THE GEOSYNTHETIC INSTITUTE’S BACKGROUND AND HISTORY

摘要

Most histories of people, places and things (like organizations) are chronologicallyrnsubdivided between watershed events. This history of the Geosynthetic Institute is written alongrnsimilar lines. The very sporadic beginnings in the late 1970’s until 1986 is the first section to berndescribed. Indeed, the year 1986 was pivotal in a number of ways. The second period fromrn1987 to 1998 was most important in establishing ourselves as the premier geosynthetics researchrnand development organization on a national and international basis specializing on all types ofrngeosynthetics and in all of their myriad applications. The third period from 1999 to the presentrnrepresents a segue from the institute being focused completely on R & D, to related activitiesrnsuch as broad-based information, professional education, laboratory accreditation, inspectionrncertification, along with the requisite R & D projects.rnNow after these 35-years we approach the fourth period which is indeed the future. Inrnthis regard we offer some “musings” as to what it might portend for GSI and by association forrngeosynthetics in general.