The Fabricated Geomembrane Institute (FGI) grew out of the PVC Geomembrane Institute (PGI), which was an industry-based research center based in Michigan that focused on the appropriate use of PVC geomembranes in containment applications. In 1998, the PGI sought proposals from various universities to establish a technical collaboration and liaison to increase research and technology transfer related to PVC geomembranes. In 1998, the PGI accepted Dr. Timothy D. Stark’s proposal to collaborate with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). From 1998 to 2009 the PGI operated from the UIUC and conducted various short courses, developed and promulgated material specifications for PVC geomembranes, and conducted research on geomembrane durability, minimum plasticizer molecular weight needed for long-term durability, constructing and monitoring a long-term field test section in Hibbing, Minnesota, and various other topics related to PVC geomembranes.

In 2009, Dr. Stark proposed to broaden the PGI to include other flexible geomembranes that could be factory-fabricated into large panels, transported to a project site, and quickly installed. This expanded the PGI to include other geomembrane polymers, such as, polypropylene, Linear Low Density Polyethylene (LLDPE), PVC Elvaloys, Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM), Chlorosulphonated Polythylene (CSPE), Ethylene Interpolymer Alloy (EIA), Ethylene Vinyl Alcohol (EVOH), and others. After about four years of discussion from 2009 to 2013, the Fabricated Geomembrane Institute (FGI) was founded in Illinois and based at the UIUC. In 2013 Dr. Stark and the first FGI President (Andrew Mills) launched the FGI with an innovative dues structure. The initial operating budget was estimated and it was proposed that the more members that joined the FGI, the lower the annual dues would be. This resulted in a large number of companies joining the FGI and a simple dues annual structure of $2,000 per manufacturer and fabricator/installer members, which is still in operation today. Shortly thereafter, the FGI hired Jennifer Miller as the FGI Coordinator and “the rest is history”.

The FGI focuses on the research of flexible geomembrane or geosynthetic materials that can be prefabricated in a controlled factory environment resulting in more constant, uniform, and predictable completed seams than in the field and less installation damage because of the shorter installation time.

The FGI now offers monthly webinars, short courses, and podcasts all over the world and supervises research on fabricated flexible geosynthetic materials using graduate and undergraduate students from the UIUC. The FGI website provides various resources, including, calculators to estimate pond leakage with and without geomembrane wrinkles, cost comparison between factory and field seam fabrication, panel weights for shipping, anchor trench design, and others, flexible geomembrane installation and attachment details for typical ponds, geomembrane testing videos, a geomembrane specifier’s guide, geomembrane equipment guide, field safety messages, and more!

The mission of the FGI is to develop and transfer knowledge of factory fabricated flexible geosynthetics, assess and critique factory fabricated geosynthetics, and provide relevant services to member organizations. The FGI and its member companies research and develop opportunities for fabricated flexible geomembranes in environmental, geotechnical, transportation and hydraulic engineering applications, such as:

• Recreational Lakes
• Floating Pond/Reservoir Covers
• Landfills
• Golf Course Lakes, Ponds, and Water Features
• Wastewater Treatment Ponds
• Industrial Waste Ponds and Landfills
• Canals
• Heap Leach Mining Pads

The main goal of the FGI is to advance the use of fabricated flexible geomembranes through education, research, and technology transfer. As a result, the main objective of the FGI and this website is be to the sole
informational source for the design, construction, and performance of fabricated flexible geomembranes. To achieve this goal, FGI activities will include, but are not limited to, the following specific tasks:

• Conduct applied research on the engineering, design, and performance of fabricated flexible geomembranes.
• Develop test methods, standards of practice and standard guides for design and construction of fabricated flexible geomembranes.
• Provide training and tutorial services to member organizations and their employees.
• Develop and provide short courses, conferences, symposia, workshops and training sessions on fabricated flexible geomembranes.
• Provide fabricated flexible geomembrane information retrieval services.
• Provide publications in the form of newsletters, books, manuals, reports, journals, papers, articles, columns, notes, and memos.
• Develop a library of case histories involving fabricated flexible geomembranes and their behavior.
• Develop and maintain a website that is the source for fabricated flexible geomembrane news including new products, companies, employees, projects,  design ideas, guidance documents, etc.
  
• Collaborate with other geosynthetics organizations, such as, the GMA, IFAI, ECTC, IAGI, to increase the use of fabricated flexible geomembranes.
• Provide input to legislation related to geosynthetics and in particular fabricated flexible geomembranes.
• Introduce fabricated flexible geomembranes to more engineers and students.
• Involve other universities in FGI activities and research.