The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a 6–3 decision that most of the tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump under the International Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA) are unlawful. The ruling references country-specific tariffs that President Trump began implementing in 2025 after declaring a national emergency under the IEEPA. These tariffs were at minimum 10%, [...]

The Geosynthetic Materials Association (GMA) will hold its 2026 General Membership Meeting during the 2026 IECA Annual Meeting in Fort Worth, Texas. With our association relationship, IECA has provided a room and time slot (Room 203B: Tuesday, March 3rd 3:20-4:30pm) for our meeting. Attendance is open to all members and any guests. We will be providing [...]

Photo: Advanced Textiles Association The Advanced Textiles Association's Women in Textiles Summit is coming to Asheville, N.C., March 30 to April 2. When you register for the 2026 Women in Textiles Summit, you’re not just signing up for powerful conversations and connections. You're stepping into the heart of one of the most vibrant, creative cities [...]

In the summer of 2024, ThermoBond, a leading manufacturer of precast concrete structures, initiated construction on a new facility in Brandon, S.D. GeoTek Engineering collaborated with Solmax to develop a reinforced section using MIRAFI RS580i, a high-performance woven geosynthetic designed to enhance load-bearing capacity. Photo courtesy of Solmax. A key element of the site was [...]

The 2026 International Achievement Awards (IAAs) are now accepting entries. Exclusive to Advanced Textile Association (ATA) members, this competition—now in its 79th year—celebrates the best projects in the specialty fabrics industry. With a reduced entry fee of just $25, it’s easy to enter. Showcase your technical skills and gain industry-wide recognition by entering your best [...]

The Federal Highway Administration Office of Infrastructure is hosting an external webinar to review the phased requirements the Manufactured Products Final Rule from 2-3:30 p.m. EST Feb. 10. On January 14, 2025, FHWA terminated its 1983 Manufactured Products General Waiver, which excluded manufactured products from coverage under FHWA’s Buy America requirements, after determining the waiver [...]

Water is generally recognized as the cause of most geotechnical failures or poor performance. This is because water affects both sides of the stability equation. It increases the loading and reduces effective strength.    Highway 148, outside of Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. Photo courtesy of Solmax. In addition, flowing water adds seepage forces as well [...]

The short-lived federal government shutdown ended Tuesday, as the U.S. House voted to fund the U.S. Department of Transportation and several other agencies through Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year. The Department of Homeland Security was only funded through Feb. 13 under the deal to get the bills passed. President Trump signed the [...]

The Advanced Textiles Association’s Outlook Leadership Conference is coming to Greenville, S.C., May 31-June 2, 2026, and registration is now open at textiles.org/outlook. Attendees at the 2025 Outlook Leadership Conference in Green Bay, Wis. Photo courtesy of eTextile Communications/Devin Steele. As we step into the future, Outlook Leadership Conference is evolving to become a dynamic leadership event. [...]

The U.S. House could vote as soon as Tuesday on a package of funding bills to end the partial government shutdown. Among the legislation is funding for the U.S. Department of Transportation through the end of the government's fiscal year, September 30. It also covers the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services, Education, Labor, [...]

The transportation bill passed by the U.S House last week appears likely to be tied up with funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which could lead to a limited government shutdown by the end of the week. The transportation bill is one of six that have not been passed yet, all of which have [...]

CMC, parent company of Tensar, has been named one of Corporate Knights’ 2026 Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations, marking the company’s first inclusion on the list. Published annually by Corporate Knights, the Global 100 recognizes the world’s most sustainable publicly traded companies with revenues exceeding $1 billion. Companies are ranked based on the strength and growth [...]

Risks from geological activity which could be caused by natural events or by our actions are generally defined as geohazards. Geohazards can pose significant threats to people, property, and infrastructure.  These events include landslides, rock fall, debris flows, floods, earthquakes and others.  Alaska DOT project utilizes a geogrid reinforced soils slope to address a slope [...]

Nominations are open for the Geosynthetic Institute's Robert and Mitchell Landreth “Steward of the Environment” Award. Established in 2021, the award recognizes one winner with a $10,000 annual prize.  Eligibility Criteria: Applicant must be a matriculated graduate student, post doctorate or young assistant professor in good standing and registered/employed full-time during the award period at [...]

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a series of funding bills Thursday, including funding for the department of transportation. The bill passed this week would fully fund programs at Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 authorized levels and also provide supplemental investment for highways, transit and airport programs. The bills, passed by a bipartisan 341-88 vote, provide [...]

The city of San Francisco and private developers planned a $1.5 billion redevelopment of Yerba Buena Island (YBI) and its adjoining island, Treasure. This required infrastructure improvements, upgrades and slope failure repair to the road—work that was necessary after heavy precipitation in fall 2021. The heavily eroded slope had almost a sheer vertical dropoff, was [...]

Share your ideas, expertise or a fresh perspective at Geosynthetics Conference 2027, Feb. 21-24, 2027, in Reno, Nev. The call for proposals is open, but the Feb. 1 deadline is approaching fast. We’re seeking session proposals that inform, challenge and inspire the geosynthetics community, including: Technical paper sessions Panel discussions 2-hour training lecture Short courses [...]

Know of a student interested in a career in coal ash? Make sure they know about the World of Coal Ash 2026’s Student Travel Stipend program. WOCA is May 4-7, 2026, in Lexington, Ky. This program was rolled out at WOCA 2024, with great success! It was designed specifically with students in mind. Thanks to [...]

Registration is now open for USINFI Advocacy Days 2026, March 17–18, in Washington, D.C. The event is exclusive to members of USINFI, a member group of Advanced Textile Association (ATA). To learn more about membership, visit textiles.org/membership. Members will discuss issues impacting the U.S. textile industry—such as the Berry Amendment, PFAS and trade—with Congress and [...]

Photo courtesy of Solmax. Solmax has appointed Patrick Hébert as its CFO, succeeding François Laurin, who will retire later this year. Hébert is a CPA with an Executive MBA from Université de Sherbrooke and a certificate in Strategy, Execution and Post-Merger Management from Harvard University. He brings extensive experience in the aerospace and infrastructure sectors, [...]