone across
the densest area of the Navy cable convergence zone.
The associated project related peak uniform seabed loading
across this area was estimated to be about 1,500 lbs/ft2.

The Broward County Shore Protection Project included

the construction of three rubble mound shore stabilization
structures along 700 feet of eroded shoreline.

The project design required the placement of over 4,000 tons of armor stone across
the densest area of the Navy cable convergence zone.

The structures, however, are comprised of 24 ft nominal

diameter highly angular granite stone. Therefore, without an
appropriate foundation treatment, the actual point loadings
at any location beneath the irregular armor stones could be
orders of magnitude higher than the average estimated
uniform loading. Accordingly, the project required a
foundation system capable of evenly distributing the weight
of the structures to the seabed while being durable under the
cumulative loading of the large granite boulders and dynamic
surfzone environment.
Furthermore, the entire project footprint is within a Navy
no-anchor area (for cable protection) that strictly prohibits
any unauthorized contact with the seabed. Uncertainties
regarding anchoring accuracy and point loadings associated
with anchoring therefore prohibited the consideration of
offshore equipment for construction of the project. Therefore,
all work, movement of equipment and delivery of material,
was limited to the upland. Any groin foundation system used
had to be suitable for handling and installation by highly
maneuverable, possibly lightweight, land-based equipment.
The structures were to be located along a reach of
shoreline that was highly eroded prior to the project. With
the exception of an isolated section of about 150 feet of
shorefront, there was no dry beach even at low tide that
would provide reliable access to each work area. Typical
water depths across the footprint of the structures varied
from 36 feet.
A foundation of unconfined bedding stone was not
considered to be sufficiently stable or durable in the surfzone
environment to provide long-term separation between the
highly angular armor stone and the cables. It was likely that
the foundation material would wash away quickly leaving the

Installation of the 27-ft Triton UX Marine Mattress at the

seaward end of a shore stabilization structure.

cables exposed to the possible point loading of the irregular

armor stones. Furthermore, alternate foundation matting
material, such as concrete matting, would not be as flexible
as required for the highly irregular seabed and cable
conditions. This would limit load distribution uniformity
across the cables and seabed.
The coastal engineering firm of Olsen Associates, Inc.
recommended the Triton UX Marine Mattresses as an
appropriate measure to ensure the even distribution
of the weight of the shore stabilizing structures across
the cables and seabed.

allowed the use of a Case 9040 track excavator to handle,

transport and place all the mattresses from a shore-side
stockpile area.
Since upland storage areas were limited at the job site,
the mattresses were filled offsite at a rail-siding approximately
20 miles from the job site. As quantities of mattresses
became available, they were transported by truck to the
job site and placed more or less at the same rate delivered.
Some job site stockpiling was required during the three major
hurricanes that impacted the South Florida job site during the
Fall 2005 construction period.

The Triton UX Marine Mattresses offered a durable and

flexible barrier that can be expected to provide very uniform
loading of the seabed between the irregular armor stone and
the Navy cable array, Chris Creed, P.E. advised. Furthermore,
the ability to specify varying sizes of mattresses also offered
potential project contractors the flexibility to evaluate
a wide range of equipment types and sizes for mattress
handling and installation.

The mattresses were handled, transported and placed

using a four-point harness. Underwater visibility was
sometimes limited and required the use of weighted buoys
(not ground penetrating stakes) and in-water divers to
accurately place the mattresses.

Broward County coordinated with the U.S. Navy to allow

and permit the use of the Triton UX Marine Mattresses as part
of the groin field design. The U.S. Navy agreed with the use
of the mattress system and were satisfied that the proposed
loadings would not adversely affect the cables or SFTF
operations. An agreement with the U.S. Navy, however,
restricted direct contact with the seabed of heavy equipment
and materials other than the marine mattresses. Access
corridors required a 3-ft thick layer of sand to be placed over
the cables along with continuous articulated crane mats.
The marine mattresses were placed in an advancing manner
to reach the outer areas of the structures. As mattresses were
placed, the base layer of armor stone was installed allowing
the equipment and materials further seaward access. Once
all mattresses were in place, the final layer of armor stone
was installed as the process retreated from the outer areas
of the structures back to shore.

The mattresses provided a durable and flexible foundation

system to uniformly distribute the loading of armor stone
to the Navy cable array and seafloor.

Twelve-inch-thick Triton UX Marine Mattresses measuring

23 and 27-ft in length were selected for use in the project.
These mattress sizes were selected to provide continuous
coverage of the structure footprint area with appropriate
overlap while minimizing the amount of mattress required.
Furthermore, the 23-ft and 27-ft mattresses, estimated
to weigh approximately 6 tons and 7.5 tons, respectively,

Tensar International Corporation

5883 Glenridge Drive, Suite 200
Atlanta, GA 30328
888-828-5140
www.tensarcorp.com/gt07

The owner group, and coastal engineering consultant

Olsen Associates, Inc., selected Triton UX Marine
Mattresses because:

The mattresses could be sized to accommodate a wide

range of shore-based equipment necessary to construct
the project with strict access limitations.
The engineer had numerous other successful projects
with this foundation system. <

A TRITON SYSTEMS SIDE NOTE

CONGRATULATIONS to MACTEC, a prominent
engineering and consulting firm based in Atlanta,
GA, for winning the American Council of Engineering
Companies (ACEC) Maine Grand Conceptor Award
for the Lewiston Riverbank design and construction.
This project dubbed From Gas Plant to Gateway
Park consists of MACTEC designs for a containment
system to prevent migration of residual wastes to
the Androscoggin River.
To learn more about this project please visit
www.mactec.com and read the January 20, 2006
Environmental, Health and Safety Compliance
Newsletter.

2007, Tensar International Corporation, Limited LLC, Inc. Certain products and/or applications described or illustrated herein are
protected under one or more U.S. patents. Other U.S. patents are pending, and certain foreign patents and patent applications may
also exist. Trademark rights also apply as indicated herein. CONTECH is a registered trademark of Contech Construction Products,
LLC. Final determination of the suitability of any information or material for the use contemplated, and its manner of use, is the sole
responsibility of the user. Printed in the U.S.A.

GEN_GEOT_17.1

Tensar International Corporation: Checking in at One Year

(continued from cover)

are energized with the possibilities of their new roles

global importance.
Q: What are your goals for TIC and TIL in the first year
and how is that coming along?
A: To develop a common working platform that
leverages our marketing, technology, sales, manufacturing
and distribution strengths. To eliminate duplication,
aggressively fund and resource growth opportunities,
particularly in emerging markets. And, to continue our
leadership in innovation and increase employee and
customer satisfaction. Its been almost a year since the
acquisition, so we still have a lot of work to do. But Im
very confident were headed in the right direction.
Q: How about further out acquisition of outside
companies, for instance?
A: Thats something we evaluate constantly. If we find
a business that complements our objectives and increases
our shareholders value, then we have the backing of
our owners to pursue it. Weve made three acquisitions
in the last four years: Geopier Foundation Company,
North American Green and Tensar International Limited.
Its very important that we first fully integrate these
businesses into the Tensar Corporation.
Q: How will TICs global business platform benefit
U.S. customers?
A: It benefits all of our customers, not just those in the
Americas. We have the opportunity to bring our customers
new products and solutions from our other business
subsidiaries. For example, North American Green is a leading
supplier of erosion products but has little presence outside
the Americas. We can now offer their product portfolio
through TIL.
In addition, the ability to close the loop on a project
with global resources at our disposal puts us in a very
advantageous position versus our competitors. Heres

an example: an oil or gas field project is being built in

Kazakhstan, the contractor is a French company, the
engineering consultant is based in the UK and the owner
is located in Houston. With our global reach, we now have
local employees in each of these locations to work with
the respective parties and develop the most cost-effective
solutions for their haul road requirements. Having the ability
to close this loop is something we were not able to do
effectively before the acquisition.
Q: Can we expect to see any site development products
currently used in other parts of the world introduced here
in the U.S.?
A: We are currently evaluating one such systems potential.
Thats the beautiful thing about having a global platform to
share ideas and best practices. We found a system being
used in Europe that fills a real need for us in the U.S. The
likelihood of that having occurred without the TIL acquisition
would have been remote.
Q: What about employees will some of our global
workforce be reassigned within TIC?
A: Currently, no. However, in the future we see this as a
career path opportunity. And it wont just be employees
coming to TIC, but employees making cross-business
moves. This will further develop our talent pool by
diversifying their experience.
Q: Youre traveling a lot these days. Where have you been,
and what have you been looking over?
A: Ive been to Germany, the Czech Republic, Spain and
the UK. It has given me the opportunity to understand those
markets, the customers needs and to evaluate potential
new product offerings. In addition, Ive had the opportunity
to meet the TIL team and am very impressed with the quality
and talent of the individuals we employ. In my mind, it further
reinforces why we are the market leader! <

For more information, please visit our web publication section at www.tensarcorp.com/gto7

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Tensar International Corporation

5883 Glenridge Drive, Suite 200
Atlanta, GA 30328
888-828-5140
www.tensarcorp.com/gt07

Presort STD
U.S. POSTAGE

PAID
ATLANTA, GA
PERMIT NO. 4009