The Corporate Associates Presidential Group of ISSMGE will run a dedicated panel at the 21st International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering in Vienna in 2026, focusing on the future of geotechnical engineering practice. Industry leaders from major consulting firms, contractors and equipment suppliers are expected to address digital design workflows, advanced in situ testing, and risk allocation in large infrastructure projects. Outcomes are likely to influence updates to corporate design standards, procurement strategies and adoption of emerging investigation and monitoring technologies.

Geosynthetics are moving from niche products to standard tools for Australian infrastructure delivery as Geoquest deploys geogrids, geotextiles and geocells to tackle increasingly poor ground and constrained project footprints. The company is customising reinforced soil structures, basal reinforcement and pavement subgrade improvement systems to reduce imported fill volumes, shorten construction programmes and enable construction over soft clays and variable alluvium that would previously require deep piling. For practitioners, the shift allows slimmer pavement designs, higher embankments on marginal soils and more predictable deformation behaviour under traffic loading.

Vinci Construction has expanded its Latin American ground technologies portfolio by acquiring Grupo TDM’s geosynthetics division in Peru, a regional supplier of geotextiles, geomembranes and geogrids for mining, road and hydraulic works. The deal gives Vinci direct control of design–supply–install capability for reinforced soil walls, basal reinforcement and lining systems on high-embankment highways and tailings storage facilities in the Andes. For geotechnical contractors and designers, this signals stronger OEM-backed support for geosynthetic solutions on steep slopes, soft-ground foundations and aggressive seismic conditions in the region.