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Tuesday at 13ICG was a day shaped by technical knowledge, recognition, reflection and transition.
The day began with the Rowe Lecture and continued through another extensive program of parallel technical sessions, special sessions and industry activities. Topics included reinforcement testing, erosion control, barrier systems, roads and railroads, walls and slopes, geomembrane durability, containment best practices, and sustainability and life-cycle assessment.
The highlights below represent only part of a full day of knowledge exchange across the conference. Delegates can explore the complete schedule through the official 13ICG program.
The day opened with the Rowe Lecture, delivered by IGS Member Dr. Craig Benson.
His lecture, Geosynthetic Clay Liners for Aggressive Liquids: Lessons Learned from the Field and Lab, brought together technical insight and experience from laboratory research and field applications.
Craig concluded with a powerful message for delegates:
“When the door of opportunity opens, walk through.”
At the end of the lecture, Professor Kerry Rowe and IGS Council Member Jabulile Msiza presented Craig with an IGS plaque recognizing his achievement in delivering this distinguished lecture.
After the lecture, Kerry Rowe took to the stage to honor Dr. Ian D. Peggs, who recently passed away.
Ian was a geosynthetics champion whose career spanned more than 40 years. A materials scientist and specialist in geomembrane performance, he worked internationally to investigate lining-system failures, improve materials performance and advance understanding of geomembrane integrity.
Ian described himself as having been an IGS member “since Day 1.” He attended every International Conference on Geosynthetics from Vienna in 1986 and frequently contributed to workshops and technical discussions.
Through I-CORP INTERNATIONAL, he worked with clients in more than 40 countries, helping those responsible for geomembrane lining systems prevent failures or understand their causes. His work also helped advance technologies for geomembrane integrity and leak-location surveys.
In 1994, Ian received the IGS Special Recognition Award for his work on the influence of polymer microstructure on geomembrane performance. He was subsequently awarded IGS Honorary Membership in 2018.
His technical expertise, forthright personality and longstanding commitment to the IGS left an enduring mark on the geosynthetics community. Read the IGS interview with Ian D. Peggs.
During lunch, Dr. Richard Bathurst, Editor-in-Chief of Geosynthetics International, brought members together to reflect on the history and remarkable journey of one of the IGS’s two official journals.
First published in 1994, Geosynthetics International has developed into an important source of peer-reviewed technical knowledge for the global geosynthetics community. Six issues are published each year, with approximately 10 papers appearing in each issue.
The journal publishes technical papers, technical notes, discussions and book reviews spanning geosynthetic materials, research, performance analysis, testing, design, construction methods and field experience.
Full access to Geosynthetics International is one of the principal benefits of IGS membership. Members can access every volume, beginning with Volume 1 from 1994, through the IGS publishing partner.
To access the journal, visit the IGS Journals page, select Access Journals and make sure you are logged in using your IGS Member details.
In the early afternoon, the four regional winners of the 2026 IGS Corporate Case Study Competition came together for the international final.
Hosted by IGS Corporate Committee Chair Angelo Ricciuti, the competition gave each company 12 minutes to present its case study, followed by three minutes of questions from the judging panel.
The four finalists were:
Asia – Maccaferri
Shored Railways Reinforced Soil Embankment, USBRL – Jammu Kashmir, India
Pan-America – HUESKER
I-95 Bridge Collapse Emergency Repair in Philadelphia: Geogrid-Reinforced Recycled Glass Aggregate Wall Constructed in 12 Days
Europe – Solmax
Meldorf Pit Thermal Energy Storage (PTES)
Presented by Catrin Tarnowski
Africa and the Middle East – Maccaferri
Transformative Geosynthetic Applications in the Guinness World Record-Holding “Doha Expo House 2023” Project in Qatar
One judge represented each IGS region:
All four finalists delivered impressive presentations demonstrating the range, adaptability and real-world impact of geosynthetic solutions. The overall winner will be announced during the 13ICG Closing Ceremony on Thursday.
At 3:30 p.m., the conference came together for the IGS General Assembly, an important opportunity for members to participate in the Society’s governance, review its progress and formally begin the 2026–2030 term.
IGS Secretary Giulia Lugli led the voting process. Members approved the proposal for IGS membership subscription fees to remain unchanged for 2027.
Chungsik Yoo and Edoardo Zannoni were also elected to the IGS Finance Committee. Congratulations to them both.
IGS Treasurer Jie Han presented the Treasurer’s Report, giving members an overview of the Society’s financial position. Transparent financial reporting and responsible management of the Society’s resources remain central to building trust and ensuring that the IGS can continue investing in activities that deliver value to members.
The General Assembly also provided an opportunity to recognize individuals and organizations whose technical achievements, service and emerging leadership have contributed to the IGS and the wider geosynthetics community.
Three individuals received IGS Honorary Membership:
IGS Honorary Membership is one of the Society’s most significant distinctions, recognizing exceptional contributions to the IGS and the field of geosynthetics.
IGS Service Awards were presented to:
Dawie Marx received the IGS Young Service Award, recognizing his contribution to the Society as a younger member of the international geosynthetics community.
IGS plaques were also presented to Amr Morsy and Elizabeth Peggs in recognition of their contributions.
Dr. Fady Abdelaal, Professor Kerry Rowe and Dr. Natalia de Souza Correia received awards in the Publication of Technical Documents category.
Madhavi Latha Gali received an award in the Product and Technique category.
Professor Balunaini Umashankar and Maccaferri Environmental Solutions Pvt. Ltd. received awards in the Design and Construction category.
The Young Members Paper and Presentation Contest finalists were also recognized with certificates and commemorative cups following their presentations on Monday.
Longstanding Corporate Members were celebrated for their sustained commitment to the Society. Thirty-year Corporate Member recognitions were presented to:
Twenty-year Corporate Member recognitions were presented to:
Together, the presentations highlighted the many ways in which members support the Society, through research, publications, innovation, volunteer service, leadership and long-term corporate involvement.
Sam Allen then addressed the General Assembly for the final time as IGS President.
His heartfelt speech reflected on the challenges facing the Society when he assumed the presidency in 2022 and the question that guided the work of the Officers and Council:
“What does this Society need to look like in four years’ time so that it can thrive for the next 40?”
That question became the foundation of the 2022–2026 strategy, organized around four goals: ensuring that the IGS became more influential, trusted, representative and sustainable.
Sam reflected on progress made across standards, regulatory engagement, Chapter development, diversity, education and the Society’s international presence. He highlighted tangible resources created for members, including the IGS Geosynthetics Handbook, the Environmental Sustainability Calculator and the pilot Professional Development Courses.
He also spoke candidly about the difficult decisions required to strengthen the Society’s financial position. When membership fees were increased, the IGS knew that some Corporate Members might be lost. The response, he explained, was to make the IGS “worth more, not just more expensive.”
Three pilot Professional Development Courses have now reached more than 120 participants, providing proof of concept for a future IGS professional certification program. The Society has also expanded from four Technical Committees to six, giving sustainability full Technical Committee status and establishing a new committee focused on geosynthetics installation and contracting.
Sam emphasized that the progress of the past four years did not belong to one person:
“None of this—not one line of it—is mine alone.”
He thanked the IGS staff, Officers, Council, past presidents, Chapters, committees, volunteers, Corporate Members, Premium Corporate Members and Foundation Trustees, alongside everyone who voted, wrote a paper, presented a webinar, organized a workshop or renewed their membership.
He also thanked his employer, TRI, and his wife, Kimberly, and family for the time and sacrifices that enabled him to dedicate himself fully to the presidency.
Looking ahead, Sam acknowledged that important work remains, from translating the Handbook and developing the professional certification program to expanding the Sustainability Calculator and continuing to reach new members and markets.
He concluded:
“Thank you for the honor of serving as your President, thank you for everything that you have given to this learned society, but most of all, thank you for everything that you’re about to accomplish next.”
Sam concluded his term by presenting Daniele Cazzuffi with a gavel, a gift from the Allen family to the Cazzuffi family and a symbol of the formal transfer of the IGS Presidency.
Daniele welcomed the new Officers and Council and outlined the five goals that will guide the Society during the 2026–2030 term.
Past IGS Presidents were then invited to join him on stage for a photograph. Together, the six leaders pictured represented decades of service to the Society:
The photograph provided a fitting link between the Society’s history, its current leadership and the work still to come. Explore the history of the IGS Council.
After a day of technical sessions, governance and recognition, delegates exchanged the conference floor for the football field as the traditional IGS Football Match returned.
Daniele Cazzuffi shared some of the history behind this much-loved tradition. He recalled that the idea emerged following the tragic events surrounding the 1985 European Cup Final in Brussels, when members of the international scientific community were deeply affected by the loss of life. The early match was conceived as a way of bringing people together across nationalities through friendship and sport, with the first teams organized broadly as “Anglo” and “Latin.”
As participation in the International Conferences became increasingly global, the format evolved. At the conference in Singapore, delegates from countries including Japan and Indonesia understandably asked where they belonged within the original two-team structure. A third team was introduced, and the tradition continued to expand alongside the Society.
Daniele recalled several memorable matches from across the decades. At The Hague in 1990, the match took place immediately before the FIFA World Cup in Italy. With the support of then-IGS President J.P. Giroud, the players obtained an official ball from the tournament—and Daniele still remembers the 4–3 result.
In Nice, a thunderstorm and heavy hail initially left the field white, but the synthetic playing surface recovered and the match went ahead after an hour. The organizers had prepared champagne for the players, only to discover that most wanted beer after the game.
Later matches took the tradition to Yokohama, Brazil, Berlin and Korea. In Yokohama, participants had the opportunity to play in a setting connected to the city’s FIFA World Cup stadium. In Brazil, they played on a beach field near Santos, while a closely fought match in Berlin was ultimately decided by penalties.
In Korea, Daniele’s son joined the match, what Daniele described as a symbolic “passing of the torch” to another generation.
In Montréal, four teams participated. Two opening games determined which teams advanced to the final, with medals presented to the eventual winners.
The Winners of the 2026 Football Match.
The evening brought together members of different ages, nationalities and professional backgrounds in the friendly spirit that has sustained the event for decades.
Reflecting on the three words he has chosen for his presidency, technical excellence, friendship and respect, Daniele joked that there may not have been much technical excellence on the football field that evening.
There was, however, plenty of friendship and respect.
It was a fitting conclusion to a day that honored the Society’s history, celebrated its members and formally opened a new chapter for the IGS.
