Co-Chaired by Reza Mohamadi of EA UpKeep - Rmohamadi@eaupkeep.ca and Madalena Marchelli of Politecnico- Corso Duca
maddalena.marchelli@polito.it

Geosynthetics have a long history of use in civil engineering where they have a wide range of applications, most commonly for the stabilization or reinforcement of both natural slopes and man-made earth structures, as well as geo-environmental solutions. They are also extensively used for controlling erosion of unstable slopes. More recently, geosynthetics are increasingly being used for other geohazard mitigation purposes, such as in the construction of semi-rigid barriers to help protect against rockfall, debris flow and avalanche.

The focus of this committee is to better help define the role of geosynthetics in geohazard mitigation practices and foster the transfer of knowledge between manufacturers, engineers, contractors and owners.

Some initial goals for the committee are to create resource documents related to:

• • Current trends in the application of geosynthetics for geohazard mitigation
  • Design approaches and guidelines for rockfall, debris flow and avalanche catchment structures
  • Modeled and Full-scale testing experiences
  • Educational resources (e.g. webinars, workshops, etc.)

Another focus of the committee will be to establish relationships with other associations and industry groups in the field of geosynthetics to help in the dissemination of knowledge throughout the industry.