The structure of ISO TC 221 is similar to that of CEN TC 189 but with some differences due to the fact that we do not need to work towards tests and standards to support CE Marking.
The structure of the two TCs is shown in table 1:
ISO/TC221 | CEN/TC 189 | |
Secretariat: BSI (United Kingdom) | Secretariat: NBN (Belgium) (Karin | |
(David Hyde) | Eufinger) | |
Chairman: Steve Corbet (UK) | Chairman: Daniele Cazzuffi (Italy) | |
Convener | Convener | |
WG1 – Geotextile applications CE | No WG1 in ISO/TC221 | Philippe Delmas (France) |
Marking | Helmut Zanzinger (Germany) | |
Project group – Erosion protection | Jochen Bromen (Germany) | |
Project Group –Asphalt Reinforcement | ||
WG2 – Terminology & Classification | Erol Güler (Turkey) | Erol Güler (Turkey) |
WG3 – Mechanical Tests | Daniele Cazzuffi (Italy) | Andrew Leech (UK) |
WG4 – Hydraulic Tests | Veronique Heili (France) | Veronique Heili (France) |
WG5 – Durabilit | Sam Allen (USA) | Jan Retzlaff (Germany) |
CEN WG6 –Geomembrane Applications, CE Marking | Not in ISO/TC 221 | Kent von Maubeuge (Germany) |
ISO WG6 – Designs Using Geosynthetics | Derek Smith (UK) | Not in CEN/TC189 |
Table 1. Structure of the Working Groups
ISO TC221 includes 29 countries as ‘P’ members who have full voting rights and the ability to attend meetings to participate in the standards process, we also have 16 ‘O – observer’ members, a very good spread of interest in our activities. At our recent Plenary Meeting in Seoul we had experts from 13 of the ‘P’ member countries in attendance. The photographs are of the Chairman and the WG Convenors and secondly of the experts in attendance at the Plenary meeting in Seoul.
All of the working groups have current work, some are developing new standards and other updating existing stand-ards. Much of the work is carried out in partnership with CEN TC189 under the Vienna Agreement to avoid duplication of effort. We have an agreement with ASTM D35 which was set up to avoid duplication of standards in ISO and ASTM.
One area of unique work is in WG6 where the development of ten Technical Reports has been underway for 3 years. The ten parts of the Technical Reports cover all areas of designs using geosynthetics. The first five parts are now nearly ready for circulation within the main TC and hopefully soon after will be made available to interested experts outside of the TC and then to engineers to assist and improve the designs made where geosynthetics are part of the works.
The venue for the next annual plenary meeting and of all the working groups has not yet been finalised but is planned for late in 2018. Working Group 6 is planning to hold a meeting in Prague on 24th May 2018.
This will be my last report on the activities of ISO TC221 as at the end of 2017 my six term of office as the Chairman ends and I am handing the post to Peter Atchison for the next six year period.

Reported by
Steve Corbet, Chairman ISO TC221