Seventy-two experts from four continents gathered to examine the uses and potential of geosynthetics in reinforced fill structures.

The technical workshop on 'Reinforcement and Drainage in Soil Structures' held in Barcelona was an opportunity for detailed discussion on the global issues and opportunities in this area.

The three-day event, from June 25-27, was organized by the IGS Technical Committees on Soil Reinforcement (TC-R) and Hydraulic Applications (TC-H), and the Technical Committee on Reinforced Fill Structures (TC-218) of the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE).

TC-R chair Pietro Rimoldi said the workshop had several aims including sharing new developments, design guidance and methods, case histories, and the resilience and sustainability aspects of such geosynthetic materials.

The symposium, held at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), had contributions from speakers including IGS President Sam Allen, Jorge Zornberg, Richard J. Bathurst, and David Shercliff, as well as social evenings, and a visit to the famous Sagrada Familia church.

TC-R chair Pietro Rimoldi said: "It was a very successful event which included 41 participants from industry and 22 from academia including three students, coming from 23 countries across four continents.

"We had an excellent balance of speakers between academics and practitioners addressing topics that matter right now including climate change, and there was plenty of time for interaction and discussion. Proceedings with the 30 high level papers are currently being finalized and will be published on the IGS website soon.

"Thanks to sponsors HUESKER Group and Viganò Pavitex, and the support of VSL International Ltd, UPC for hosting, and IGS Spain's Ivan Puig Damians for local organization.

"I am sure we will repeat this event with the ISSMGE in the future."

Explore more about the IGS Technical Committees here.