The 13 ICG launch logo
Every four years, the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) convenes the International Conference on Geosynthetics (ICG). The ICG is a major technical and commercial exchange in the geotechnical engineering field, drawing leading practitioners, producers, and researchers from around the world. IGS North America is proud to announce that it has been chosen to organize and host the 13th International Conference on Geosynthetics (13 ICG) in Montreal.
The conference and exhibition will be held at the Palais des congrès de Montréal from 13 – 17 September 2026.
“This will be the first time the ICG will be delivered in Canada,” says IGS North America President John Allen, PE. “We are honored to have been selected by the IGS Council to organize the event in such a major center of research, manufacturing, and design.”
The bid was selected on April 7 by the voting members of the IGS Council, following virtual presentations by three competing IGS Chapters. The IGS has 44 international chapters and 4000 members. Their geotechnical insight and material innovations are utilized in every major sector of civil engineering and contribute to significant improvements in infrastructure service lives, environmental protection, and society in general.
“We chose the theme ‘Legacy, Evolution, and Revolution’ to reflect how scientific and engineering progress is achieved through clear understanding of where the field has been and what is required of it in the future,” says Dr. Ben Leshchinsky (Oregon State University), who will serve as co-chair of 13 ICG alongside Villanova University’s Dr. Kristin Sample-Lord, PE.
Leshchinsky will begin his term as IGS North America’s President in 2023.
“When we talk about future needs and how geosynthetics are involved, we’re talking about much more than new designs and solutions for roads or water resource management,” says Dr. Sample-Lord, the Vice President – University Outreach for IGS North America. “It’s also about how we train the next generation of engineers. It’s about diversity, equity, and inclusion. It’s about how geotechnical practice improves society.”
The initial topics selected by the chapter to center the 13 ICG program are transportation infrastructure; climate change, natural disaster mitigation and response; and energy and mining. The bid was supported by endorsements from the ASCE Geo-Institute, leaders of ASTM Committee D35 on Geosynthetics, the GeoEngineering Centre at Queen’s-RMC, the Geosynthetic Institute, and other major organizations.
The chapter will begin assembling the event organizing committees and announcing further conference and exhibition details soon.
About IGS North America
The Mission of IGS North America is to provide leadership in advancing geosynthetics education and research to attain their appropriate and widespread use as engineering materials as the Chapter of the International Geosynthetic Society (IGS) for the United States of America and Canada. The chapter hosts webinars and in-person events and its members serve as leaders in all geotechnical engineering sectors, such as waste management, sustainability, environmental protection, coastal resilience, and mining. Learn more at www.igs-na.org.
About the International Geosynthetics Society
The International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) is a learned society dedicated to the scientific and engineering development of geotextiles, geomembranes, related products, and associated technologies. IGS is a global community of 4,000 members including corporate, individual, and student members, with a shared passion for how geosynthetics can make a fundamental contribution to meeting societal challenges through sustainable technological and engineering solutions. Learn more at www.geosyntheticssociety.org.
About the Palais des congrès de Montréal
The Palais hosts over 350 events each year. As a major hub of activity in Montréal, it generates significant economic, social and cultural benefits for the tourism, business and research industries. The Palais is a trailblazer in the industry and works hand in hand with local strategic partners as well as young, highly innovative start-ups gathered under the name Events Lab. As a leader in sustainability and social practices, it was one of the first convention centers in the world to operate a carbon-neutral building. The Palais is widely known as a proud supporter of emerging talent, the arts and community-based initiatives and is an innovative and resolutely forward-looking partner. Visit https://congresmtl.com.
By Kristin Sample-Lord, PhD, PE — The year 2022 began with a transformative start for the geosynthetics community. The North American Chapter of the International Geosynthetic Society (IGS-NA) joined forces with the ASTM International Committee D35 on Geosynthetics and the Geosynthetic Institute (GSI) to launch a new student fellowship program.
The Testing Innovation Fellowship Program is truly unique, as it is specifically targeted at (1) transitioning geosynthetics-related research to ASTM standards, and (2) increasing student and young member engagement in geosynthetic professional organizations. The program aligns with the combined missions of GSI, IGS-NA, and ASTM to develop and transfer knowledge, geosynthetic technologies, and testing standards to positively impact education, public health and safety, consumer confidence, and overall quality of life.
The details of the fellowship program are summarized in Figure 1. Fellows are awarded $500 per year, over a maximum three-year period ($1,500 total per fellow). Between three to five fellows are supported concurrently in any given year. Both IGS-NA and ASTM offer free student memberships, and the fellows must become student members to be eligible for the program.
As a deliverable of the fellowship, students must prepare a draft of either a new ASTM standard or a substantially revised version of an existing standard.
Want to join IGS North America as a student? Simply fill out this short form.
To guide the students through the standardization process, each fellow is strategically paired with a D35 committee mentor with expertise in the research topic area (Figure 2). In addition to supporting the success of the fellow, this mentorship aspect of the program also provides valuable networking and professional development opportunities for the students. Fostering meaningful and extended (i.e., 3-year) engagement with the students is expected, to lead to future young members of IGS-NA and ASTM International that are invested in the future of the organizations. For the mentors, they can meaningfully engage with young members (and potential future colleagues) and stay abreast of the latest developments in geosynthetics research.
This past January, the 2022 student recipients kicked off their fellowships by presenting their proposed work to ASTM D35, IGS-NA, and GSI members at ASTM Committee Week. The excitement surrounding the new fellowship program was palpable, and all three organizations are looking forward to continuing to support and grow the program.
“We are very proud of the GSI / IGS-NA / ASTM Testing Innovation Fellowship award,” says Dr. Koerner. “Mentors are helping graduate students grow and develop in the Geosynthetic profession through this award. We want them to learn the ropes at ASTM and network with the IGS membership during the process. In addition, we want them to receive guidance as well as being seen and heard in a very hands-on, positive and important role of standards development. Finally, we would like to have them gain support from stakeholders in our industry so that they are comfortable growing within the profession.”
The Fellowship Program has received strong support from across the profession. Notably, one of the field’s most significant contributors, Dr. JP Giroud, wrote the following:
The Testing Innovation Fellowship Program is a remarkable initiative and I would like to put in in the perspective of the geosynthetics discipline. Historically, the geosynthetics discipline has been developed around a family of products, the geosynthetics. The various types of geosynthetics have a variety of properties. These properties must be evaluated quantitatively because the geosynthetics discipline is an engineering discipline, and engineering is done with numbers. The numbers that quantify properties are generated by tests, and the numbers are reliable if the tests are performed in accordance with well-established procedures, hence the importance of standardization of the tests. Sometimes, it is hinted that standardization may stifle innovation. This should never happen to the geosynthetics discipline, because innovation is the engine that drives the geosynthetics discipline. Indeed, new types of geosynthetics appear periodically thanks to the vitality of the geosynthetics industry, and new materials, sometimes subtle additives, improve the performance of existing geosynthetics. These innovations generate a need for new tests or for modifications of existing tests. Clearly testing innovation must go with geosynthetic innovation. Therefore, I encourage students interested in geosynthetics to participate in the Testing Innovation Fellowship Program. By participating in this program, students will learn about geosynthetics and become active members of the geosynthetics discipline. In addition, students will bring the expertise that young generations have in the practice of digital technology, which is essential for testing innovation. Therefore, I can say that the Testing Innovation Fellowship Program is beneficial to both students and the geosynthetics discipline.
JP Giroud
Past President of the International Geosynthetics Society
Member of the US National Academy of Engineering
www.jpgiroud.com
The call for applications (and renewals) will typically occur in October each year. The fellowship program was developed, implemented, and is managed by the Fellowship Board, which includes Kristin Sample-Lord (IGS-NA Board Member), Kent von Maubeuge (D35 Sub-committee Chair), and George Koerner (GSI Director). There is also a financial sub-committee that steers financial management of the fellowship program, which includes John Allen (IGS-NA President), Gary Torosian (ASTM D35 Chair), and Jamie Koerner (GSI General Manager).
For further information about the program or how you can support the initiative, please contact info@igs-na.org
Kristin Sample-Lord, PhD, PE (Villanova University) is the IGS Vice President – University Outreach and co-chair of the 13th International Conference on Geosynthetics (13 ICG), which IGS North America will host in Montreal in September 2026.
On December 4, Dr. Jie Han (University of Kansas) will present the next IGS North America webinar. His topic: “Recent Developments in Geosynthetic-Stabilized Roads: Introduction and Mechanisms.” The free event is part of the new IGS North America – GMA webinar series. Time for the presentation will be 1:00 – 2:00 pm EST.
Geotextiles, geogrids, and geocells have been used widely in roadway stabilization works throughout the world. In this webinar, Dr. Jie Han will deliver an introduction to geosynthetics in roadway engineering. His presentation will focus on the mechanisms involved in geosynthetic stabilization of unpaved and paved roads. Dr. Han is one of the leading practitioners in this area of geosynthetic design and research, and his work has contributed significantly to field understanding on how we can improve soil mechanical properties with geosynthetics and how these design decisions may involve two different functions/mechanisms—reinforcement and stabilization—which depend on geosynthetic/soil properties and loading conditions. The webinar will illustrate the differences and relationships between reinforcement and stabilization by geosynthetics in roads and discuss the selection of proper geosynthetics for specific applications based on controlling mechanisms.
Dr. Jie Han is the Glenn L. Parker Professor of Geotechnical Engineering in the Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering Department at the University of Kansas. He has nearly 30 years of teaching, research, and practical experience in geotechnical and pavement engineering focused on geosynthetics and ground improvement. Dr. Han has authored more than 300 peer-reviewed journal and conference papers as well as the text Principles and Practice of Ground Improvement.
Date: December 4
Time: 1:00 – 2:00 pm EST
Cost: Free
Dr. Ben Leshchinsky
On November 1, Dr. Ben Leshchinsky (Oregon State University) will present the next IGS North America webinar. His topic is one of the biggest topics in the field right now: “A Different Approach towards Limit State Design of Geosynthetic-Reinforced Soil Structures.”
This online event is FREE to industry professionals and students. It’s part of a new series of webinars jointly hosted by the Geosynthetic Materials Association and IGS North America.
Date: November 1
Time: 1:00 – 2:00 pm EST
Conventional design of geosynthetic-reinforced soil structures is divided into two categories, walls and slopes, based on the batter of the facing system. Internal stability, characterized as sufficient reinforcement anchoring and strength, is performed using earth pressure-based design criteria for reinforced walls, while reinforced slopes are founded on limit equilibrium (LE) slope stability analyses. LE analyses are also used to assess the global or compound stability of both types of structures, accounting for the geometry of the reinforced, retained, and foundation soils.
The application of LE-based methods typically results in determination of a slip surface corresponding to the lowest attained Safety Factor (SF), known as the Factor of Safety (Fs); however, it yields little information about reinforcement or connection loading. In this presentation, Dr. Ben Leshchinsky will show how the use of the analyzed spatial distribution of SF (known as a Safety Map) can be modified to attain a prescribed constant Fs at any location in the reinforced soil mass. This modified framework directly enables the determination of a Tension Map that illustrates the required distribution of reinforcement tension to attain a prescribed state of equilibrium. To illustrate the utility of the Limit State framework, a series of instructive examples will be presented. The results of this design approach demonstrate the effects of facing elements, closely-spaced reinforcements, and secondary reinforcement layers. Comparison will also be provided to conventional design approaches.
Ben Leshchinsky, Ph.D., P.E. is an associate professor in geotechnical engineering at Oregon State University. His primary research interests focus on slope stability, reinforced soil, and applications of geomechanics towards assessment of natural hazards.
The IGS North America 2019 Photo Contest is open to all members of IGS North America. The contest will be open 1 October – 15 December 2018. First, second, and third place winners will be announced in February during the IGS North America General Assembly held at Geosynthetics 2019 in Houston, Texas.
Click on the pictures below to view the 2017 winners.
Take advantage of this great opportunity to demonstrate geosynthetics in action! All entries should include a photo title, description, and photo credit.
Contest photos will be used to promote the exemplary work of the geosynthetics community, raise awareness of the importance of your expertise, and add to the beneficial dialogue between professionals and the larger engineering community. Credit to the winning submissions will be given. Promote your work. Promote your field.
Submit photos here. Thank you for your participation in the 2019 Photo Contest!
If you have questions about the IGS-NA Photo Contest, please contact info@igs-na.org.
**
Not a member? Join now, gain access to valuable engineering resources (such as the official journals of the International Geosynthetics Society), and share your work through the photo contest!
The Mission of IGS North America is to provide leadership in advancing geosynthetics education and research to attain their appropriate and widespread use as engineering materials in the United States and Canada. We encourage all members interested in playing a larger role in leadership and program and service development to consider standing for office with IGS-NA.
Nominations for the following seats are accepted through 30 September 2018:
1 Seat – President Elect. Serves one 2-year-term of office in that capacity followed by one 2-year term as President and an additional 2-year term as Past-President. As President-Elect, the successful candidate will be responsible for assisting the President and performing assignments directed by the President and/or Board.
2 Seats – Vice-President. Serves a 4-year term. Vice-Presidents are responsible for representing Members of IGS-NA and performing assignments directed by the President and/or Board.
To nominate someone or yourself, email info@IGS-NA.org.
Please include the nominee name, title, company/institution/organization, address, email, and phone. Also, please include a 150-word description about the nominee’s involvement in the geosynthetics industry and reason(s) for running for the seat. Please also include a photo of the nominee.
If you have any questions or need more information, please contact the Chairman of the IGS-NA Nomination Committee and Past-President John Henderson (j.henderson@tencategeo.com).
Following IGS North America’s successful Educate the Educators (EtE) event in Kingston, Ontario (December 2017), plans began towards the next gathering. Educate the Educators provides training and educational materials to professors from across North America to enable them to offer state-of-practice geosynthetics education to their students. In Kingston, 35 professors took part, adding to the 40+ who gained the introduction in Austin, Texas in 2015.
In 2019, IGS North America will again facilitate another EtE. San Diego, California has been identified as the next site.
IGS North America would like to thank its 2017 Diamond Event Sponsors: CETCO, Solmax/GSE, and TenCate. Sapphire Event Sponsors were Agru, HUESKER and Thrace-Linq.
IGS-NA would like to recognize the 2015 EtE Sponsors too. Remaining funds from the 2015 event were used to support the 2017 event as well. Thank you to GMA, Geosynthetic Institute, TenCate, ECTC, Presto, GSE, HUESKER, Thrace-Linq and TRI Environmental.
Plans for the 2019 EtE San Diego will be updated at our members meeting in Houston this February at Geosynthetics 2019.
IGS-North America invites abstracts (400 words maximum) for the 2019 Student Presentation Competition, to be held during the Geosynthetics 2019 conference, 10 – 13 February 2019 at the Marriott Marquis in Houston, Texas. Abstracts should be submitted to info@igs-na.org by 29 October 2018.
Abstracts submitted to the Student Presentation Competition will be reviewed by a panel of judges. The student authors of the top 5 abstracts will be selected to give a 15-minute presentation during a special session at the conference. Depending on the number of quality abstract submissions, there may be a subsequent presentation component to select the top 5 student presenters. The selected student presenters will be notified by 1 December 2018. The selected student presenters will receive a complimentary conference registration. The panel of judges will select the winner of the presentation competition, who will be awarded a cash prize sponsored by the Geosynthetic Materials Association at one of the Plenary Sessions.
NOTE: The faculty advisor of the student is required to be a member of IGS North America. No written papers are required as part of this competition.
Graduate and undergraduate students: please consider joining IGS North America for free. Registration can be completed online at www.IGS-NA.org. As a member you will receive the IGS News, online access to the Geosynthetics International Journal and Geotextiles and Geomembranes Journal, and secure access to various International Geosynthetics Society conference proceedings (totaling more than 1800 technical papers). You’ll also receive an IGS lapel pin, access to the IGS online membership directory, and eligibility for IGS Awards, including the prestigious IGS Student Paper award program ($1000 scholarship to attend a regional conference) and/or IGS Young Member award.
Current IGS North America members – PLEASE forward this membership offer to current university/college students.
SEE ALSO: 2019 Student Paper Competition
The North American Chapter of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS-NA) is a proud supporter of the long-running Geosynthetics conference series, organized by IFAI. Geosynthetics 2019 will be held 10 – 13 February 2019 at the Marriott Marquis in Houston, Texas.
IGS-NA encourages its members to attend our meeting at the conference to provide guidance and strategy for the organization for 2019 and beyond and to grow the use of geosynthetics in civil engineering projects.
Meeting date and location will be posted in the conference program.
We are the North American Chapter of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS), serving and representing infrastructure and sustainability professionals in Canada and the United States.
