Q: We are having arguments about whether the thickness of our geomembrane meets the specification. Do you have any suggestions which can ease the process? A: GSI offers a conflict resolution service under the GAI-LAP program. The challenge is to identify and resolve disagreements related to a particular geosynthetic test method backed up with data and [...]

Registration closes soon for GeoAsia8, the premier geosynthetics conference in the Asia-Pacific region, taking place June 10-13 in Brisbane, Australia. With the theme, Geosynthetics: Pioneering Lasting Solutions for the Earth, this four-day event will deliver a dynamic scientific program developed by the Organising and Technical Committees. Program highlights include: Keynote presentations Technical sessions IGS Corporate [...]

President Donald Trump has increased tariffs on most steel and aluminum imports from 25% to 50%, effective June 4. The U.S. and the U.K. previously reached a trade deal May 8, agreeing to negotiate an alternative arrangement for the 25% Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum. According to President Trump’s June 3 executive order, [...]

Solmax has announced the launch of its new Performance Materials platform, the next chapter in the integration of a long-standing legacy of TenCate Geosynthetics and Propex, now operating as a division of Solmax.  TOPTEX protective covers safeguarding hay bales in a field against weather damage, spoilage and UV exposure. Photo courtesy of Solmax For decades, [...]

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal District granted the Donald Trump administration's request to put a temporary hold on the New York-based U.S. Court of International Trade's judgment May 29. The Court of International Trade Law's May 28 judgement ruled in favor of six American-based companies, ruling that President Trump overstepped his authority [...]

The ASCE Geo-Institute is presenting Claudia Zapata, Ph.D., as the 2025 Carl Monismith Lecture. The lecture will stream live from the Pavements Conference in Glendale, Ariz., at 6:15 p.m. EDT June 10. Dr. Zapata, professor at Arizona State University, is a nationally recognized leader in pavement engineering and soil behavior. Her research focuses on unsaturated [...]

In an ongoing effort to support national hurricane preparedness and help communities move quickly to recover from devastating storms, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced this week more than $1.5 billion in federal funding to help states and U.S. territories accelerate repairs to roads, bridges and other transportation infrastructure damaged by natural disasters, including [...]

Geoquest celebrated the finalization of its new brand during a ceremony at the Eiffel Tower. Photo courtesy of Geoquest. “Celebrating a milestone in the history of our company, this new name represents more faithfully what we are today: an international, global, industrial and diversified group,” said CEO Vincent Oudin. “This name change materializes a transformation [...]

U.S. Deputy Transportation Secretary Steven G. Bradbury joined state officials in Connecticut to announce a first-of-its-kind programmatic agreement establishing a unified federal review process and delegating authority to the state to accelerate the review of individual transportation projects that may affect historic properties under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. The U.S. Department [...]

The Board of Directors of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials unanimously approved six policy resolutions last week at its 2025 Spring Meeting in Hartford, Conn., that detail the organization’s positions on key issues that Congress needs to address as it works on renewing critical surface transportation reauthorization legislation. Photo courtesy of Connecticut Department [...]

Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA) has announced a strategic partnership with Advanced Textiles Association® (ATA), launching a limited three-part podcast series on ATA’s Talking Textiles. The first episode is available to stream now. Hosted by Robert Finnegan, AFFOA's director of education and workforce, each episode focuses on a key topic affecting the textile industry. [...]

The National Summit on the Future of the Transportation Workforce will be held June 2-4 in Westminster, Colo. This event is the first national conversation on this critical issue since 2012. Thought leaders in transportation workforce recruitment, training, retention and knowledge management will address the challenges faced in each step of the workforce life cycle. Attendees will [...]

Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Transportation announced this week that $400 million is available for local transportation projects, with the goal of enhancing mobility and quality of life in communities throughout the state. The deadline to apply is June 1. “Over the past six years, we’ve made bold, historic investments to strengthen [...]

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced an interim final rule to extend the dates of the reporting period for data submitted on the manufacture of perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Previously, the submission period was to start July 11, 2025, and it has now been extended to April 13, 2026. For most manufacturers, [...]

The U.S. and the U.K. announced May 8 that the countries have made a trade deal. The deal states that the 10% reciprocal tariff imposed April 2 on U.K. imports is still in effect, but an alternate deal has been made for Section 232 tariffs for U.K. autos. Section 232 tariffs for U.K. steel and [...]

U.S. and Chinese officials announced that they have agreed to pause the recently imposed tariffs on imports from each country for 90 days, beginning May 14. The U.S. will lower its 145% tariff on Chinese imports to 30%, and China will decrease its tariff on American imports to 10%. Officials from both countries will meet [...]

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced Tuesday that the department has approved 180 infrastructure grants, totaling more than $3.2 billion. The largest grant within this package is $550 million for breaking ground on Alabama’s I-10 Mobile River bridge and Bayway multimodal project. This project will allow the state to implement desperately needed infrastructure upgrades [...]

Image: Advanced Textiles Association® Advanced Textiles Association® (ATA) is excited to introduce ATA Perks Plus, a new suite of benefits to support members in both their personal and professional lives. All benefits are available to ATA members in the U.S. and Canada and their employees; some perks extend to international members. To add employees to your [...]

Image: The Lenzing Group The Lenzing Group, a supplier of regenerated cellulose fibers for the textile and nonwovens industries, has announced that applications are now open for the Lenzing Young Scientist Award. The award recognizes undergraduate and graduate students who develop innovative solutions to ecological challenges in the fiber and textile industry. The winners will [...]

Tensar has introduced the new Rigid Pavement design module in Tensar+ software. Users can now generate sections based on AASHTO 93 methodology incorporating InterAx geogrid. Users can optimize based on performance, initial construction cost, construction time and carbon savings. Here's what users can expect: Determine required slab thickness based on AASHTO 93 methodology Reduce construction [...]