Rural communities in remote mountainous regions have very limited access to roads.  They also have very limited alternative routes that are in many cases very long detours.  A badly eroded roadside slope adjacent to a stream. Photo courtesy of Erosion Control Technology Council. These roads are critical lifelines for emergency vehicles, tourism, commerce, schools and [...]

Advanced Textiles Association (ATA) announced the 2026 recipients of the Outstanding Volunteer Award and the results of the call for board candidates at the Annual Meeting and Advanced Textiles Expo Preview webinar, Sept. 9. Outstanding Volunteer Award winners The Outstanding Volunteer Award program was created in 2012 and recognizes a handful of dedicated ATA volunteers, [...]

Officine Maccaferri S.p.A has acquired 100% of Ovattificio Alpino S.r.l., an Italian specialist in non-woven geotextiles and technical felts. Headquartered in Cittadella, Italy, Ovattificio Alpino manufactures non-woven geotextiles and technical felts for infrastructure and environmental applications, including roadworks, water management, soil stabilization and environmental protection. With over 50 years in the technical textiles industry, the company [...]

The U.S. House voted Tuesday to approve a short-term funding bill that will keep the government running for three more months. The bill passed the Senate in August and now heads to President Trump for his expected signature. [UPDATE 9/3: The President has signed the bill.] The bill includes extends funding, which would have expired [...]

Max Gaha is joining Solmax as Chief Information Officer (CIO), the company announced this week. Max Gaha; photo courtesy of Solmax. As a member of Solmax's Executive Leadership, Gaha will lead the company's global information technology function, supporting the organization's continued growth and operational excellence across all regions. He brings more than 20 years of [...]

Registration is open for Advanced Textiles Association's (ATA's) Annual Meeting and Advanced Textiles Expo® 2026 Preview webinar, Sept. 9, 1–2 pm EDT. The webinar is free to ATA members and nonmembers. Craig Zola, chairman of the ATA Board of Directors, will provide the annual State of the Association report for fiscal year 2026, as well [...]

Registration is open for the Level Funded Health Plan: Predictable Costs, Control and Savings webinar, Sept. 2, 1–2 pm EDT. The webinar is open to Advanced Textiles Association (ATA) members only. Attendees will learn about the Major Medical Health plans available to their employees through ATA, including how level funding works and its advantages. Melissa Cook, [...]

The utilization of geosynthetics continues to develop and grow around the world due to the recognition in their ability to optimize designs as well as to improve project constructability.  Photo courtesy of Tensar, A Division of CMC. Geosynthetics are a polymeric family of products that encompass geotextiles, geomembranes, geogrids and geocomposites.  Since the 1960’s these [...]

AGRU America, Inc. announced today that President and CEO Robert L. Johnson will retire on October 31, 2026, after 30 years at the company. Chief Sales Officer Chris Eichelberger will become AGRU America’s next President and Chief Executive Officer effective November 1, 2026. Mr. Johnson and Mr. Eichelberger will work closely together through the fall. [...]

In 2012, Tropical Storm Isacc caused extreme flooding throughout the state of Florida. In response, immediate and quick-fix measures were implemented in support of flooding relief to strengthen the Indian Trail Improvement District levee that runs alongside the J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management area. While these remedial efforts provided short-term fixes, Gov. Rick Scott directed a [...]

Following an agreement between the U.S. and Canada Aug. 18, the U.S. has paused the implementation of tariffs on certain goods from Canada for three days, delaying the effective date to Aug. 22. The 50% tariffs were set to take effect Aug. 19 pursuant to Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930. They were [...]

Sixty trade partners of the U.S. are subject to new tariffs following the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Section 301 investigation into concerns about forced labor. The investigation began in March, with the USTR determining in June that the acts, policies and practices of the economies were "unreasonable and burden or restrict U.S. commerce." Trading partners [...]

Registration is open for the Complete Security Blueprint webinar, Aug. 26, 1–2 p.m. EDT. Hosted by Advanced Textiles Association (ATA), it is free for ATA members and $39 for nonmembers. A Complete Security Blueprint will provide a practical roadmap for building and maturing an effective cybersecurity program. Whether you're starting from scratch or enhancing an existing [...]

The evolution of the design for geosynthetic reinforced Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE) walls was discussed in part I of this article.  The article discussed the development of the “Simplified Method” in the 1990s and replacing Allowable Stress Design (ASD) with the Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) platform starting in 2007.     US Highway 285 [...]

U.S. President Donald Trump announced July 20 that 50% tariffs on certain goods from Canada will be imposed beginning Aug. 19. The tariffs are pursuant to Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930 and are in response to “Canada’s discriminatory treatment of American products,” according to a White House statement. These tariffs apply to [...]

The construction of Layfield’s stormwater management system at the Burien School DistrictTransportation Department is shown. Layfield provided the modular underground stormwater tanksand a nonwoven geotextile to prevent contaminants from polluting the surrounding environment. Photo courtesy of Layfield Geosynthetics. Catastrophic hurricanes and raging windstorms. Epic floods and record-breaking droughts. Blazing heat waves and glacial cold snaps. [...]

Image: ATA Japan ATA Japan, a member group of Advanced Textiles Association (ATA), held its Annual Meeting July 22. The meeting also included a forum and networking reception. At the meeting, members approved activity and financial reports, elected new leadership, approved amendments to ATA Japan bylaws, and approved the business plan and budget for the [...]

Image: Seaman Corporation Seaman Corporation announced that the company has completed its 10,200-square-foot headquarters expansion in Wooster, Ohio. The new space features additional offices and open-area workstations, a large, multipurpose gathering room and increased parking capacity for the Wooster team and visitors. The project also showcases Seaman Corporation products. A Lightweight Structures tulip canopy shelters [...]

Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE) walls have evolved considerably over the past 35 years in relation to facing options, reinforcement types, material testing and design methodologies.   Mechanically Stabilized Earth wall in Durango, Colo. Photo courtesy of the author. This two-part article will focus on the evolution of design methods over the past 35 years specifically related [...]

The Geosynthetic Materials Association (GMA), in cooperation with the International Geosynthetic Society’s (IGS) 13th International Conference on Geosynthetics (13 ICG), is proud to announce that the 5th Koerner Lecture Awardee, Dr. Shobha Bhatia, will be presenting an updated version of her 2025 Koerner Lecture “From Filters to Tubes: A 30-Year Exploration of Geotextiles” during the [...]