IGS NEWSLETTER – April 2021
Helping the world understand the appropriate value and use of geosynthetics

The United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is a call for action for countries to unite to improve lives and protect the environment. Its remit is bold – from tackling climate change to supporting gender equality, from responsible production to championing peace and justice worldwide. The IGS shares the UN’s ambitious blueprint ‘to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all’ in a number of ways. READ MORE

Say hello to John Kraus, the IGS’s first Executive Director! John joined the IGS in March, in a new part-time role that will further support the Society and its members to achieve their goals. Here, he shares a bit about his background and his hopes for his new role.


The International Journal of Geosynthetics and Ground Engineering (published by Springer) has an open call for papers for a special issue on “Durability of Geosynthetics”. The special issue aims to gather papers with relevant advances in the knowledge about the long-term behaviour of geosynthetics. Submission period: 01 April 2021 – 30 June 2021. READ MORE

The first students to be supported by the IGS Foundation (IGSF) have spoken of the “incredible” impact on their professional development. The Foundation, a charitable body launched last year to support the IGS’s educational efforts, funded places for 19 students to attend the virtual GeoAmericas 2020 conference in October, last year. Among the successful students were Juliana Reinert and Mateus Fleury, both young members of IGS Brazil. READ MORE



Did you know there are new resources available in the IGS’s digital library? The IGS technical committees on barriers, hydraulics, reinforcement, and stabilisation have revised a range of educational documents to ensure members have the latest information at their fingertips. READ MORE




From Europe to Africa and the Americas to Asia – the IGS’s Regional Activity Committees (RAC) have been working on ambitious plans for 2021. The eclectic proposals were shared at a recent series of meetings between IGS Council officers and the RAC Chairs. READ MORE



Dawie Marx was elected as chair of the IGS Young Members Committee, succeeding Laura Carbone, in July, last year. Here he shares his aims and priorities for the year ahead.


With more than 100 members and its 10th anniversary next year, the Iran Chapter of the IGS is optimistic about the months ahead. Here, its President Seyed Naser Moghaddas Tafreshi shares the fascinating challenges and opportunities for geosynthetics in Iran, and developments in the chapter. READ MORE


Members are set to enjoy some exciting Educate the Educators (EtE) events this year. The International Geosynthetics Society-approved 2021 budget has allocated funding for EtE events in the following countries: Egypt, South Africa, Colombia, Chile, Honduras, Vietnam, Malaysia, Romania, Italy, Germany, and UK. READ MORE




IGS Young Members can look forward to a stimulating program of events over 2021/22. Recently-elected Young Members Committee chair Dawie Marx has revealed upcoming activities his team is helping to organize. READ MORE


On March 10, 2021, the Iranian Chapter of the IGS conducted a three-hour technical webinar entitled “Soft Soil Reinforcement by Inclusions – Experimental and Numerical Approaches”, presented by Prof. Daniel DIAS from the University of Grenoble Alpes, France. READ MORE
UPCOMING WEBINARSS
April 20 at 12pm (Brisbane Time)

The Australasian Chapter of the IGS will host Chris Lawson as he discusses Soft Site Impoundment Closures Using Geosynthetics.
April 22 at 12pm CST

The IGS Pan American Committee is hosting its first such event in Spanish, where speaker Denys Parra will explore the use of geosynthetics in applications such as waste rock dumps, tailings dams, heap leach pads and ponds. REGISTRATION INFORMATION
April 22 at 6pm GMT

The IGS-UK and EAGM jointly host Henning Ehrenberg in an upcoming webinar entitled 'Comparative life cycle assessment of geosynthetics versus conventional construction materials'.
ZOOM LINK
April 29 at 9pm EST (April 30 at 11am AEST)

The IGS TC-Barriers hosts Glen Toepfer in an upcoming webinar entitled 'Best practice for geomembrane welding and CQA'.
Calendar of Events
NOW VIRTUAL
Chicago, Illinois, USA | May 24 – 27, 2021
NEW DATE - September 19 - 22, 2021
Warsaw, Poland
NEW DATE - October 7 - 10, 2021
Athens, Greece
Arlington, Virginia | October 18 - 21, 2021
NEW DATE
Taipei, Taiwan | April 11 - 15, 2022
Cairo, Egypt | February 21-24, 2022
POSTPONED
Rome, Italy | September 2023
The International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) is a learned society dedicated to the scientific and engineering development of geotextiles, geomembranes, related products, and associated technologies. The core purpose of the IGS is to provide the understanding of and promote the appropriate use of geosynthetic technology throughout the world.
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