Attention: You are using an outdated browser, device or you do not have the latest version of JavaScript downloaded and so this website may not work as expected. Please download the latest software or switch device to avoid further issues.
From emergency highway repairs and railway infrastructure to renewable heat storage and an award-winning green building, four projects from across the world came together for the International Final of the IGS Corporate Case Study Competition at 13ICG.
The competition brought the winners of the four IGS regional rounds to Montréal, giving IGS Corporate Members an international platform to demonstrate the practical application of geosynthetics in major engineering projects.
Hosted by IGS Corporate Committee Chair Angelo Ricciuti, the final took place during the early afternoon on Tuesday 15th September, 2026 at the 13th International Conference on Geosynthetics.
Each company was given 12 minutes to present its case study, followed by three minutes of questions from the judging panel.
The four regional finalists were:
Shored Railways Reinforced Soil Embankment, USBRL – Jammu and Kashmir, India.
I-95 Bridge Collapse Emergency Repair in Philadelphia: Geogrid-Reinforced Recycled Glass Aggregate Wall Constructed in 12 Days.
Meldorf Pit Thermal Energy Storage (PTES), Presented by Catrin Tarnowski.
Transformative Geosynthetic Applications in the Guinness World Record-Holding “Doha Expo House 2023” Project in Qatar.
Together, the four finalists demonstrated the diversity of projects being delivered by IGS Corporate Members and the range of challenges that can be addressed using geosynthetic technologies.
Maccaferri represented the IGS Asia region with its case study on the Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla Rail Link project in Jammu and Kashmir, India.
The regional competition-winning entry focused on work undertaken within the challenging terrain of the Jammu–Baramulla railway line. The area is vulnerable to soil erosion and earthquakes, creating demanding conditions for the construction of railway embankments, bridges and tunnels.
The project covered a 54-kilometer section of the wider 324-kilometer railway route. Reinforced soil embankments with steeper slopes were used to reduce the amount of land required and limit changes to the existing topography while preserving natural drainage.
The solution also enabled approximately 300,000 cubic meters of material excavated during tunnel construction to be reused as structural fill. Green facing mesh was incorporated to support the establishment of natural vegetation.
According to information published following the regional competition, the approach offered reductions of up to 80% in carbon emissions and up to 30% in overall costs.
Maccaferri secured its place in the international final after winning the Corporate Case Study Competition at GeoAsia8 in Brisbane, Australia, in June 2025.
HUESKER represented the Pan-American region with the emergency reconstruction of Interstate 95 in Philadelphia, United States.
On June 11, 2023, an elevated section of the highway collapsed after a fuel tanker crashed and caught fire beneath the bridge. The fire weakened the steel structure supporting the roadway, closing a critical section of one of the most important transport corridors on the East Coast of the United States.
An interim roadway was constructed using approximately 2,000 tons of ultra-lightweight foamed glass aggregate manufactured from 100% post-consumer recycled glass.
The lightweight aggregate was used to fill an area approximately 100 feet long and 150 feet wide. Because the constrained site required the fill to be constructed with vertical faces, HUESKER’s Fortrac T high-tenacity polyester geogrid was used to provide reinforcement and stability.
The foamed glass aggregate was up to 90% lighter than conventional quarried aggregate, helping to reduce the load imposed by the temporary structure and the number of deliveries required to bring material to the site.
The combination of lightweight recycled aggregate and geosynthetic reinforcement allowed the temporary roadway to be constructed rapidly. I-95 reopened to traffic on June 23, just 12 days after the collapse.
Presented by Vona Ojaruega, the project won the Pan-American regional competition at GeoAmericas 2024 in Toronto, Canada.
Solmax represented IGS Europe with its work on Germany’s first commercial Pit Thermal Energy Storage facility in Meldorf.
Pit Thermal Energy Storage systems store heated water so that surplus heat can be retained and used when demand increases. The Meldorf facility has a total volume of 43,000 cubic meters and can store heated water at temperatures of up to 90°C.
Solmax’s regional competition-winning entry described the tailored geosynthetic solution supplied and installed as part of a consortium working on the project.
The site’s low-lying marshland conditions presented a significant challenge, with the groundwater table approximately one meter below ground level. Continuous groundwater lowering was therefore required during construction, with around 1.6 million cubic meters of groundwater pumped.
The facility’s octagonal shape was selected to optimize the available land, but it created additional design and installation requirements. The cover also required solutions for rainwater management and load-bearing stability.
The project included Germany’s first use of a heat-resistant geomembrane designed for extreme long-term temperature resistance.
The completed storage system is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 90%, representing an estimated annual saving of approximately 1,000 metric tons compared with gas-based heating.
Catrin Tarnowski presented the project at the international final after Solmax secured the European regional title at EuroGeo8 in Lille, France, in September 2025.
Maccaferri’s second entry in the international final represented the Africa and the Middle East region.
Its case study, Transformative Geosynthetic Applications in the Guinness World Record-Holding “Doha Expo House 2023” Project in Qatar, highlighted the application of geosynthetics within the landmark Expo House project.
Jayakrishnan P.V. presented the project during the Africa–Middle East regional competition, where Maccaferri secured first place and the opportunity to represent the region at 13ICG.
The regional competition brought together four projects from IGS Corporate Members working across Africa and the Middle East. The winning Doha Expo House case study was recognized for demonstrating innovation, technical excellence and the practical application of geosynthetics to a real-world engineering challenge.
One judge represented each of the four IGS regions:
Following the four presentations and questions from the panel, the judges selected the international winner.
During the 13ICG Closing Ceremony, Solmax was announced as the winner of the International IGS Corporate Case Study Competition for its Meldorf Pit Thermal Energy Storage project.
Presented by Catrin Tarnowski, the winning case study demonstrated the contribution geosynthetics can make to the containment and long-term storage of renewable heat.
The project brought together several of the themes running throughout 13ICG, including technical innovation, practical problem-solving, sustainability and the role of geosynthetics in responding to major infrastructure and environmental challenges.
The international final also celebrated the work of all four regional winners. From restoring a critical highway connection in 12 days to delivering railway infrastructure through difficult terrain, supporting a landmark project in Qatar and enabling renewable heat storage in Germany, the finalists demonstrated the adaptability and global impact of geosynthetic solutions.
You can read their full case study here.
