Like most segments of our global economies, professional associations and societies have suffered during the current downturn. Civil engineering and affiliated professional associations have certainly not been spared. But the work they do is important to our collective work. We encourage you to take a moment to check on the status of your memberships and to renew them if you find they’ve lapsed.
Some associations that are regularly (and often vitally) involved with geosynthetics are:
International Geosynthetics Society (IGS)
http://www.geosyntheticssociety.org
Individual Membership: $45/year
The work of the IGS includes numerous international and regional conferences, such as the 9th International Conference on Geosynthetics (9ICG, 23-27 May 2010, Guaruja, São Paulo, Brazil) and GeoAfrica 2009 (2-5 September 2009, Cape Town, South Africa). IGS sponsors a number of awards too, and all IGS members have free, electronic access to the society’s official journals: Geotextiles & Geomembranes and Geosynthetics International. At $45, this is one of the most affordable memberships one will find.
IGS Chapters
https://www.geosyntheticssociety.org/application.htm
Cost: Varies
The IGS also has 30 chapters for countries and regions. For example, there’s the North American Geosynthetics Society (NAGS), the Geosynthetics Interest Group of South Africa (GIGS), and IGS Brasil. Current IGS members may join applicable chapters. Contact the chapters for information. Some allow online payment. NAGS, for instance, can be joined via PayPal.
ASTM Committee D35 on Geosynthetics
http://www.astm.org/
Participating Membership: $75/year
The consensus standards approach of ASTM International requires significant, active input from all areas of the field. ASTM offers a great many committees, such as Committees D20 on Plastics, D34 on Waste Management and D35 on Geosynthetics. Each committee generally has multiple subcommittees. D35, for example, has subcommittees on geomembranes, terminology, and others. Your voice is needed. Committees meet twice per year. The next D35 meetings are in June in Vancouver, Canada and January 2010 in San Antonio, Texas (a gathering that will also feature a special geosynthetics symposium). Participating members may join committees.
International Erosion Control Association (IECA)
http://www.ieca.org
Individual Membership: $170/year
IECA is the largest international association for erosion control issues. The association has recently moved its headquarters to Denver, Colorado and experienced some changes in its board; but the activity of the association continues, with its annual Environmental Connection conference, online training opportunities, and international chapter events.
Chris Kelsey is the editorial director for geosynthetica.net. He can be reached at chris@geosynthetica.net.
