Geosynthetic successes at IFAI

November 23, 2009 | Ron Bygness and Andrew Aho

Recent momentum for the three geosynthetics components at Twin Cities-based Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) includes more awards, more members, and more industry event synergy.

Earlier this month, Geosynthetics magazine again received professional peer recognition when it was presented with a Silver Award for Best Technical Article at the annual Minnesota Magazine & Publications Association’s awards gala. It marked the fifth consecutive year that Geosynthetics has won an MMPA award.

The award-winning article was the cover story, “Pyrite remediation: Geosynthetic answers for I-99’s problem” written by Archie Filshill of CETCO Contracting Services, edited by Ron Bygness and designed by Heidi Hanson. The article, which ran in the April/May 2009 issue, described how a host of geosynthetic materials were used to address iron pyrite issues during construction on Interstate-99 in Centre County, Pennsylvania.

A second of IFAI’s geosynthetics contingent—the Geosynthetic Materials Association (GMA)—also established an award of sorts when it hit an all-time membership high this month.

With impetus from the annual Geosynthetics Specifier’s Guide, plus the fervor of selling the benefits of GMA by IFAI’s Membership Team, GMA’s roster grew to 76 this month, nearly doubling its number of members in just four years.

Finally, IFAI’s Conference Management component is demonstrating terrific geosynthetics industry leadership through its cooperative efforts in organizing Geo-Frontiers, the premier industry event in 2011, March 13–16, at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Dallas.

Geo-Frontiers returns to Texas, as IFAI and GMA team with the GEO-Institute of ASCE and the North American Geosynthetics Society (NAGS)—and under the auspices of the IGS—for the best show of the year. The Geosynthetics Research Institute’s annual conference, GRI–24/2011, will also be held at the Geo-Frontiers event in Dallas.

See you there!

Ron Bygness is the editor of Geosynthetics magazine. Andrew Aho is the managing director of the Geosynthetic Materials Association (GMA).

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