www.isrm.net Société Internationale de Mécanique et d'Ingénierie des Roches Hội Cơ học đá và Công trình Quốc tế NEWS J URNAL ISRM International Society for Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering ANNUAL REVIEW 2019 TECHNICAL PAPERS • FOZ DO IGUAÇU CONGRESS • MÜLLER LECTURE • 2019-2023 BOARD INAUGURATION • ROCHA MEDAL • SECRETARY-GENERAL’S REPORT • NEW ISRM FELLOWS ISRM COMING EVENTS • MEMBERSHIP LIST OF CORPORATE MEMBERS • SPONSORED CONFERENCES BENEFITS FOR THE MEMBERS Volume 22 December 2019
The 2020 ISRM International Symposium EUROCK 2020 Hard Rock Excavation and Support 15-19 June 2020, Trondheim, Norway The Norwegian Group for Rock Hard Rock Excavation and Support was an obvious choice for the symposium theme, as Mechanics and the Organizing geological conditions in Norway mainly pose challenges featuring hard rock engineering. Committee are ready for next year’s Covering this main subject the following ten themes were chosen: ISRM International Symposium and to welcome you all to Norway for Hard rock tunneling and rock support EUROCK 2020. The event will take Weakness zone issues place at the Clarion Hotel & Congress Design of unlined hydropower tunnels in the beautiful city of Trondheim from Rock stress estimation and measurement June 15th to 19th. Characterization of rock mass The historical city of Trondheim was Recent advances in rock mechanics theory founded in 997 as a trading post Brittle failure during the Viking Age and served as Rock falls/Rock avalanches - mapping and monitoring the capital of Norway until 1217. Today Abrasivity/advance and cutter wear in hard rock conditions it is the third largest city in Norway Rock support design in swelling clay conditions and known as the technological hub of Norway, hosting the largest university, The Organizing Committee set the following keynote lineup forward: the Norwegian University of Science Xia-Ting Feng, China: Intelligent monitoring and warning of rockbursts and Tehnology (NTNU), as well as the Foundation for Science and Industrial Robert Galler, Austria: New innovations for cutter disc load and face monitoring in TBM Research (SINTEF), St. Olavs University tunnelling Hospital and several other technology- oriented institutions. The selected John Harrison, Canada: Eurocode 7 and rock engineering: a new start Conference venue allows to arrange a compact conference, meaning that Kathy Kalenchuk, Canada: Support Design and Implementation in Difficult Ground the posters and the exhibitors will be Conditions - Managing the Expected and the Unexpected located in the same large mingling area just outside the plenary rooms. Lene Kristensen, Norway: Management and monitoring of rock avalanches in Norway Bjørn Nilsen, Norway: Rock engineering challenges related to deep subsea tunnels – a review based on experience from Norwegian projects Mark Zoback, USA: The importance of stress measurements for unconventional oil and gas production and preventing injection-induced seismicity The Organizing Committee is currently working with a selected choice of workshops and short courses for the days preceding the event ranging from EC7 discussions to visits to the brand-new rock laboratory at NTNU/SINTEF. Post-conference tours are also being arranged including visits to historical mines, rock caverns and the reward- winning Norwegian Rock Blasting Museum at Hunderfossen. http://eurock2020.com EUROCK2020@event123.no
NEWS J URNAL ISRM Société Internationale de Mécanique et d'Ingénierie des Roches Hội Cơ học đá và Công trình Quốc tế NEWS J URNAL ISRM International Society for Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering EDITORS DR JOSÉ MURALHA ISRM SECRETARY-GENERAL LNEC, Portugal PROF. REŞAT ULUSAY jmuralha@lnec.pt DR LUÍS LAMAS ISRM President LNEC, Portugal resat@hacettepe.edu.tr secretariat@isrm.net LETTER FROM 00 THE EDITORS For the first time, Latin America was the stage for the of Prof. Hudson had in Rock Mechanics practice, comprehension, main event of Rock Mechanics. The 14th edition of the teaching and dissemination. Those who had no close contact ISRM International Congress, held every four years, took with John Hudson can catch a glimpse of his achievements in place between 13 and 18 September, in Foz do Iguaçu, the obituary prepared by Prof. E.T. Brown, which was published Brazil. The Congress brought together more than 600 in the March 2019 Newsletter but is also included in this issue, participants from 51 countries comprising a significant and in the video of the emotional memorial session that took number of young people—40% of the total number place during the Congress in Foz do Iguaçu. of registered participants. Every four years, ISRM goes His commitment with ISRM extended over a variety of through a momentous week as in the closing cerimony assignments, among which the activities as President of the of the Congress, a new President and a new Board take Commissions of Testing Methods (1987-2006) and as President of charge of the governance of the society. the Commission on Design Methodology (2007-2015), Chairman The ISRM Congress is also the stage for several or Co-Chairman of the Organising Committees of a number of other important events. Recognition of outstanding ISRM international symposia, and specially as Vice-President accomplishment in the fields of rock mechanics or rock at Large (1995-1999) and ISRM President (2007-2011). His engineering and of contributions to the professional induction as ISRM Fellow, in 2013, and awarding him the Society’s community through the ISRM are also demonstrated in highest honour, the Müller Award, in 2015, are not sufficient to the Congress. This year, the Müller Award was conferred fully recognize and thank for the services he rendered to the ISRM. on Prof. Peter Kaiser, who delivered the respective The importance that Prof. Hudson had for the News Journal has lecture, and six new ISRM Fellows were inducted in the to be recognized and fully appreciated. It was he, who as editor Congress Banquet. between 2007 and 2015, established the current format and As expected, RockBowl, the Rock Mechanics Q&A game defined the various contents so that each year’s issue fulfils the destined to rock mechanics students, in which 18 objective of reflecting the achievements and activities of the ISRM teams from nine countries participated, was one of the for that particular year (ISRM By-Law No. 9). Since then, recent highlights of ISRM 2019 showing the significance that issues only introduced design and formatting changes intended to the upcoming generation has to the Society. ensure consistency with other ISRM information means. In addition, as if the Congress was not enough, a Unfortunately, in addition to John Hudson, our Society has some milestone was set in the organization of international other important losses to regret, such as Prof. Pierre Habib (ISRM technical meetings, as nine ISRM Specialized President 1974-1979), Prof. Giovanni Barla (ISRM Vice-President Conferences were held, all of them with the active for Europe 1995-1999) and Prof. Mello Mendes (ISRM Secretary- contributions of current or past Board members, ISRM General 1966-1968). Their services and contributions to ISRM will Fellows or other prominent ISRM representatives. always be remembered. Unfortunately, not everything is good news and sadly this letter is forced to include a special mention to ReŞat Ulusay and José Muralha the disappearance of Prof. John Hudson. To give due News Journal Editors importance to a personality like John Hudson is an inglorious task, since it is almost impossible to highlight all the various relevant contributions that the action 1
December 2019 ISRM Regional Symposium 11th Asian Rock Mechanics Symposium ARMS11 23-27 October2020, Beijing, Short courses, workshops, industrial exhibitions and technical visits will also be China organized. Attractive programs will be provided for young researchers and students, The 11th Asian Rock Mechanics including the student night, poster and paper competitions. Symposium (ARMS 11) will take place in Beijing on 23-27 October The theme for ARMS11 is “Challenges and Opportunities in Rock Mechanics”. Topics 2020, in conjunction with China include, but are not limited, to: Rock 2020. It is also the 2020 ISRM Regional Symposium for Asia. It Analysis and design methods Mining and rock support will provide a showcase of recent Numerical modeling Tunneling, rock caverns, and developments and advances in Laboratory testing and rock properties underground space rock mechanics and innovative Field measurements and site investigations Rock slopes and foundations applications in rock engineering. It Dynamics and blasting Underground storage will offer an international forum Fluid and gas flow Case histories of outstanding projects for exchanging new ideas and Risk assessment and hazard mitigation New frontiers and interdisciplinary research exploring the future directions in rock mechanics and engineering. http://www.arms11.com arms11@yeah.com The 2021 ISRM International Symposium EUROCK 2021 Mechanics and Rock Engineering from Theory to Practice 21-25 June 2021, Torino Italy The Italian Geotechnical Society As in previous editions, the conference topics will address trough general and (AGI), on appointment by the parallel sessions the most recent developments in rock mechanics, stimulations ISRM International Society of Rock fruitful technical and scientific interaction within the fields of rock mechanics, rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, is engineering and engineering geology. extending a warm invitation to the The programme includes workshops dedicated to innovative topics, keynotes lectures rock mechanics and rock engineering delivered by distinguished speakers and a series of technical visits that couple scientific community to attend the EUROCK topics with cultural, touristic and eno–gastronomical features. Most of parallel sessions 2021 Rock Mechanics and Rock will be opened with a Theme Lecture and will continue with 9 to 11 presentations. Engineering from Theory to Practice Other papers will be presented in three poster sessions, each one lasting a whole day. in Turin, Italy, 21 to 25 June 2021. Technical visits are scheduled as the closure of Wednesday programme, while the gala dinner will be hosted on Tuesday night. Technical visits are planned in the days after www.eurock2021.com the conference. info@eurock2021.com 2
NEWS J URNAL ISRM TABLE OF Letter from the Editors 01 CONTENTS Table of Contents The ISRM 2015-2019 Board 1 00 Past-President’s Farewel Address 3 01 The ISRM 2019-2023 Board 5 02 President’s Inaugural Address 6 03 Report of the ISRM Secretary-General 2019 8 04 Membership in December 2019 9 05 Rocha Medal 2022 10 06 The 2019 ISRM Year 14 07 15 08 ISRM Commissions 16 Online Lectures Series 17 09 New Videos of ISRM Suggested Methods 17 Book by the Commission on Soft Rocks 18 10 Awards 18 11 In Memory of 19 12 John Hudson 20 13 Pierre Habib 22 14 Mello Mendes 22 15 Giovanni Barla 23 16 Reports of ISRM Conferences 17 14th ISRM Congress – Foz de Iguaçu, Brazil 24 8th Int, Symposium on Geomechanics – Omis-Split, Croatia 26 8th Int, Symposium on Geomechanics – Bucaramanga Colombia 27 Rock Dynamics Summit - Okinawa, Japan 27 1st Bolivian Congress on Rock Mechanics – Cochabamba, Bolivia 28 Int. Workshop on Oil/Gas Storage – Shenyang, China 28 9th Nordic Grouting Symposium – Helsinki, Finland 29 2nd SXFRG 2019 – Shaoxing, China 29 VCRES – Hanoi, Vietnam 30 YSRM & REIF2019, Okinawa, Japan 30 China Rock 2019 – Beijing, China 31 ISRM Technical Oversight Committee 2019 Annual Report 32 ISRM Educational Fund Committee 2019 Annual Report 38 2019 Reports of ISRM Vice-Presidents Africa 39 Asia 40 Australasia 42 Europe 43 North-America 45 Latin-America 46 Vice-Presidents at Large 47 2019-2023 Board Activities 50 Forthcoming ISRM Sponsored Conferences 52 Müller Award Lecture – Peter Kaiser 57 Rocha Medal Lecture – Qinghua Lei 62 ISRM Corporate Members in 2019 70 3
December 2019 28-30 May 2020 ISRM Specialized Conference 5th Symposium of the Macedonian Association for Geotechnics Ohrid, Macedonia Since 2002, the Macedonian Association scientific communities in the country and the region with the most recent findings in for Geotechnics (MAG) has been organizing the field of geotechnics, as well to exchange knowledge and experiences gained through a national conference every four years. the application of field, empirical, theoretical, experimental, numerical and combined Between 28 and 30 May 2020, the 5th methods in solving problems in this area. The main topic of the Symposium is “The Symposium will be held in Ohrid (Macedonia) problems associated with soft rocks in rock engineering\" with a goal to familiarize the members of The symposium will be organized as an ISRM Specialized Conference and will also the Association and the general expert and serve as an opportunity for making closer connections between local, regional and international experts. To this end, MAG has invited several eminent lecturers from ISRM, www.mag.net.mk as ReŞat Ulusay (Turkey) - President of the ISRM, Nick Barton (England/Norway) and Anna Maria Ferrero (Italy). mag@gf.ukim.edu.mk 15-19 June 2020 FedIGS Joint Technical Commission Conference XIII International Symposium on Landslides Cartagena, Colombia The International Symposium on and in Napoli, Italy (XII ISL 2016). The Landslides conferences are intended as the meeting Landslides has a long and successful point for engineers, geologists, geoscientists, planners, economist and decision makers history that has brought geoscientists and on the common topic of landslides and their impact on society and environment. other interested people together for four In 2020, the Colombian Geotechnical Society in association with the Joint Technical decades around the common theme of Committee on Natural Slopes and Landslides (JTC1) of the Federation of International landslides. The Landslides symposia series Geo-Engineering Societies (FedIGS) is organizing the XIII International Symposium started in 1972 in Kyoto, Japan, and it was on Landslides (XIII ISL), which will be held from 15 to 19 June 2020 in the city of followed by successful events leading to Cartagena, Colombia. the most recent editions in Xi’an, China (X The conference will have the following topics: ISL 2008), in Alberta, Canada (XI ISL 2012), - Weather and landslides. http://www.scg.org.co/xiii-isl/ - Landslides and seismo-tectonic and volcanic activity. - Landslides and Human Activities. isl2020@scg.org.co - Effects of landslides with emphasis on infrastructure and sustainable development. - Landslides: Risk Assessment and Management. 15-18 September 2002 ISRM Specialized Conference Mechanics. In 2020, the 9th edition of SBMR will take place IX Brazilian Rock Mechanics in Campinas, São Paulo (Brazil), Symposium between September 15 and 18, Campinas, Brazil in parallel with the 20th Brazilian Congress of Soil Mechanics The Brazilian Rock Mechanics Committee and Geotechnical Engineering (CBMR) is pleased to invite the geotechnical (COBRAMSEG 2020). community to participate in the IX Brazilian Symposium on Rock Mechanics (SBMR). The event aims to bring together the professionals who make use of rock mechanics in any This event represents the most important of its applications, in engineering and geology. The main thematic axes addressed in the national meeting for the presentation and event will be Mining, Civil Works and Petroleum, aiming to integrate the most current and discussion of scientific and technological innovative in rock engineering. research, projects and works within Rock The theme of this SBMR edition will be “Innovation and Technology in Rock Engineering”, www.cobramseg2020.com.br in line with the central theme of the XX COBRAMSEG. It will be the first edition of SBMR layres@usp.br following the ISRM International Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering Congress in Brazil and, therefore, an excellent opportunity to discuss the state of knowledge in rock 4 engineering in light of the latest international experiences.
THE 2015-2019 ISRM BOARD NEWS J URNAL ISRM 02 EDA FREITAS DE QUADROS WILLIAM JOUGHIN SEOKWON JEON BRAZIL SOUTH AFRICA KOREA President Vice-President for Africa Vice-President for Asia Dr Eda Freitas de Quadros Mr William Joughin Prof. Seokwon Jeon BGTech - Soil and Rock Engineering SRK Consulting (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd. Dep. of Energy Systems Engineering edafquadros@gmail.com wjoughin@srk.co.za Seoul National University sjeon@snu.ac.kr STUART READ CHARLIE CHUNLIN LI DOUG STEAD NEW ZEALAND NORWAY CANADA Vice-President for Australasia Vice-President for Europe Vice-President for North America Mr Stuart Read Prof. Charlie Chunlin Li Dr Doug Stead S.Read@gns.cri.nz The Norwegian University of Science Department of Earth Sciences and Technology (NTNU) Simon Fraser University charlie.c.li@ntnu.no dstead@sfu.ca SERGIO A. B. DA FONTOURA NORIKAZU SHIMIZU MANCHAO HE BRAZIL JAPAN CHINA Vice-President for Latin America Vice-President at Large Vice-President at Large Prof. Sergio A. B. da Fontoura Prof. Norikazu Shimizu Prof. Manchao He Departamento de Engenharia Civil Yamaguchi University State Key Lab. for Geomechechnics PUC - Rio Dep. of Civil and Environmental Eng. and Deep Underground Engineering sergiofontoura@me.com nshimizu@yamaguchi-u.ac.jp China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing hemanchao@263.net PETR KONICEK LUÍS LAMAS REŞAT ULUSAY CZECH REPUBLIC PORTUGAL TURKEY Vice-President at Large Secretary-General President-Elect Dr Petr Konicek Dr Luís Lamas Prof. ReŞat Ulusay Institute of Geonics LNEC Haceteppe University Czech Academy of Sciences secretariat@isrm.net Dep. of Geological Engineering petr.konicek@ugn.cas.cz resat@hacettepe.edu.tr 5
December 2019 03 PAST-PRESIDENT’S FAREWELL MESSAGE PRESENTATION MADE TO THE COUNCIL MEETING ON 15TH SEPTEMBER 2019 IN FOZ DO IGUAÇU, BRAZIL Good afternoon, dear ladies and gentlemen participating in this 2019 ISRM Council meeting. Welcome to all of you! Thanks for your presence here and for your efforts in bringing proxies to participate in this meeting. Our four years term of office is almost at the end! Our Board is leaving, and another Board will soon replace us, with the objective of keeping our Society running for another period of 4 years, with some new paths to be delineated and new ideas to be developed. This periodic renewal of the Board members every four years contributes to a great extent to bring to our Society fresh ideas that will join with the development achieved before, in a process that has gone on and on since 1962, the year when our Society was founded by Prof. Leopold Müller, our first President. In this last report I would like to make We all realize that after some nearly 60 years of activity and continued a brief retrospective of some of our work of ISRM, there are still many unanswered questions in the field achievements during these four years. The of rock mechanics and rock engineering. Fundamentals still need to main objective of our work has been to be clarified to help in the understanding of the behavior of rocks and promote the world-wide awareness of rock rock masses. One of the major challenges is the varied geology, and its mechanics and rock engineering, through submission to external and internal loading provided by an excavation. dissemination of the latest developments Another big challenge is related to the phenomena involved with and understanding of the principles that water and its control in our rock engineering structures. In this aspect, govern the scientific knowledge of rock design and modelling can advance only with the knowledge of the mechanics and its applications. directional characteristics of the flow in rock masses by means of the We made our best efforts to expand development of appropriate hydraulic field tests and observation. ISRM in countries and regions where the To overcome these challenges, collaboration with geologists and penetration of our Society did not exist multidisciplinary teams is necessary. or was greatly reduced within our various The fundamental question posed by Leopold Müller, about the shear geographical regions. Events made in these strength of rock masses to justify our Society’s foundation, for instance, is regions with the participation of Board still an open question, with diverse opinions and methods used. members, had great reward for ISRM. We The work of ISRM in the dissemination of technical information and succeeded in bringing 3 countries to join principles worldwide, through the publication of the products of our 17 us as new members of ISRM. We organized technical commissions, and the lectures given to fulfill the requirements of more than 20 Specialized Conferences, 10 some of our Awards such as the Müller Lecture, the Rocha Medal and the Regional Symposia and 3 International Franklin Lecture, have collectively made a big contribution to updating our Symposia on 3 different continents. All methods and techniques. that with the close cooperation with our With the approval of the Council we could increase the amount given National Groups. to the winner of the Rocha Medal, in order to make it more attractive Our 14th International Congress is being for the young generation. We were also pleased with the approval by held for the first time in Latin America in the Council for the addition of the term “rock engineering” to the name the border of Argentina-Brazil-Paraguay. of our Society, which contributes to define a concern not only with the Added to the events, we provided for scientific development of rock mechanics but also with the practice of our members the quarterly Newsletter rock engineering. The Council also approved an extensive revision of our during these four years, four editions of Statutes with many updates that were needed in order to adapt our rules the News Journal and 17 Online Lectures to modern times. given by prominent professionals from our community with the objective to disseminate and increase technical information among our members. 6
NEWS J URNAL ISRM 03 The present Board worked with three Committees. The Secretaries General in Lisbon, particularly the contribution success of these Board Committees was due to the efforts of of the present Secretary-General, Dr Luís Lamas. Our special three of our Vice-Presidents that voluntarily chaired these thanks also to Sofia Meess, the ISRM Executive Secretary for Board Committees and to their members. her kindness to attend the members of our Society. One very special thanks for the Organizing Commission of The activities of these Committees are briefly described the ISRM 14th International Congress! To all members and as follows: the three Chairmen of the Commission, but especially to Prof. Sérgio Fontoura for organizing our Congress and the • The Technical Oversight Committee, which analyses ISRM Special Sessions: the Early Career Forum and the John the work of the technical ISRM Commissions and gives Hudson Memorial Session. information to the Board about our 17 Commissions; As the 14th ISRM President I want to express my deep gratitude for the strong collaboration I received from the • the Young Members Committee, which looks after and Vice-Presidents of the present Board, because it is due to encourages the participation of young members to their dedication and commitment that we could develop ISRM – this Committee organized successfully the Rock our work. Bowl in many of our events during these four years; I would like to express my appreciation to the work developed by our National Groups, here represented by • the Education Fund Committee – organizes the Early the members of this Council. The National Groups and their Career Forum, a proposal developed by the present members are the essence of our Society and nothing can be Board. Three Early Career Forum were already organized done without their strong commitment. Fortunately, this Board in different continents and the fourth one is being held could count with the support of the Council for all matters. together with this Congress. Funds for the Early Career Finally, and personally, I would like to thank the support I Forum have been provided by ISRM and by the Chinese received from my husband, Dr Nick Barton, an ISRM Fellow National Group. member, during these four years of my Presidential term. The current Board could contribute also to the growth of Eda Freitas de Quadros our Society in these last four years. We started in 2015 with ISRM President 2015-2019 7,777 members and have now 8,482 ordinary members showing a growth of 9% in our membership. We had also a growth in the number of corporate members which are now 165. We want to recognize the importance for our Society of the work of the Past Presidents and their respective Boards, and the great contribution given by the National Groups for the enhancing of our Society, as well as the work of the 7
December 2019 04 THE 2019-2023 ISRM BOARD REŞAT ULUSAY MICHAEL DU PLESSIS SUSENO KRAMADIBRATA TURKEY INDONESIA President-Elect SOUTH AFRICA Vice-President for Asia Prof. ReŞat Ulusay Vice-President for Africa Dr Suseno Kramadibrata Haceteppe University Gold Fields Ltd Bumi Resources Minerals Dep. of Geological Engineering duplessis@goldfields.com suseno.kramadibrata@brm.co.id resat@hacettepe.edu.tr soeseno.kramadibrata@gmail.com SEVDA DEHKHODA LEANDRO ALEJANO JOSÉ PAVÓN MENDOZA AUSTRALIA SPAIN PARAGUAY Vice-President for Australasia Vice-President for Europe Vice-President for Latin America Hatch Ltd Prof. Leandro Alejano Prof. José Pavón Mendoza Sevda.Dehkhoda@hatch.com Escuela de Ingeniería de Minas y Energía José Pavón & Asociados Universidad de Vigo jose.pavonm@gmail.com alejano@uvigo.es LAURA J. PYRAK-NOLTE YANG QIANG ÖMER AYDAN UNITED STATES OF AMERICA CHINA Vice-President for North America Vice-President at Large JAPAN Prof. Laura J. Pyrak-Nolte Prof. Yang Qiang Vice-President at Large Purdue University Dept. of Hydraulic Engineering Prof. Ömer Aydan Department of Physics & Astronomy Tsinghua University University of the Ryukyus ljpn@purdue.edu yangq@tsinghua.edu.cn Department of Civil Engineering aydan@tec.u-ryukyu.ac.jp omeraydan@hotmail.co.jp VOJKAN JOVIČIĆ LUÍS LAMAS SLOVENIA PORTUGAL Vice-President at Large Secretary-General Dr Vojkan Jovičić Dr Luís Lamas Institute for Mining, Geotechnology LNEC and Environment secretariat@isrm.net vojkan.jovicic@irgo.si 8
NEWS J URNAL ISRM PRESIDENT'S 04 INAUGURAL MESSAGE society are its future, and therefore, we should encourage DEAR COLLEAGUES OF more young people to become more involved in the ISRM THE ROCK MECHANICS activities. More attention to the practical aspects of rock AND ROCK ENGINEERING mechanics and engineering to bring more practicing COMMUNITY, engineers to the ISRM will be another task of the new Board. The ISRM Science and Technology Award and the It is a great honor for me to have been elected John Hudson Rock Engineering Award, which will be ISRM President for the term 2019-2023 and given first time by ISRM in 2020, will be the examples of to take over the mission from our Immediate these motivations. Past President Dr Eda Quadros. ISRM, which has As a member of two ISRM Commissions since long years, I been developed under the strong leadership very well know that Commissions are very important bodies of the Past Presidents and Board Members, has which contribute to technical and scientific development made great contributions to the discipline of of ISRM. By considering this, the new Board will also pay Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering. First prime attention to the activities and the performances of of all, I would like to sincerely thank to Dr its Commissions, continue to encourage the development Eda Freitas de Quadros and immediate past of new ISRM Suggested Methods and enhance their ISRM Board Members and Dr Luis Lamas, ISRM influence and recognation, and establish new Commissions Secretary-General, because they left a strong and based on new initiatives. In addition, establishment of developing ISRM with an increasing number of more communication and collaboration among the members to the new Board. ISRM Commissions and promoting the development of The new Board, which consists of energetic international guidelines for the design and construction in and experienced members, will try to make rock masses will be our other activities and goals. efforts toward further development of ISRM Enhancing the communication and collaboration among the and to maintain the continuous progress in the ISRM members and with the sister societies such as IAEG, modernization program of ISRM, which was ISSMGE and IGS and participation in the Board meetings initiated by Past President Prof. Van der Merwe of Fed-IGS will continue. When compared to the past, the and followed by the last three Presidents, Prof. use of rock mechanics in different areas has considerably John A. Hudson, Prof. Xia-Ting Feng, and Dr Eda increased. Therefore, ISRM should spend more effort to Freitas de Quadros. expand its activities in these fields and related associations, Enhancing awareness, membership and particularly promoting joint organizations of topical effectiveness of the ISRM through the ISRM symposia and workshops. website, publications, ISRM Books, conferences, We believe that in the success of an international society, ISRM Online Lectures and other initiatives and the support, collaboration and recommendations of its giving particular encouragement and assistance members and National Groups have vital importance and to the rock mechanics communities in are a very important motivation for their boards. Therefore, developing countries will be some of the main we would be grateful to hear from you some thoughts tasks of the new Board. Reactivating the ISRM and recommendations regarding the future of ISRM, Education Tours will be one of the important pending issues in Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering tools for this purpose. The new Board will do and submission of more news and photos on the activites its best for providing funds for the Education realized by the ISRM National Groups to be published in the Fund, which is an important Committee to ISRM News Journal. support education and Young Member activities Unfortunately, every year we have very relevant people of ISRM. We acknowledged the Immediate dying. Prof. John A. Hudson (February 2019), Prof. Pierre Past Board and Prof. Manchao He, who was the Habib (June 2019), Prof. Giovanni Barla (November 2019) Chairman of this Committee, for their kind efforts and Prof. Mello Mendes (December 2019) became the four to improve the financial facilities of this Fund. most recent great losses for our Society. We will never In addition to the efforts for increasing the forget their great contributions to Rock Mechanics and number of ISRM National Groups, the new Rock Engineering and ISRM and their kindness, and keep Board also believes that young members of a their memories alive for the next generations. Thank you for the opportunity to serve and wish all of you the best and successes in the following years. ReŞat Ulusay ISRM President 2019-2023 9
December 2019 05 REPORT OF THE ISRM SECRETARY-GENERAL 2019 1. NATIONAL GROUPS AND MEMBERSHIP The present number of individual members (ordinary and corresponding) and of corporate members is presented in the following table. The number of ISRM National Groups – also presented in the table – remained at 61, as the Mongolian Society for Rock Mechanics and Engineering was approved the ISRM National Group of Mongolia, and Poland was excluded due to the dissolution of the Polish Society for Rock Mechanics. Africa Individual Members Corporate Members National Groups Asia 538 1 3 Australasia 3,085 68 14 Europe 549 5 2 L America 3,122 83 30 N America 520 2 10 TOTAL 691 4 2 8,505 61 163 When compared with the figures presented at the previous The graphics below present the progression of the number News Journal issue, in December 2019, this corresponds to of ISRM members and National Groups since 1996. an increase of 131 Individual members (1.6%). The most relevant increases in the number of members were in Canada (239 to 280), Chile (45 to 73), China (1,871 to 2,074), New Zealand (175 to 196), Sweden (108 to 124), Russia (165 to 182), and the USA (370 to 406). Individual members 9000 8364 8505 8000 7673 7777 7796 7829 7000 6000 7223 5000 6783 6514 6293 5992 5540 5588 5123 4978 4804 4789 5022 4755 4853 4998 5190 5354 5498 4000 3000 2000 1000 0 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 10
NEWS J URNAL ISRM Corporate members 05 70 70 59 60 61 61 61 53 55 50 45 45 45 45 46 47 47 46 46 46 48 49 48 47 48 49 43 40 30 20 10 0 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 National groups 200 187 175 174 167 164 167 136 132 136 130 133 129 158 142 125 136 123 140 144 143 145 150 155 158 163 150 125 100 75 50 25 0 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 The distribution of individual and corporate members in each geographic region is shown below. L. America, 4 L. America, 520 N. America, 2 2% Africa, 1 N. America, 691 6% Africa, 538 1% 1% 6% 8% Europe, 3122 Asia, 3085 Asia, 68 37% 36% 42% Europe, 83 Australasia, 5 51% 3% Australasia, 549 11 7%
December 2019 05 The following graphic shows the evolution of the number of individual members in each geographic region since 2003. Corporate members 3500 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Africa Asia Australasia Europe N. America L. America 2 - ISRM SPONSORED MEETINGS Rocha Medal 2020 to Dr Junlong Shang, from China, for Since the last ISRM Council meeting in Singapore, in the thesis “Persistence and tensile strength of incipient rock October 2018, the following conferences were approved: discontinuities” presented at the University of Leeds, UK. Proxime Accessit (runner-up) certificate to Dr Yi Fang, ISRM Specialized Conference 8th International from China, for the thesis “Induced microearthquakes and Symposium in Geomechanics, from 6 to 10 May 2019, in seismicity-permeability relationships in fractures” presented Bucaramanga, Colombia; at Pennsylvanian State University, USA. ISRM Specialised Conference 1st Bolivian Congress on The awards will be conferred in June 2020, during the Rock Mechanics, from 3 to 6 July 2019, in Cochabamba, International Symposium of the ISRM, in Trondheim, Bolivia; Norway, where Dr Shang will deliver the Rocha Lecture. ISRM Specialized Conference International Workshop Submission of applications for the Rocha Medal 2021 is on Underground Oil-gas Storage, from 18 to 20 August open until 31 December 2019. 2019, in Shenyang, China; ISRM Specialized Conference Nordic Grouting 4 - ISRM EDUCATION FUND Symposium, from 2 to 3 September 2019, in Helsinki, With the agreement of the ISRM Board, the Education Finland; Fund Committee (EFC) promoted the 4th Early Career Forum ISRM Specialized Conference Shaoxing International during the ISRM International Congress, in Foz do Iguaçu, Forum on Rock Mechanics and Engineering Geology, 19 Brazil. This Forum was organised by the Forum Committee to 21 October 2019, in Shaoxing, China; chaired by the ISRM President, and including the EFC ISRM Specialized Conference International Symposium Chairman He Manchao, the ISRM Vice-President for Latin on Rock Mechanics and Engineering, 22 to 24 November America and Congress Chairman Sérgio Fontoura and the 2019, in Hanoi, Vietnam; ISRM Secretary-General Luís Lamas. ISRM Regional Symposium Rock Testing and Site For the purpose, the organization of the conference invited Characterization, 20-22 September 2021, in Asunción, and selected ten brilliant young rock engineers, up to 35 Paraguay. years of age, developing their profession in Latin America, 3 - ROCHA MEDAL to participate in the 4th Early Career Forum, who submitted For the Rocha Medal Award in 2020, 12 applications were papers related with their activities and presented them received. The Rocha Medal Committee selected the winner orally in English. The 4th Early Career Forum also included of the 39th prize (Rocha Medal 2020) and one Proxime lectures by senior ISRM members and a debate session with Accessit (runner-up) certificate: the selected young rock engineers, the ISRM Board members and other conference participants. The 5th Early Career Forum will take place during the 2020 ISRM International Symposium, in Trondheim, Norway. 12
NEWS J URNAL ISRM 5 - ISRM MULTILINGUAL GLOSSARY ON ROCK 10 - ISRM ONLINE LECTURES 05 MECHANICS The first ISRM Online Lecture was broadcast from the ISRM The multilingual glossary of rock mechanics technical website on February 2013. From those days to the present terms is available on the ISRM website since March 2015, days, the ISRM has managed to broadcast 26 ISRM Online under the item “Products and Publications”. The translation Lectures, all given by prominent scholars. All lectures are into 17 different languages has been achieved, Croatian and kept in an appropriate page of the ISRM website. Three Macedonian being the most recent languages available. Arabic ISRM Online Lectures were broadcast during the period is being prepared and more languages will be included soon. corresponding to this report, by Prof. Claudio Olalla, Prof. Derek Martin, and Dr Vieira de Lemos. 6 - ISRM NEWS JOURNAL The electronic version of the ISRM News Journal, Vol. 21, 11 - NEW ISRM AWARDS December 2018, edited by the ISRM President, Dr Eda The Board of the ISRM has approved the creation of new Awards: F. Quadros and Dr José Muralha, was uploaded on the the John Hudson Rock Engineering Award, to be conferred ISRM website, where it can be read and downloaded. The on an ISRM Corporate Member in recognition of Secretariat sent info-mails to all members, advertising it. achievements in engineering practice; 400 hard copies were printed for distribution during the the Science and Technology Awards, to be conferred on ISRM sponsored conferences. This 70-page issue of the News ISRM Individual or Corporate Members, in recognition of Journal contains the annual review of the Society’s activity outstanding contributions to science and technology in the along 2018 and technical articles related to the ISRM awards. field of rock mechanics and rock engineering. 7 - ISRM NEWSLETTER 12 - EDUCATIONAL AND PROMOTIONAL ITEMS Since the previous Council meeting, three quarterly Most of the ISRM educational material is nowadays Newsletters, prepared by the Secretary-General, were available from the ISRM website, for free download by published: in December 2018 and in March and June 2019. the ISRM members. The “Blue Book” The Complete ISRM As usual, all ISRM members and all those that subscribed to Suggested Methods for Rock Characterization, Testing and the Newsletter on the website received them by email. The Monitoring: 1974-2006, continues to represent the main Newsletters are also available on the website. ISRM National item supplied during this period. Groups and individual members are welcome to submit to The “Orange Book” The Complete ISRM Suggested Methods the Secretariat contributions on rock mechanics topics of for Rock Characterization, Testing and Monitoring: 2007-2014, interest to our technical community. edited by Prof. ReŞat Ulusay, Chairman of the Commission on Testing Methods, was published by Springer and is sold 8 - ISRM WEBSITE exclusively by the publisher. The ISRM reached an agreement The website of the ISRM (http://www.isrm.net), launched with Springer, which grants ISRM members a 75% discount on on 1 April 2005, is the main means of information of the the printed book and free download of the electronic book. ISRM and the main channel for communication with the members. Most benefits being offered to the members are 13 - FEDERATION OF INTERNATIONAL GEO- available in the password protected members’ area. The ENGINEERING SOCIETIES – FEDIGS information on the website has been continuously updated during the period corresponding to this report. FedIGS was created in 2006 by the IAEG, the ISRM and the ISSMGE, and the IGS joined the Federation at a later 9 - DIGITAL LIBRARY stage. The benefit of such a Federation is the exchange The ISRM Digital Library started in October 2010 and is of individual ideas and experience. In 2018 the ISRM part of OnePetro.org, a large online library managed by the immediate Past President Xia-Ting Feng was elected Society of Petroleum Engineers. ISRM individual members President of FedIGS for the term 2018-2022. The Board of are allowed to download, at no cost, up to 100 papers per the Federation met on 14 September 2019, in Foz do Iguaçu, year from the ISRM conferences. ISRM corporate members Brazil, hosted by the ISRM. can download 250 papers. Papers from the ISRM Congresses, International and 14 - SUPPORT AFFORDED Regional Symposia, and Specialized Conferences have been As usual, the Secretariat made ample use, at no charge, of gradually introduced in the Library. Currently, the papers a number of facilities available at the Portuguese National from 56 ISRM sponsored events are available, totalling Laboratory for Civil Engineering – LNEC. This included use of around 9.650 papers and 65,550 pages. office rooms and other facilities offered to the Secretariat, Other ISRM sponsored conferences will gradually be telephone and fax, as well as use of LNEC’s computer included, as soon as the copyright or the right for network, namely for internet access. This support has long distribution is cleared. The ISRM is still dealing with been instrumental to the well-being of the Society and is copyright issues regarding a few sponsored conferences. very much appreciated. Luís Lamas ISRM Secretary-General 13
December 2019 06 MEMBERSHIP IN DECEMBER 2019 REGION NATIONAL GOUPS Members REGION NATIONAL GOUPS Members AFRICA / Countries Ordin.. Corr. Corp. / Countries Ordin. Corr. Corp. TOTAL TOTAL Morocco 1 LATIN FINLAND 87 1 1 Namibia 1 AMERICA FRANCE 134 9 Nigeria 1 TOTAL GERMANY 321 6 4 SOUTH AFRICA 482 1 1 NORTH GREECE 62 2 TUNISIA 10 AMERICA HUNGARY 20 ZIMBABWE 42 TOTAL ICELAND 12 3 NGs 534 4 1 Ireland ITALY 11 ASIA CHINA 2.074 7 22 MACEDONIA 154 4 1 TOTAL INDIA 200 2 35 NETHERLANDS 10 INDONESIA 84 1 10 NORWAY 29 IRAN 40 1 Poland 292 19 ISRAEL 15 1 PORTUGAL JAPAN 342 3 68 ROMANIA 1 Kazakstan 1 RUSSIA 86 5 KOREA 124 SERBIA 17 1 Korea DPR 2 SLOVAKIA 182 5 1 Lebanon 32 1 SLOVENIA 17 MALAYSIA 7 SPAIN 6 MIDDLE EAST ASIA 17 2 SWEDEN 34 1 MONGOLIA 10 19 SWITZERLAND 267 1 NEPAL TURKEY 124 1 20 Pakistan 81 UKRAINE 145 0 9 Saudi Arabia 19 UNITED KINGDOM 113 1 SINGAPORE 30 NGs 8 SOUTH EAST ASIA 21 332 5 3 Sri Lanka 3.066 ARGENTINA 3.091 31 83 VIETNAM BOLIVIA 14 NGs BRAZIL 17 0 CHILE 37 AUSTRALASIA AUSTRALIA 342 11 5 COLOMBIA 212 5 TOTAL NEW ZEALAND 196 5 COSTA RICA 83 1 2 NGs 538 11 El Salvador 17 MEXICO 23 EUROPE ALBANIA 11 1 PARAGUAY AUSTRIA 367 PERU 1 Belarus VENEZUELA 36 1 BELGIUM 1 10 NGs 39 BOSNIA AND 49 1 36 6 1 HERZEGOVINA CANADA 7 BULGARIA 15 USA 507 13 2 CROATIA 10 NGs CZECH REPUBLIC 36 280 2 1 DENMARK 113 TOTAL ISRM 61 NGs 406 3 3 30 686 5 4 18 8.422 83 163 14
NEWS J URNAL ISRM 07 ISRM ROCHA MEDAL 2022 Since 1982 a bronze medal and a cash prize have been awarded annually by the ISRM for an outstanding doctoral thesis in rock mechanics or rock engineering, to honour the memory of Past President Manuel Rocha while stimulating researchers. In addition to the Rocha Medal award to the winning submission, one or two runner-up certificates may also be awarded. An invitation is now extended to the rock mechanics community for nominations for the Rocha Medal 2022. Full details on the Rocha Medal are provided in ISRM By-law No. 7. Application To be considered for an award the candidate must be nominated within two years of the date of the official doctorate degree certification. Nominations shall be by the nominee, or by the nominee’s National Group, or by some other person or organization acquainted with the nominee’s work. Nominations shall be sent electronically, addressed to the Secretary-General, and shall contain: • a one page curriculum vitae; • a written confirmation by the candidate’s National Group that he/she is a member of the ISRM; • a thesis summary, written in English, with between 5,000 and 10,000 words, detailed enough to convey the full impact of the thesis and accompanied by selected tables and figures, and information on word count; • one copy of the complete thesis; • one copy of the doctorate degree certificate; • a letter of copyright release, allowing the ISRM to copy the thesis for purposes of review and selection only; • an undertaking by the nominee to submit an article describing the work, for publication in the ISRM News Journal. Application Deadline The nomination must reach the ISRM Secretary-General by 31 December 2020 Past Recipients PORTUGAL 2002 M.S. Diederichs CANADA GREECE 2003 L.M. Andersen SOUTH AFRICA 1982 A.P. Cunha FRANCE 2004 G. Grasselli ITALY 1983 S. Bandis AUSTRALIA 2005 M. Hildyard UK 1984 B. Amadei AUSTRIA 2006 D. Ask SWEDEN 1985 P.M. Dight UK 2007 H. Yasuhara JAPAN 1986 W. Purrer FRANCE 2008 Z.Z. Liang CHINA 1987 D. Elsworth GERMANY 2009 G. Li CHINA 1988 S. Gentier SOUTH AFRICA 2010 J.C. Andersson SWEDEN 1989 B. Fröhlich AUSTRALIA 2011 D. Park REP. OF KOREA 1990 R.K. Brummer INDIA 2012 M.T. Zandarin ARGENTINA 1991 T.H. Kleine PHILIPPINES 2013 M. Pierce CANADA 1992 A. Ghosh JAPAN 2014 M.S.A. Perera AUSTRALIA 1993 O. Reyes W. CANADA 2015 A.L. Bradley ITALY 1994 S. Akutagawa USA 2016 C.W. Boon MALAYSIA 1995 C. Derek Martin GERMANY 2017 CANADA 1996 M.P. Board AUSTRALIA 2018 Bryan Tatone SOUTH AFRICA 1997 M. Brudy SOUTH AFRICA 2019 CHINA 1998 F. Mac Gregor FRANCE 2020 M. du Plessis CHINA 1999 A. Daehnke SOUTH AFRICA Q. Lei 2000 P. Cosenza J. Shang 2001 D.F. Malan All relevant information can be obtained from the ISRM website, www.isrm.net 15
December 2019 08 THE 2019 ISRM YEAR January - Approval of the ISRM Suggested Method for In Situ Acoustic Emission Monitoring of the Fracturing Process in Rock Masses 2019 February - Publication of the 2018 issue of the ISRM News Journal March - Approval of the ISRM Suggested Method for Determining Deformation and Failure Characteristics of Rocks Subjected to True Triaxial Compression - Approval of sponsorship of the ISRM Specialized Conference “8th International Symposium in Geomechanics”, in May 2019, in Bucaramanga, Colombia - Publication of the e-Newsletter No. 45 - 25th ISRM Online Lecture by Prof. Derek Martin: “Stress-induced fracturing (Spalling) around underground excavations: Laboratory and In-situ Observations” - ISRM Specialized Conference “Geotechnical Challenges in Karst”, Omis-Split, Croatia April - Approval of sponsorship of the ISRM Specialized Conference “lnternational Symposium on Rock Mechanics & Engineering for Sustainable Energy” in November 2019, in Hanoi, Vietnam - Approval of sponsorship of the ISRM Specialized Conference “International Workshop on Underground Oil/gas Storage”, In August 2019, in Shenyang, China - ISRM Specialized Conference “8th International Symposium in Geomechanics”, Bucaramanga, Colombia - ISRM Specialized Conference “2019 Rock Dynamics Summit in Okinawa”, Okinawa, Japan - Approval of the name change of the ISRM Technical Excellence Award to John Hudson Rock Engineering Award May - Approval of the ISRM Suggested Method for the Lugeon Test - Approval of sponsorship of the ISRM Specialized Conference “1st Bolivian Congress on Rock Mechanics”, in July 2019, in Cochabamba, Bolivia - Approval of sponsorship of the ISRM Regional Symposium “IX Latin American Congress on Rock Mechanics, Rock Testing and Site Characterization”, in September 2021, in Asuncion, Paraguay - Approval of the ISRM Science and Technology Awards - Publication of the e-Newsletter No. 46 June - Approval of the 4th Early Career Forum during during the 14th ISRM International Congress, in September 2019, in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil - Approval of sponsorship of the ISRM Specialized Conference “Nordic Grouting Symposium 2019”, in September 2019, in Helsinki, Finland July - 26th ISRM Online Lecture by Dr Vieira de Lemos: “Discrete element modelling of dam foundations” August - ISRM Specialized Conference “1st Bolivian Congress on Rock Mechanics”, Cochabamba, Bolivia - Approval of sponsorship of the ISRM Specialized Conference “Shaoxing International Forum on Rock Mechanics and Engineering Geology”, in October 2019, in Shaoxing, China ISRM Specialized Conference “International Workshop on Underground Oil/gas Storage”, Shenyang, China - ISRM Specialized Conference “Nordic Grouting Symposium 2019”, Helsinki, Finland .- ISRM Board and Council meetings in Foz do Iguaçu Dr Junlong Shang, from China was selected as recipient of the Rocha Medal 2020 . China and Korea were selected as winners of the Best Performing National Group Award 2019 . Dr Frederik Johansson was selected as the 2020 Franklin Lecturer . Torino, Italy was selected as the venue for the 2021 ISRM International Symposium . Election of the Vice-Presidents for the term of office 2019-2023 September - Meeting of the 5th ISRM Advisory Forum in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil - FedIGS Board meeting in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil - ISRM 14th International Congress on Rock Mechanics, Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil . Dr Qinghua Lei presented the Rocha Ward 2019 Lecture . Dr Peter Kaiser delivered the 2019 Müller . The 5th Early Career Forum was held with the sponsorship of the ISRM Education Fund . The ISRM Board 2019-2023 was sworn in - Publication of the e-Newsletter No. 47 October - 27th ISRM Online Lecture by Prof. Derek Elsworth: “Seismicity-Permeability Coupling in the Breaching and Sealing of Reservoirs and Caprocks” - ISRM Specialized Conference “Shaoxing International Forum on Rock Mechanics and Engineering Geology”, Shaoxing, China - Approval of the Mongolian Society for Rock Mechanics and Engineering – MNSRM as the ISRM National Group of Mongolia - Approval of the additional Board meeting in January/February 2020, in Ljubljana, Slovenia November - ISRM Specialized Conference “lnternational Symposium on Rock Mechanics & Engineering for Sustainable Energy” Hanoi, Vietnam December - ISRM Specialized Conference “YSRM2019 - the 5th ISRM Young Scholars’ Symposium on Rock Mechanics and REIF2019 - International Symposium on Rock Engineering for Innovative Future”, Okinawa, Japan - Publication of the e-Newsletter No. 48 - 28th ISRM Online Lecture by Prof. Ömer Aydan: “Rock Dynamics and Future Trends” 16
NEWS J URNAL ISRM ISRM 08 COMMISSIONS Since ISRM Commissions are appointed by the Board The objective of ISRM Commissions is to study scientific and for each 4-year period between ISRM Congresses, all 17 technical matters of interest to the Society. In recognition of commissions that were running since the previous Board the critical role of the ISRM Commissions, the ISRM Board meeting in Singapore ended their terms last September created a committee – the Technical Oversight Committee in Foz de Iguaçu Congress. Up until then, there were 17 (TOC) to coordinate the commission’s work, report on their Technical Commissions with approximately 376 members, performance and to act as oversight for the Commissions. as listed. Establishment of new Commissions or the continuation of pre-existent ones will be decided by the The list of ISRM Commissions as of September 2019 is the Board following proposal by the TOC. following: Dealing with topics of mutual interest, three Joint Technical Committees work under the umbrella of the Federation of Commission on Application of Geophysics to Rock International Geo-engineering Societies - FedIGS, which Engineering join the effort of the Sister Societies IAEG, IGS, ISRM and Commission on Coupled Thermal-Hydro-Mechanical- ISSMGE. Chemical Processes Fractured Rocks The current list of JTCs is the following: Commission on Crustal Stress and Earthquake JTC 1 - Joint Technical Committee on Natural Slopes and Commission on Design Methodology Landslides Commission on Discontinuous Deformation Analysis - DDA JTC 2 - Representation of Geo-engineering Data in Commission on Education Electronic Form Commission on Evolution of Eurocode 7 JTC 3 - Education and Training Commission on Grouting Commission on Hard Rock Excavation Commission on Petroleum Geomechanics Commission on Preservation of Ancient Sites Commission on Radioactive Waste Disposa Commission on Rock Dynamics Commission on Soft Rocks Commission on Testing Methods Commission on Underground Nuclear Power Plants Commission on Underground Research Laboratory (URL) Networking ONLINE LECTURES 25th ISRM online lecture 26th ISRM online lecture SERIES Prof. Derek Martin Dr Vieira de Lemos Stress-induced fracturing (Spalling) Discrete element modelling The ISRM Online Lectures Series has been running in a around underground excavations: of dam foundations trimestral basis uninterruptedly since 2013 broadcasting formative lectures from the ISRM website at a Laboratory and in-situ observations preannounced date and time. On the following days, it is possible to ask questions on the topic of the lecture by 27th ISRM online lecture 28th ISRM online lecture e-mail. All lectures remain available on a dedicated webpage Prof. Ömer Aydan in the ISRM website allowing those that could not attend Prof. Derek Elsworth Rock Dynamics and online, or those interested in reviewing, to watch and Seismicity-Permeability Coupling Future Trends allowing members to later access the contents (https://www. in the Breaching and Sealing of isrm.net/gca/?id=1104). Reservoirs and Caprocks 17 In 2019, the four lectures were delivered by celebrated specialists from Canada, Portugal, USA and Japan. The lectures addressed relevant rock engineering issues, such as spalling around underground excavations, DEM modelling, breaching and sealing of reservoirs and the geophysical characterization of fractures to achieve adaptive control of subsurface fractures and fluid flow, and rock dynamics.
December 2019 08 NEW VIDEOS OF ISRM SUGGESTED METHODS Integrated in the activities of the ISRM Commissions on Education and Testing Methods, illustrative videos on the application of the ISRM Suggested Methods have been produced for educational purposes and have been embedded on the ISRM website (https://www.isrm.net/gca/ index.php?id=1233). A new video, prepared under the guidance of Prof. Leandro Alejano from the University of Vigo, Spain, describing the ISRM Suggested Method for Determining the Basic Friction Angle of Planar Rock Surfaces by Means of Tilt Tests, was added in 2019 to the Suggested Methods Videos list: • Basic Rock Sample Preparation (2016) • Point Load Strength (2016) • Water Content, Porosity, Density, and Wave Velocity (2018) • Uniaxial Compressive Strength and Deformability of Rock Material (2018 revised version) • Brazilian Tension Test (2018) • Shear Strength of Rock Joints (2018) • Basic Friction Angle of Planar Rock Surfaces by Means of Tilt Tests (2019) BOOK BY THE COMMISSION ON SOFT ROCKS During the last couple of years the ISRM Commission on Soft Rocks has been preparing a book dealing with rock mechanics and rock engineering issues in soft rocks, i.e., rocks that according to the understanding and definition of the Commission have uniaxial compressive strength limited to 25 MPa. Appropriately entitled Soft Rock Mechanics and Engineering, this book was published under the guidance of Profs. Milton Kanji, Manchao He and Luís Ribeiro e Sousa, and gathers the dedication and efforts of a wide range of experts. In 25 chapters, it covers relevant subjects related with the design of geotechnical structures under difficult ground conditions. The book addresses important issues as laboratory and in situ investigation of soft rocks, problems related to particular rock lithologies, as for sandstones, mudstones, evaporates, and other sedimentary rocks including coal, weathering and interaction of soft rocks with water, and applications to dams, rock fill embankments, civil and mining slopes, and underground works. 18
NEW ISRM FELLOWS NEWS J URNAL ISRM 08 Fellow is the highest and most senior grade of membership Bill Bamford Carlos Dinis da Gama Abdolhadi Ghazvinian of the ISRM and is conferred on individuals, affiliated with AUSTRALIA PORTUGAL IRAN the ISRM, who have achieved outstanding accomplishment Derek Martin in the field of rock mechanics and/or rock engineering and CANADA who have contributed to the professional community through the ISRM. The ISRM Fellows form a group of experts that can provide strong support and advice to the Society, and can be called upon as appropriate for ISRM activities, as they become members of the ISRM Advisory Forum. The ISRM Board makes the appointment of ISRM Fellows, who are inducted every two years. The following group, comprising six new Fellows was inducted in a formal ceremony at the beginning of the banquet of the 14th ISRM International Congress in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil. Antonio Samaniego Yingxin Zhou PERU SINGAPORE AWARDS BEST NATIONAL GROUP The Best Performing National Group Award was instituted in December 2014 to recognize the outstanding performance of an ISRM National Group. The award is conferred on a two-yearly basis. In the meeting held in Foz do Iguassu, Brazil, the Board approved to give the award of best performing National Group concerning the period 2018-2019 to China and Korea. The certificates of commendation were handed by the ISRM President, during the gala banquet of the 14th ISRM International Congress to Prof. Manchao He, on behalf of the Chinese NG, and to Prof. Seokwon Jeon, on behalf of Korean NG. NEW ISRM AWARDS the John Hudson Rock Engineering Award was approved by the Board on 25 June 2019. This award may be conferred In 2019 the ISRM Board approved two new Awards. upon an ISRM individual member; a group of individuals, Last May the ISRM Science and Technology Awards was as long as the first nominee is an ISRM individual member; instituted. It consist of two categories: the ISRM Science an ISRM corporate member; or a company that is not yet Achievement Award to be conferred on ISRM individual an ISRM corporate member; but applies for corporate members in recognition of contributions to the progress of membership together with the nomination. The John the science of rock mechanics, and the ISRM Technological Hudson Rock Engineering Award is granted in recognition of Invention Award in recognition of one or more of the achievements in engineering practice. following contributions to the progress of applied rock Both awards are given on a biennial basis following mechanics and rock engineering. nominations by the ISRM National Groups. With the purpose of honoring the memory of Professor John Hudson, President of the ISRM from 2007 to 2011, 19
December 2019 08 IN MEMORY OF THE 12TH PRESIDENT OF THE ISRM, EMERITUS PROFESSOR JOHN HUDSON BSC, PHD, DSC, FRENG, PASSED AWAY IN LONDON ON 13 FEBRUARY 2019 FROM COMPLICATIONS FOLLOWING A SEVERE STROKE. ISRM MEMBERS OFFER THEIR HEARTFELT CONDOLENCES TO CAROL, JOHN’S DEVOTED WIFE OF 53 YEARS, THEIR CHILDREN MILES, JONATHAN AND JENIFER, AND THEIR FIVE GRANDCHILDREN. John Anthony Hudson was born in Cardiff, Wales, on 9 May 1940. Following his schooling in Welwyn Garden City where he met his future wife, Carol, and then St Albans, England, where his interest in JOHN mathematics developed, his earlier interest in geology led him to start a degree course in Geology in HUDSON Cardiff. However, it soon became clear that his mind and heart were elsewhere. His early indecision about his career direction, was resolved by the presence of Carol in Edinburgh, Scotland, studying Dentistry at the University of Edinburgh, and so John undertook a BSc degree in Mining Engineering 1940-2019 at Heriot-Watt University, also in Edinburgh, graduating in 1965. After marrying Carol in 1966, he joined Professor Charles Fairhurst’s rock mechanics research group at the University of Minnesota, having been attracted to rock mechanics because it appeared to offer a combination of his earlier interests in geology and mathematics. John obtained his PhD in 1970. Interestingly, as part of the course-work associated with the University’s PhD requirements, John did a minor in statistics, something that always appeared to me to give him an advantage in dealing with some elements of our discipline. He then spent two further years in Minneapolis as a Post-Doctoral Fellow in Charles Fairhurst’s group. It was during this period in early 1971 that I first met, worked with, and became friendly with John. Back in England, John, Carol and their family settled back in Welwyn Garden City in Hertfordshire just north of London. From 1972 to 1977 John did research in the Tunnels Division of the Transport and Road Research Laboratory within the UK Department of the Environment. In that period, he published his seminal series of papers on rock mass statistics which have stood the test of time. He then spent two years from 1977 to 1979 in the Department of Strategic Research Operations in the Department of the Environment. After a year as a Visiting Professor at the University of Wisconsin, USA, he worked at the UK’s Building Research Station from 1980 to Throughout his life, John had a love of books which 1983. During this period he was awarded he collected. He was also a prolific and skilled author a higher doctorate, the DSc, by Heriot- of technical papers and books. His books must surely Watt University. represent one of the greatest individual contributions ever made to our discipline. In chronological order, One of the crucial appointments in they are: Rock Mechanics Principles in Engineering John’s career occurred in 1983 when he Practice, CIRIA/Butterworths, 1989; Rock joined the Rock Mechanics Section in the Engineering Systems – Theory and Practice, Ellis then Department of Mineral Resources Horwood, 1992; Engineering Rock Mechanics Parts I Engineering at Imperial College of Science and II (with J P Harrison), Pergamon Press/Elsevier, & Technology, London, as Reader in Rock 1997 and 2000; Rock Failure Mechanisms: Explained Mechanics. (At that point, I was Professor and Illustrated (with C A Tang), Taylor & Francis, of Rock Mechanics and Dean of the 2010; Rock Engineering Design (with X-T Feng), Royal School of Mines, and must admit Taylor & Francis, 2011; Rock Engineering Risk (with to having had more than a little to do X-T Feng), Taylor & Francis, 2015; Structural Geology with John’s appointment.) John became and Rock Engineering (with J W Cosgrove), Imperial Professor of Rock Mechanics in 1988 and College Press, 2016; and Understanding Building remained associated with Imperial College Stones and Stone Buildings (with J W Cosgrove), as a Professor (later in the Department Taylor & Francis, 2019 (currently in press). of Earth Science and Engineering) and then Emeritus Professor for most of the In addition, John served as the Editor or Co-editor of a number of volumes of remainder of his life. As well as teaching conference proceedings and as Editor-in-Chief of the monumental 5-volume and supervising research students, from Comprehensive Rock Engineering, published by Pergamon Press in 1993, and as 1985 John was also an active consultant Co-Editor of The Complete ISRM Suggested Methods for Rock Characterization, working on more than 150 projects around Testing and Monitoring: 1974-2006 (with R Ulusay), ISRM Turkish National Group, the world. He was elected a Fellow of the 2007, and the ISRM 50th Anniversary Commemorative Book 1962-2012, (with L Royal Academy of Engineering, UK, in 1998. Lamas), ISRM, 2012. Furthermore, he served as Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Rock Mechanics & Mining Sciences for a remarkable 23 years from 1983 (when he had the task thrust on him by one of his grateful friends) until 2006 when he only gave up the role when preparing to assume the Presidency of the ISRM. 20
NEWS J URNAL ISRM To my mind, one of the outstanding features of John’s 08 research, teaching, consulting and writing was his remarkable capacity for innovative thinking. He could think up more (2007- 11), as President of the Commission on Rock Engineering bright ideas than he ever had the time to follow up fully. He Design Methodology (2007-15), as a member and co-chair of also had a great love of, and facility with, the English language, several other Commissions over a great many years, and as reflected in the clarity and elegance of his technical writing. Chairman or Co-Chairman of the Organising Committees of On a friend’s death, the American columnist, Red Smith, once a number of ISRM international symposia, notably the Eurock wrote: “This is a loss to the living, to everyone with a feeling and Sinorock series of symposia. I cannot think of any other for written English handled with respect, taste and grace.” He person who has given such devoted and distinguished service could have been writing about our friend and colleague, John. to our Society over such an extended period of time, since Even with all of this, John found, or made, large amounts of our Founding Father, the late Professor Leopold Müller. John’s time to devote to the work of the ISRM. One of his first major service to the ISRM and to the discipline were recognised by involvements in ISRM matters was as Chair of the Technical his induction as an ISRM Fellow, in 2013, and by the award of Programme Committee for the ISRM Rock Mechanics the Society’s highest honour, the Müller Award, in 2015. Symposium held in Cambridge, England, in September 1984. In our early times together, John used to refer to his origins in (Here again, one of his friends pressed that role upon him.) what he called the Celtic fringe of Great Britain. As the years Among other things, he subsequently served as President of progressed, particularly after he and Carol returned to live in the ISRM Commission on Testing Methods for 21 years (1987- England, John displayed a typically British persona and was 2006), as Vice-President at Large (1995-99), as President proud of his British heritage. In company, he was generally quiet and urbane with a sometimes wicked sense of humour, showing friendship and kindness to a wide range of people, particularly those involved with our Society and discipline. The only group of people who I can recall him having a less than friendly disposition towards were university and college managers! Finally, on behalf of the ISRM, I would like to acknowledge the support that Carol gave John during his rich (Carol’s most apposite word) life and career, including his work for the ISRM. ISRM members will recall that she often accompanied John to our meetings over the years. I first met Carol soon after I had started working with John in Charles Fairhurst’s laboratory at the University of Minnesota in early 1971, when she used to drop in from the nearby Dental School to pick up John after work. I’m most grateful to her for the unstinting assistance that she graciously gave me in assembling this obituary at what must have been a very painful time for her. I also wish to thank our long-serving Secretary-General and one of John’s 17 PhD students, Dr Luis Lamas, for his advice and assistance. E.T. Brown ISRM President 1983-1987 21
December 2019 08 IN MEMORY OF PROFESSOR PIERRE HABIB, PRESIDENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR ROCK MECHANICS, FROM 1974 TO 1979, PASSED AWAY IN JUNE 2019. PIERRE He paved the first steps of the Londe founded the French Geotechnical Review (Revue HABIB fledgling Society toward its brilliant Française de Géotechnique), serving as its Editor-in-Chief future. Born in 1926, Professor Habib for several decades. 1925-2019 graduated in 1945 from the École His scientific achievements include important contributions Polytechnique, the renowned French in such diverse fields as of rock failure, limit loads, in-situ Engineering School. He obtained his measurements, thermo-osmosis, liquefaction, swelling, PhD degree in 1952. With Professor shear bands, geotechnical centrifuge, anchors, foundations Jean Mandel, a leading academic in and equilibrium of underground caverns. He made major Continuum Mechanics, he founded contributions to the analysis of large accidents, including the Solid Mechanics Laboratory the Malpasset Dam, the Vierzy Tunnel and the Nice (LMS) at the École Polytechnique Airport landslide in France, and the Vaïont and Longarone in 1961 and served as Head of LMS landslides in Italy. from 1974 to 1989. His scientific Pierre Habib was a man of many interests, and his passion for reach was broad: Honorary President his academic and scientific achievements was only matched of the French Committee for in love for his country and his strong interest in music, Rock Mechanics, President of the painting, sculpture, literature and the French language, French Rheology Group, President which can be witness in his celebrated paper Toponymie et of the French Committee for Soil Géotechnique. He was awarded the Légion d’Honneur, the Mechanics, Vice-President of the highest French honorary decoration, in recognition of his French Association for Paraseismic eminent services to the nation. Engineering, Member of the French Committee for Large Dams, and CFMR, French Rock Mechanics Committee Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers. In 1977, he and Pierre IN MEMORY OF PROF. FERNANDO DE MELLO MENDES, BORN IN 1925, IN LISBON, PORTUGAL, DIED ON 31 DECEMBER 2019. FERNANDO In his own words, Rock Mechanics filoneano de Panasqueira” (Mechanical Behaviour of was an addiction he contracted in Schistous Rocks. Contribution to the study of the influence DE MELLO 1959 while preparing his thesis. of the ground pressure on the mining of the Panasqueira MENDES He was one of the first Portuguese vein field). members of the ISRM; as member In 1967-68, at the IST, he gave the first Portuguese Course 1925-2019 of the Organizing Committee of on Rock Mechanics. the 1st Congress of the ISRM (1966, Between 1969 and 1972, he was appointed Director of the Lisbon), he was charged with the Engineering Courses at the Univ. of Luanda (Angola). task of reviewing and accepting the Back in Lisbon, he resumed his position at the IST, which he submitted papers; and, from 1966 held until his retirement, in 1995. until 1968, he was the first Secretary- Between 1961 and 1985, he also worked as Consultant for General of the ISRM. Rock Mechanics at the Laboratório Nacional de Engenharia He completed his study of Mining Civil (LNEC), where he was involved in many studies for dam Engineering at the Instituto Superior foundations, and also for the first Portuguese TBM-driven Técnico (IST), in Lisbon, and in tunnel, the Sado-Morgavel water supply tunnel. In 1987, he 1948 he started working at the was awarded the Manuel Rocha Research Prize. Panasqueira mine of the Beralt Tin & He further worked as Consultant for many Portuguese Wolfram Ltd. company. firms, mainly in Mining and Civil Engineering Rock In 1961, he became Full Professor Mechanics problems. for Mining and Geomechanics at the IST, having presented the thesis Nuno Grossmann “Comportamento Mecânico de Secretary-General 1983-1987 Rochas Xistosas. Contribuição para o estudo da influência da pressão do terreno na exploração do campo 22
NEWS J URNAL ISRM IN MEMORY OF 08 PROF GIOVANNI BARLA PASSED AWAY SUDDENLY ON 18TH NOVEMBER 2019 AT THE AGE OF 79. Giovanni Barla started his career in 1965 at the Politecnico di Torino as mining GIOVANNI engineering, He moved to Columbia University, New York, where he obtained the MScEng degree in 1967 and the DScEng degree in 1970, with a thesis on the BARLA analytical and numerical (finite element method) analysis of stress distribution around underground excavations. He came back to Italy and joined the Politecnico di Torino 1940-2019 as assistant professor and was in charge of the first course on rock mechanics taught in Italian universities. Subsequently, Giovanni Barla became associate professor and then full professor of rock mechanics at the Politecnico di Torino in 1980. There he developed and taught courses on rock mechanics principles, advanced topics in rock mechanics and rock engineering, and numerical methods in geotechnical engineering. He was Vice-President of the School of Engineering and head of the Department of Structural and Geotechnical Engineering from 2003 to 2011. In the mid-seventies he was appointed associate professor of rock mechanics at Columbia University, New York, where he taught post graduate courses on rock mechanics and rock engineering, and numerical methods. He carried out research in the framework of contracts financed by the US Department of Energy and by the US Bureau of Mines. The research interests of Giovanni Barla span over a variety of topics in the fields of rock mechanics, tunnel engineering, rock slope and dam engineering, numerical methods in geomechanics. Giovanni Barla was author and co-author of more than 300 papers that appeared in international journals, in proceedings of national and international conferences and as chapters of edited books. The papers cover a number of subjects, such as: laboratory and in situ testing, with major interests in weak rocks and rock discontinuities; rock mass characterization and classification; numerical modelling; performance monitoring and back analysis; rock-structure interaction for underground works and tunnels; surface and underground mining; near-surface tunnels, with particular reference to ground treatment, pre-stabilization, and pre-support; tunnels and cavities in weak rocks with major interest in squeezing and swelling ground; mechanized tunnelling; stability assessment of artificial cuts and natural slopes; rock falls; active and passive protective measures; stabilization and reinforcement measures; analysis of the foundations of dams. Due to his research activity, Giovanni Barla Giovanni Barla organized and chaired a number received relevant recognitions such as the of international symposia and workshops. Among ISRM Fellow nomination in 2012, the IACMAG them, it is worth to mention the joint US-Italy award for outstanding contributions in 2014, Workshop on Characterizing and Modelling Rock and the Emeritus Membership of AGI, the Mass for Design and Construction of Underground Italian Geotechnical Association, in 2015. He Cavities (1982); Eurock’96, the International ISRM is member elected of the Torino Academy Symposium (1996); the 11th IACMAG Conference of Science. He is Honorary Professor of (2005). Since 1986 and up to 2014, Giovanni Barla Chongqing University and Tianjin University, has organized every two years at the Politecnico di and International Member of the Academic Torino the series of MIR (Rock Mechanics and Rock Committee of the Key Laboratory of Shale Gas Engineering) workshops on emerging issues. and Geoengineering of the Chinese Academy Giovanni Barla was also an active international of Sciences. He was invited to deliver lectures consultant. The projects in which he acted as in a number of European and Oversea geotechnical consultant or responsible of the universities and at international conferences, numerical studies are numerous and concern a including webinars and online conferences. variety of topics in rock engineering, including rock He delivered on 16 December 2016 the 16th slopes, deep seated rock slides, dam foundations, ISRM Online Lecture. He was president of AGI, conventional and mechanized tunnel excavations, Vice-President for Europe for ISRM; president and mining engineering. of the ISRM Commission on squeezing rocks But most of all, we remember Giovanni as a tireless in tunnels. Giovanni Barla has been editor of worker, a professor dedicated to the teaching of the Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering rock mechanics and extremely attached to his Journal. he has been member of the editorial beloved Bruna and his sons boards of the International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, of Claudio Scavia and Anna Maria Ferrero the International Journal of Numerical and Analytical Methods in Geomechanics and of the International Journal of Geomechanics. 23
09 REPORTS OF ISRM CONFERENCES December 2019 14TH ISRM CONGRESS The Organizing Committee did not spare efforts to assure that young researchers and rock mechanics professionals Iguaçu, Brazil played an important role in the event offering two especially dedicated events: the 4th Early Career Forum The 14th International Congress on Rock Mechanics (ISRM and RockBowl International. 2019) took place from September 13 to 18, in the Bourbon During the 4th Early Career Forum, 10 young members Cataratas Hotel, Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil. The Congress was area, representing different countries of South America, organized by the Brazilian Committee on Rock Mechanics, with full support from ISRM through its Educational Fund, together with the Paraguayan Society of Geotechnics presented their ongoing work. They shared their experiences and the Argentine Society of Geotechnical Engineering. with two senior ISRM members – Prof. Manchao He (China), It was chaired by Prof. Sérgio A.B. da Fontoura (ISRM ISRM Vice-President and Chairman of the Education Fund Vice-President), and co-chaired by Prof. Ricardo Rocca Committee, and Prof. Ivan Vrkljan (Croatia), former ISRM (University of Córdoba) and Prof. José Pavón (President Vice-President at Large. of the Paraguayan Society of Geotechnics). It was a very The Rock Mechanics Q&A game RockBowl had its second meaningful event, since it was the first time the Congress international edition during the Congress. Being sponsored was held in South America. by Geobrugg, it was organized ensuring fun and technical involvement of a large number of young members. As The event gathered 633 participants from 51 countries. expected, it was a highlight of ISRM 2019, involving 18 teams Among them are many renowned Rock Mechanics from nine different countries and 53. The winning team came researchers, consultants and, such as Charles Fairhurst – from the USP-São Carlos, from São Paulo (Brazil). eventually the most prominent name in the rock mechanics In September 1989, ISRM instituted the Müller Award community today, as well as representatives of ISRM National destined to honour the memory of Prof. Leopold Müller, Groups, presidents of sister organizations and a significant founder and first President of the Society. The award number of young people (40% of the total enrolled). is conferred once every four years in recognition of The central theme of ISRM 2019 was “Rock Mechanics distinguished contributions to the profession of rock for Natural Resources and Infrastructure Development”. mechanics and rock engineering. This year, the recipient of A total of 179 papers were presented, divided into 34 the 8th Müller Award was Prof. Peter Kaiser (Canada). He technical sessions, and the following eight keynote recently retired from Laurentian University and he was the lectures were delivered by distinguished experts: founding CEO of CEMI – the Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation, which he established as a networked centre for • Prof. Francois Malan (South Africa) - Innovative rock world‐class, industry‐focused research and innovation. His engineering solutions for deep tabular excavations delivered Müller Lecture, entitled “From Common to Best Practices in Underground Rock Engineering”, and displayed • Dr Erling Fjaer (Norway) - The role of rock mechanics his life-long experience and key contributions to the in oil field development understanding of excavation behaviour and characterization in order to adequately design the ground support. • Prof. Giovanni Barla (Italy) - Conventional and Advanced Monitoring of Tunnels with Selected Case Histories • Dr John Read (Australia) - The Geotechnical Engineer in Metalliferous Open Pit Mines • Prof. Laura Pyrak-Nolte (USA) - Translating the Micro- scale to the Macro-scale: Signatures of Fracture Evolution • Prof. Li Xiao (China) - In-situ Computed Tomography Technique in Geomechanical Testing • Prof. Tarcísio Celestino (Brazil) - Engineering for Civil Underground Works in Soft Rock • Prof. Yuzo Ohnishi (Japan) Advances in numerical approaches for coupled problems in rock mechanics and recent developments in related fields 24
NEWS J URNAL ISRM 09 In 2019, the Manuel Rocha Award, which yearly highlights Prof. Charles Fairhurst was also honoured during the same the best doctoral dissertation, was presented to Dr ceremony. As a founding member of ISRM, he was handed a Qinghua Lei (China), author of the thesis “Characterization commemorative plaque with a recognizable 57 to mark his and Modeling of Natural Fracture Networks: Geometry, presence in the Salzburg meeting back in 1962. Geomechanics and Fluid Flow”, presented at the Imperial The final act of the ISRM Congress is the hand-over College London. His work concerned the ceremony. This time, the baton and the sash, that distinguish hydromechanical modelling of realistic 3D fracture the ISRM President, passed from Dr Eda Quadros to Prof. networks, covering issues such as fracture networks ReŞat Ulusay. The outgoing President handed certificates to geometry, geomechanical and hydromechanical all past Board members thanking them for their cooperation modelling of rough fractures, and applying them to in the past four years, and the incoming ISRM President the study of excavation damaged zones. gave her inauguration speech and thanked everyone for the The Congress comprised the John Hudson honour provided to him. Memorial Session - a dedicated session meant to show our appreciation for Prof. Hudson’s contributions to Rock Mechanics, as researcher, teacher and consultant, and to the ISRM, as President, Commission Chairman and distinguished member. It was a highly emotional moment, underlined by Prof. Charles Fairhurst, who at 91 made a point of being present to pay his tribute. Additionally, Prof. ReŞat Ulusay, ISRM President-Elect, Prof. Xia-Ting Feng, ISRM Past President, and his coworkers at the Imperial College in London, John Harrison and John Cosgrove, also referred their personal involvement with Prof. Hudson and acknowledged their recognition for his impacting contributions to Rock Mechanics. The ISRM 2019 gala dinner, attended by 500 participants, provided an excellent opportunity to socialize and establish new friendships and relations. During the dinner, the new ISRM Fellows were inducted, honouring them with a wide acknowledgement from the rock mechanics community. 25
December 2019 09 14th ISRM Congress social events Poster presentation 8TH INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM the 17th Nonveiller Lecture, Prof. Ivan Vrkljan talked about ON GEOMECHANICS Karl Terzaghi and Croatian karst, Dr Nick Barton addressed the topic of failure modes in rock and rock masses, and Omiš, Croatia Prof. Reşat Ulusay spoke about rock-hewn structures in the historical region of Cappadocia. Proceedings including Under the ISRM sponsorship, this ISRM Specialized all papers are available online area available online in the Conference was organized by the Croatian Geotechnical Croatian Geotechnical Society website (www.hgd-cgs.hr). Society, and co-organized by the University of Split, Faculty The conference was supported by 18 companies and of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Geodesy. It was held institutions from neighbouring countries (Slovenia, BiH, in Omiš-Split, Croatia, between 11 and 13 April. Macedonia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Hungary and Austria). ISRM The conference theme was “Geotechnical challenges actively supported the conference with the presence of Dr Eda in karst”, as this particular geological setting poses Freitas de Quadros (ISRM President), Norikazu Shimizu (Vice- many challenges to geotechnical and rock engineering President at Large), and Prof. Reşat Ulusay (President-Elect. practitioners. As Karl Terzaghi started his prolific career in Croatian karst, in Gacko polje, the subtitle of the conference is purposely “Karl Terzaghi and Croatian karst 110 years ago”, and his early contributions to geology and geotechnical engineering will be remembered in a special lecture. Furthermore, Prof. Dietmar Adam, current director of the Institute of Geotechnical Engineering Soil Engineering and Mechanics, founded in 1928, from which Karl Terzaghi was the first director, was invited as special guest. More than 180 participants from 14 countries attended the event. A total of 60 papers were presented to the conference (15 orally and 45 as posters). Four keynote lectures were delivered by rock mechanics and of rock engineering renowned experts: Prof. Giovanni Barla presented 26
8TH INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM NEWS J URNAL ON GEOMECHANICS ISRM 09 Bucaramanga, Colombia The 8th International Symposium on Geomechanics took place between 6 and 10 May, in the the main campus of the Universidad Industrial de Santander in Bucaramanga, Colombia. The symposium, an ISRM Specialized Conference, ran under the auspices of the Colombian Geotechnical Society, the ISRM National Group of Colombia. This academic event is unique in its kind due to the specific focus of the area of geomechanics applied to the hydrocarbon industry. The theme of the conference was “Facing new challenges, ensuring a sustainable development”. The symposium gathered around 150 participants. It included nine keynote lectures and two courses. ROCK DYNAMICS SUMMIT The opening speech was given by Prof. Ömer Aydan, on the behalf of the organizing committee, after the summit was Okinawa, Japan declared opened by Emeritus Professor Toshikazu Kawamoto. Eight keynotes lectures by the prominent scholars The 2019 Rock Dynamic Summit in Okinawa was jointly researchers together with 130 papers were presented. organized by the Rock Dynamics Committee of Japan (Japan together with 8 of Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering. Society of Civil Engineers) and Japanese Society for Rock The banquet was held on May 9, 2019.The total number Mechanics and Rock Engineering (JSRM), and supported by of participants was 237, of which 77 were from 24 the Turkish National Society for the Rock Mechanics and foreign countries. Rock Engineering and the International Society for Rock To promote the activities of the younger members, awards Mechanics and Rock Engineering (ISRM). The conference were given to four young participants, under 30 years was held between 7 and 11 May in Bankoku Shinryokan on old, for best oral presentations (3) and best poster (1). The Busena Point, one of the most scenic spots in Japan. selection committee was chaired by Prof. Reşat Ulusay ISRM The 2019RDS was an ISRM specialized conference devoted to President-Elect) and the jury members were Prof. Seokwon fundamental topics on the dynamic behaviour of rock and rock Jeon, Prof. Charlie Li, ISRM Vice-Presidents, Prof. Ismet masses and scientific and engineering applications. The themes Canbulat of UNSW, and Prof. T. Ito, JSRM President. covered a wide spectrum of topics that included the bases for future advancement and achievements in rock dynamics. 27
December 2019 09 CONBOLMER 2019 of the country, as well as the procedures and actions taken Cochabamba, Bolivia to overcome the difficulties. The congress themes were: Case histories, lessons The Bolivian Association of Geomechanics (BAG), together learned; Foundations of dams and bridges; Field and with the Geotechnical Laboratory of the Universidad laboratory investigations; Slope stability and climate Mayor de San Simón, organized the 1st Bolivian Congress change; Geotechnical instrumentation and monitoring; of Rock Mechanics “Rock Engineering in National Underground works. Development”, which took place from July 3 to 6 in the city To spread the interest in Rock Mechanics two special of Cochabamba. guests were invited: Dr Eda Quadros, ISRM President, who The underlying purpose of the congress was to have the delivered a lecture on “Permeability of rock masses – 3D opportunity to disseminate and analyze the problems testing and anisotropy, grouting”, and Dr Nick Barton, who associated with the design, construction and operation of presented a comprehensive rock mechanics course. All civil infrastructure works. The range of works is extensive: conference presentations are available on the BAG website surface excavations (slopes), tunnels, caverns, dams, (www.geomecanicabolivia.com/conbolmer-2019/archivos- foundation of viaducts and bridges and other surface del-congreso). works. The objectives were achieved with the disclosure of historical cases that show the associated risks in each project, their treatment in the framework of the current state of knowledge taking into account the complex geology IWUOGS 2019 Eight invited presentations and 11 keynote lectures were delivered, and a panel session was organized in order to Shenyang, China understand and share recent progresses and experiences on underground oil/gas storage. The panel session discussed the The International Workshop on Underground Oil and Gas topics of decommissioning of underground storage caverns Storage (IWUOGS 2019), an ISRM Specialized Conference, and the role of numerical modelling in rock engineering. was held at Shenyang, China, from 18 to 20 August. It was During the conference, a workgroup meeting of the ISRM organized by the ISRM Commission on Design Methodology, Commission on Design Methodology was organized. Two the Chinese Society of Rock Mechanics and Engineering proposals for establishing working groups on ISRM Technical (CSRME) and the Northeastern University (NEU). Professors Guideline and ISRM Suggested Method were discussed Xia-ting Feng, Seokwon Jeon and Bjørn Nilsen co-chaired extensively by the attendees. the conference. More than 80 participants from research institutes and enterprises, coming from China, Japan, Korea, Norway, Singapore and Sweden attended the conference. The attendants included one ISRM PastPresident (Prof. Xia-Ting Feng)) and two ISRM Vice-Presidents (Prof. Sekwon Jeon and Prof. Norikazu Shimizu, who delivered the closing speech). 28
NEWS J URNAL ISRM 9TH NORDIC GROUTING SYMPOSIUM 09 Helsinki, Finland The 9th Nordic Grouting Symposium NGS2019, also an The symposium proceedings with 232 pages were published ISRM Specialized Conference, was held in Helsinki, Finland electronically for the participants, and the technical papers on September 2-3, 2019 and was organized by the Finnish can also be obtained through ISRM online library at www. Tunnelling Association FTA and the Finnish Association of onepetro.org. The symposium was considered very successful Civil Engineers RIL, and supported by Finnish National Group based on the participants’ feedback giving the overall of ISRM. The Nordic Grouting Symposium is organized every symposium mean score of 4.2, being 1 poor and 5 excellent. third or fourth year in some Nordic country. The next one will be in Sweden in 2022. The symposium had 120 participants from 17 countries, many outside Nordic countries. Ten organizations sponsored the symposium. A total of 22 technical papers were orally presented in the technical sessions covering different grouting topics such as recent developments and innovations, case studies, grouting strategy, groutability, grout penetration, grout pressure, investigations for grouting design, grouting modelling and models, testing and future trends. The NGS2019 Symposium had three keynote presentations given by Eivind Grøv (Norway), Jari Heikkilä (Finland) and Thomas Dalmalm (Sweden), and one invited lecture given by Mohamed El Tani (Lebanon), member of ISRM Grouting Commission. A technical excursion was arranged to visit recently the renovated Suomenlinna (World Heritage site) subsea emergency and service tunnel. The social program included the Symposium dinner in a restaurant in down town Helsinki. SXFRG 2019 Four keynote lectures dealt with seismic geological hazards, engineering geological testing, geological engineering and Shaoxing, China rock stability mechanism and control technology, and 12 invited lectures mainly about the new technology of rock The 2nd Shaoxing mechanics and engineering geology, landslide and deep International Forum on buried tunnel, geo-environment monitoring and protection Rock Mechanics and technology, as well as the new technology in large-scale Engineering Geology (SXFRG engineering construction were delivered. 2019) was successfully held on October 19 -21, 2019 29 at Shaoxing University, China. The conference is a high level series forum sponsored by IAEG, ISRM, NSFC, CSRME, ENGEO, International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, Journal of Rock Mechanics & Geotechnical Engineering, and organized by the Shaoxing University. Inviting top scientists, well- known experts and scholars from around the world, the forum focused on fundamental innovation of theory and technology in the GeoEngineering industry. The theme of the 2nd SXFRG was “New Technologies in Engineering Geology and Rock Mechanics”, gathering 112 special guests from 20 countries and around 400 participants from China and abroad.
December 2019 09 VCRES 2019 During the symposium two days, some remarkable Hanoi, Vietnam achievements are worth mentioning: 120 participants, guests and speakers; 6 keynote lectures delivered by leading The International Symposium on experts: Prof. Sérgio A.B. da Fontoura (Brazil), Prof. Manchao Rock Mechanics and Engineering for He (China), Prof. Yang Qiang (China), Prof. Norikazu Shimizu Sustainable Energy (VCRES2019), an ISRM (Japan), Prof. Seokwon Jeon (Korea), Prof. Pinnaduwa specialized conference, was held from Kulatilake (USA); 38 scientific papers presented by speakers November 22 to 24 in Hanoi, Vietnam. from 12 countries; two plenary sessions and four parallel Jointly organized by the Vietnamese sessions; technical exhibition displaying eight international Society for Rock Mechanics (VSRM), the Vietnamese and Vietnamese companies in Rock Engineering. National group of ISRM, and the ISRM, the symposium Beside the indoor activities at Army Hotel (Hanoi old commemorated the 35th anniversary of VSRM. The quarter), the symposium was enriched by a city tour to symposium was co-supported by the Chinese Society for Rock Hanoi ancient town, and a technical tour to Halong bay, an Mechanics and Engineering, the Education Fund Committee UNESCO world natural heritage area. of ISRM, and the Institute of Geological Sciences of Vietnam Taking advantage of the closing ceremony of VCRES2019, Academy of Science and Technology. The 1st Vietnam – China Prof. Qiang Yang, ISRM Vice-President at Large presented Researchers and Engineers Symposium on Rock Mechanics the current status of ISRM, and the VSRM Congress was and Engineering also took place as a special plenary session. held and the 2019-24 VSRM Board was elected. The symposium themes included rock properties and testing methods, tunnel and underground construction, slope stability, rock foundations, and application of new methods in Rock Mechanics. In the opening ceremony, after the welcome speech delivered by Prof. Do Nhu Trang, President of VSRM, Prof. Qiang Yang, ISRM Vice-President at Large presented the address specially prepared by ISRM President Prof. Reşat Ulusay. YSRM2019 & REIF2019 The symposium provided a great opportunity to respond to the symposium topics, \"Future Initiative for Rock Okinawa, Japan Mechanics and Rock Engineering – Collaboration between Young and Skilled Researchers/Engineers\", and to promote The 5th ISRM Young Scholar’s the knowledge exchange and experiences between the Symposium on Rock Mechanics participants in various areas of rock mechanics and rock and International Symposium on engineering. Nowadays, the problems to be solved in Rock Engineering for Innovative rock mechanics and rock engineering are very complex Future (YSRM2019 & REIF2019) and globalized. Thus, researchers and engineers with a were held between December variety of experiences and different expertise need to 1 and 4, in Okinawa, Japan. The conference gathered a strong participation: 270 attendants from 23 different countries; 235 accepted abstracts, from which 124 were presented orally and 50 were displayed as posters. This symposium was organized by the Japanese Society for Rock Mechanics and the ISRM, chaired by Prof. Norikazu Shimizu, and co-sponsored by Japan Society of Civil Engineers, the Japanese Geotechnical Society, the Mining and Materials Processing Institute of Japan and the Society of Materials Science, Japan. In the opening ceremony, after the welcome speech delivered by Prof. Norikazu Shimizu, Prof. Ömer Aydan, ISRM Vice-President at Large, presented an address specially prepared by ISRM President Prof. Reşat Ulusay. 30
join in order to address them in a cooperative NEWS J URNAL environment. In addition, the applications of new ISRM technologies, such as AI, ICT, and IoT, are also 09 highly anticipated in the field of rock mechanics and rock engineering. In view of these goals, the 31 conference provided international interaction between the younger generations and more experienced generations. CHINA ROCK 2019 Beijing, China China Rock 2019, the 16th CSRME Annual Conference, was held on November 18-21, in Beijing. The Conference intended to further strengthen communication between rock mechanics and rock engineers on a national and global scale. The conference is sponsored by the Chinese Society for Rock Mechanics and Engineering (CSRME), and organized by the CSRME Branches and Affiliate Societies. In 2018, CSRME opened the conference to expanded participation of different disciplines so that they share their expertise in a global conference setting integrating three vectors: technical training, academic reporting and industrial exhibition. Inspired by the momentum generated by last year’s experience, CSRME envisions China Rock as a world-class Rock Mechanics & Engineering conference from now onwards. The conference theme was “Rock Mechanics for High Altitude Regions”. CSRME charged its Branches and Affiliate Societies to independently or jointly organize parallel sessions, responsible for participants, academic reports, call for papers, and display of new materials, processes, instruments and equipments in each of their own fields. As a result, 16 Parallel Sessions took place. In the opening ceremony, chaired by the President of CSRME, Prof. Xia-Ting Feng, opening speech and opening address were presented by Prof. Manchao He and Prof Reşat Ulusay, respectively. In addition, a “Commemorative Session for Prof. John Hudson” was also organized during the event, and Professors Xia-Ting Feng and Reşat Ulusay, along with some other colleagues from China, paid their tribute to someone who had a very close relationship with the Chinese Rock Mechanics community. Following the success from the previous year, China Rock 2019 had an attendance of 3120 participants, and it featured an impressive technical exhibition with 120 booths in a 5000 m2 area for companies and research institutes from all around the country to display their expertise and capabilities. In order to strengthen the relationship between ISRM and CSRME, the conference Chairmen, Prof. Manchao He and Prof. Xia-Ting Feng, invited several ISRM Board to attend the conference, namely ISRM President Prof. Reşat Ulusay, and Immediate Past ISRM Vice-Presidents Mr William Joughin and Prof. Charlie Li.
December 2019 10 ISRM TECHNICAL OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE 2019 ANNUAL REPORT Doug Stead | Chair of the TOC, VP North America Stuart Read | Member of TOC, VP Australasia Norikazu Shimizu | Member of TOC, VP at Large 1. INTRODUCTION This TOC report will present the ISRM Technical Commission The purpose of ISRM commissions is to study scientific and membership distribution as of 2019; selected highlights technical matters of interest to the Society. The reports of commissions for the period 2018-19 and an overview and activities of ISRM Commissions are amongst the most of the activity of the commissions over the 4-year period important products of the Society. In recognition of the 2015-19. The report will conclude with final comments/ critical role of the ISRM Commissions, the ISRM Board recommendations by the outgoing TOC. created a Committee to report on the performance and to act as oversight for the Commissions. The creation of 2.CURRENT COMMISSIONS the Technical Oversight Committee (TOC) enabled the 2.1 Distribution of Membership coordination of the Commissions’ work and production of a There are currently 17 ISRM Technical Commissions with yearly report. approximately 376 members. The current list of ISRM Commissions is shown in Table 1. Table 1. ISRM Technical Commissions, 2018-19 (with abbreviations) 1 Commission on Application of Geophysics to Rock Engineering (AGRE) 2 Commission on Coupled Thermal-hydro-Mechanical-Chemical Processes in Fractured Rock (since 2018) (CTHMCPFR) 3 Commission on Crustal Stress and Earthquake (CSE) 4 Commission on Design Methodology (DM) 5 Commission on Discontinuous Deformation Analysis, (DDA) 6 Commission on Education (ED) 7 Commission on Evolution of Eurocode 7 (since 2014) (EE7) 8 Commission on Grouting (since 2014) (GR) 9 Commission on Hard Rock Excavation (HRE) 10 Commission on Petroleum Geomechanics (PG) 11 Commission on Preservation of Ancient Sites (PAS) 12 Commission on Radioactive Waste Disposal (RWD) 13 Commission on Rock Dynamics (RD) 14 Commission on Soft Rocks (SR) 15 Commission on Testing Methods (TM) 16 Commission on Underground Nuclear Power Plant (UNPP) 17 Commission on Underground Research Network (URLN) (URLN) 32
NEWS J URNAL ISRM Using commission abbreviations Figure 1 shows the number There is a relatively low number of commission members 10 of members in each of the ISRM commissions. Some ISRM from Africa and Australasia. Figures 4 and 5 show the members are active in several commissions with 23 people number of regions represented within each commission a member of two commissions, 5 people a member of three and the number of members from each region for each commissions and one person a member of 7 commissions. of the individual 17 commissions respectively. The total Approximately 331 are ISRM members representing 39 number of members from the South American region different ISRM National Groups as shown on Figure 2. (41) is influenced by a very large (>30) South American Figure 3 shows the commission membership by ISRM region membership in one commission. with approximately 36% from Asia and 33% from Europe. Fig. 1 - ISRM Technical commission membership. Fig. 2 - Distribution of membership of ISRM Commissions by National Group/Country. 33
December 2019 10 Fig. 3 - ISRM Commission membership distribution by region Fig. 4 - Number of regions represented in each commission Fig. 5 - Number of ISRM members by region in each commission 3. ISRM COMMISSIONS ACTIVITY SUMMARY - The majority of the commissions are performing at In 2019, the TOC requested Commission Chairs to submit a a moderate to high level or at a sufficient level with report to the ISRM board describibg the achievements over no major concerns. Several commissions continued the period 2018-2019. In order to standardize the reporting, to perform at a very high level of activity in 2018-19. a modified annual surbey form and a report template (after These include: Ohnishi and Beck 2015) were provided to Commission • Design methodology Chairs (Figure 6). The information presented in this report • DDA is based on awareness of the Commission activity during • Preservation of ancient sites the year, collation and analysis of the submitted annual • Testing methods reports for 2018-19 and the previous three submitted annual commission reports for 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18. - 6 commissions have organised or are currently 4. SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS organising/planning major conferences and 12 commissions 4.1 Summary of ISRM Commissions 2018-2019 Activity held workshops/short courses during 2018 -19. - Thirteen of the seventeen current commissions - Several commissions are providing extensive training produced annual reports describing their activities opportunities. for 2018-2019 and planned activities for the future (compared to 14/17, 16/17 and 11/17 in 2016. 2017 and Several commissions had very high ongoing productivity 2018 respectively). - in 2018-19 in terms of publications, including 5 published or plan to publish books. 34 - Some commissions show high activity in building international collaborations including academic/ student exchange visits.
NEWS J URNAL ISRM ISRM Commissions Annual Reporting 10 Standard format for report to the ISRM Technical Oversight Committee (TOC) 2017/2018 year (Revised 2018/06/14) 1. Commision name 2. Chairperson(s) 3. List of current members: (name, country, employer and sector) 4. Estimated number of active members 5. Goals of the Commission 6. a) Provide a summary of specific commission activities b) Provide a brief summary of the level of communication during the year between Commision members 7. Summary of main Commission achievements (e.g. workshops, training, short courses, symposia) including dates and number of attendees. 8. Has the Commission published during 2016/2017 year, or will it soon publish a book, papers or other documents? What was and is the planned publication date? 9. Did you perform any other activities or events during this term? 10. List of plans for Commission activity for the 2018-2019 year (e.g. workshops, short courses, Suggested Methods, books, papers, ISRM News Journal article or other documents). 11. Do you have a) Suggestions to improve and stimulate the operation and future activity of the Commission? b) Suggestions to improve communication between the Commissions and between the Commissions and the TOC (e.g. informal skype or annual in-person meetings) 12. [Optional] How do you evaluate the performance of your Commission over the last year? Excellent Good Fair Poor Describe the reason why: (if helpful, please add up to 2 pages at the end, with more details on the activities of the Commission, particularly where these are not covered in the response on the questions posed on this template) Fig. 6 - ISRM Commission reporting template 2018-19 - The www commission pages show a range of activity 4.2 Overview of ISRM Commissions during 2015-2019 with some regularly updated and others that require 4.2.1 Commission Publications considerable updating. Some www commission pages have broken links and have not been not updated for The ISRM commissions have been very active during the 4 several years. year period 2015-19 with: - Four commissions did not submit annual reports • 13 Books published/in press (3 in progress and 3 for 2018-19 (3 for the second year in a row). planned but with no detail presented). The Underground Research Laboratory Networks commission has been inactive since 2017. • Seven book chapters reported with one in progress. - Some commissions appear to have a low level of • 15 journal special issues (with 6 in progress) and several activity, several not having recently held formal meetings – including since 2014. Journal papers. • Eight ISRM suggested methods published with 11 more Selected highlights of ISRM commission activities during 2018-2019 are listed in Table 2. in varying stages of progress. • 10 Monographs • 2 Conference Proceedings (> 60 papers) • 16 reports, 4 Guidelines • 11 Standards / specifications • 27 Technical patents • 5 published online Videos and 2 Database Contributions 35
December 2019 10 Table 2. Selected highlights of ISRM commission activities COMMISSION Coupled Thermal- SELECTED COMMISSION ACTIVITIES Hydro-Mechanical- Chemical Processes International Conference on Coupled Processes in Fractured Geological Media: Observation, in Fractured Rockk Modeling, and Application (CouFrac 2018), Wuhan in Nov 2018. As a first conference, CouFrac was Crustal Stress a great success (170 participants from 17 countries with 24 technical sessions (96 presentations) , Earthquakes poster sessions (42 posters) and two short courses. CouFrac 2020 will be held in Korea. Design Methodology Crustal stress and Earthquake Session during Chinarock, Beijing, Nov 2018 (50 attendees). Summit meeting on “High stress problems in deep tunnel of Sichuan-Tibet Railway “, Beijing in May 2019 DDA (100 attendees). Evolution of Five workshops on Design Methodology – Beijing and Northeastern University, Shenyang, China Eurocode 7 (Nov, Dec 2018). Two Suggested Methods. (DM) Grouting 14th International Conference on Analysis of Discontinuous Deformation Analysis (ICADD-14), Beijing in October 2018 (250 Attendees). Several training seminars and short courses. Protection of Ancient Sites Liaising with and supporting the work of CEN/TC250/SC7 - Review of Background Paper on Rock Engineering produced by CEN, formally commented on an initial draft of EN19972 (Ground Radioactive Waste Investigation). Supported AFNOR, France in application to ISO/TC182 and CEN/TC341 on EN Disposal standards for laboratory tests in rock. Rock Dynamics 22nd ISRM invited online lecture , June 2018 on “Rock Grouting : Theories in practical application”. Soft Rock The chairman also active in group working on European standards for grouting works (CEN TC288/ Testing Methods WG18), plus revision EN1997-2 in order to be applicable for design of grouting work. Underground Nuclear International workshop for conservation of ancient sites on Silk Road, Beijing in Nov 2018. 80 Power Plants participants (30 presentations). 1st youth forum on ancient sites conservation (Oct 2018 in Dunhuang) and 2nd China - central and east European countries cultural heritage Forum (Luoyang in April 2019). Co-organised 8th International Congress on Environmental Geotechnics under auspices of TC 215 Environmental Geotechnics of ISSMGE , Hangzhou, China , Oct 28 – Nov 1, 2018. Co-organised Workshop on Deep Rock Dynamics, April 2019, Shenyang, Liaoning, China (50 attendees). Soft Rock ISRM Book - 25 Chapters in press post ISRM Congress 2019. Four new Suggested Methods approved by ISRM Board , three published and one in press in RMRE journal. 2 SM’s in preparation, 2 under revision. One video uploaded in 2019 (Tilt-Test) in collaboration with Seoul University. Ongoing Book nearing completion: Guideline for design and construction of UNPP. 4.2.2 Conferences , Workshops and Short Courses • 2 Summit/Forum meetings during 2015-2019 • 27 Keynote / Invited lectures reported as given by Conferences, workshops, short courses and related reported commission members. activities include: 4.3 Discontinued / Inactive Commissions during 2015-2019 • 18 Conferences (4 planned) The commission on Subsea Tunnels, which was new in 2015, • 5 Conference sessions (1 planned, 5 involving provided no annual reports or response to communications and had no activity for two years and was hence terminated. commission participation) The commission on Underground Research Laboratory • 27 Workshops (8 planned) Networks provided an annual report for 2015-16 with • 23 Short courses (2 Planned) 36
NEWS J URNAL ISRM details of an ongoing book then in progress. The Chair of the - TOC should organize some informal meetings 10 Commission has now retired and stated that the commission between the TOC and Commission Chairs to improve was no longer active. No reports were submitted for 2016- communications and cooperative studies between 17, 2017-18 and 2018-2019. the Commissions 4.4 Activities of the ISRM Commissions Technical 4.6. Technical Oversight Committee Observations and Oversight Committee Recommendations - During the period 2018-2019, the ISRM Technical The outgoing TOC would like to reiterate some of the Commissions Oversight Committee (TOC) submitted a comments made in previous annual TOC reports with report for publication in the ISRM News. respect to improving ISRM Commission communications. - Members of the TOC attended commissions meetings 4.6.1 Communications in Singapore and in Foz do Iguassu, Brazil to meet with - Communications between the different Commission Commission chairs and members. Chairs, the TOC and ISRM members is extremley important and should be enhanced - Discussion with ISRM Members/NG’s was held to - The TOC members attempt to attend all annual encourage member participation and new commissions. commission meetings to be able to meet with Commission Presidents and Commission Members. A formal meetings - Communication between the TOC (Stead and Read) between the TOC and Commissions Presidents at annual and the members of the Large Open Pit Consortium took ISRM meetings would however be useful. place in relation to the possibility of setting up of a new - Online meeting between TOC members and Commission commission related to open pit geomechanics. Stuart Read, Presidents should also be considered. VP Australasia, represented ISRM and the TOC at a meeting - The ISRM Commission www pages highlight the of the Large Open Pit Consortium in Brisbane in 2019. technical activities of the ISRM Commissions to ISRM Members, to the scientific community and to the general - A minor revision of the TOC annual report template public. It is considered essential that the Commission was undertaken to seek more advice from Commission www pages be regularly updated with details of Chairs on issues they consider relevant. important activities and links to recent commission annual reports, organized activities and publications. - The 2018-2019 commission reports were collated Commission Presidents should ensure that all www and analysed and the database of ISRM commission page links work and that any linked documents are both activities updated. correctly formatted and contain up to date information. - To highlight Commission activity to ISRM members - Presentations and reports on the ISRM Commission articles describing the work of the commission should be activities for 2018-19 and for the period 2015-19 were submitted to to the ISRM News on a regular basis and at prepared for the Board and Council Meetings/Minutes. least once during the four year tenure of the commission. - Increased co-ordination/collaboration between the 4.5 Commission Suggestions to the Technical Oversight different ISRM commissions is encouraged and where Committee appropriate between relevant IAEG/ISSMGE and National Group Technical Committees. - In response to the modified annual report template, all suggestions received by the TOC from Commission 4.6.2 Commission Activity Presidents over the period 2015-2019 were presented at the annual ISRM Board Meetings. Selected suggestions/ The activity of the ISRM Technical Commissions is comments by Commission Presidents include: commendable and extremely important to ISRM members. The significant and valuable volunteer efforts of the - The development and updating of Commission www Commission Presidents and Members is clearly shown in sites are important in allowing the promotion of the submitted commission reports for 2018-2019 and by research results and publications. the cumulative efforts over the last four years (2015-2019). Recognizing the importance of the ISRM commissions the - Short courses are recognised as an important method of TOC and ISRM Board encourages the development of new disseminating the results of commissions. The financial commissions on recognised issues of importance and in areas commitments involved in planning and holding of such of rock engineering that are currently under-represented. short courses can however incur financial risk. Short course planning and assistance should be considered. The outgoing ISRM Board and TOC would like to thank all ISRM Commission Presidents and Commission members for their - Funding seen by one commission as a limiting hard work and valuable contributions toward maintaining the constraint on commission activity and attending annual excellence and high productivity of ISRM Commission activity commission meetings during the last four years from 2015 to 2019. - It was noted that it is important to encourage more international expert participation in some commissions and involve as many of the ISRM regions as possible. - Improving communications was recognised as an important issue by several commission Presidents who highlighted the importance of: • Enhanced enthusiasm of commission members • Enhanced interaction and communication between commissions e.g. Joint organization of workshops 37
December 2019 11 ISRM EDUCATION Congress in Foz do Iguaçu. It enjoyed the presence of ISRM President Dr Eda Freitas de Quadros and of the President- FUND COMMITTEE Elect Prof. ReŞat Ulusay and of several experienced 2019 ANNUAL REPORT professionals and researchers. Ten junior delegates from South America countries were The objective of the ISRM Education Fund is to further the selected and financially supported to participate. They ISRM’s mission, by enhancing education in Rock Mechanics delivered the following presentations: and Rock Engineering. Priorities include economically disadvantaged regions and group-wide initiatives. Following the three previous successful initiatives, the 4th Early Career Forum was organized by the Education Fund Committee, on 17th September, during the 14th ISRM • A criterion for the extent of damage around excavated brittle hard rock masses in terms of its convergence over time R.E. Cabezas (Chile) • Numerical modeling of rock behavior considering hydromechanical coupling: application in well and reservoir geomechanics. C.E.R. Lautenschläger (Brazil) • The difficulties and solutions of roads under construction in the Bolivian state. O.A. Velarde Soruco, (Bolivia) • Modelling the behaviour of oil well cement paste: a challenge spanning from the early age to the hardened state. M. Samudio (Paraguay) • 3D Modeling of Potential Risk Zones for Well Drilling Purposes Using Seismic Data. N.C. Ferreira (Brazil) • Methodology for the seismic alert standardization in mining using a stochastic model of seismic aftershocks. F.J. Gonzalez (Colombia) • Understanding the behavior of anisotropic rock masses; Numerical evaluation of pillars and caverns roofs by discrete technics. J. Soberanis (Mexico) • Determination of alarm levels for an in-pit removal – Open Pit Central Peru. V. Vergara Lovera (Peru) • Basaltic rock slope stabilization: A case study in the city of Puerto Presidente Franco, Alto Paraná – Paraguay. T. Stanichevsky (Paraguay) • Integrating terrestrial laser scanning and discrete fracture networks for tunnel modeling in fractured rock masses - Case study: Monte Seco Tunnel, Brazil. P.P. Cacciari (Brazil) Manchao He ISRM President Dr Eda Quadros and Prof. Manchao He woth one of the 4th Early Career Forum participants 38
2019 REPORTS OF ISRM NEWS J URNAL VICE-PRESIDENTS ISRM AFRICA 12The SANIRE AGM was held on the 6th September 2019. This William Joughin | Vice-President for Africa was followed by the first SANIRE Banquet, which included There are three recognised national groups of the ISRM an awards ceremony. Honorary fellow and honorary member within the African Region: awards were presented to Prof. Matthew Handley and Mr Dave Spencer. The Salamon (best paper) was presented to - South African National Institute of Rock Engineering Prof. Nielen van der Merwe. The award for the best paper by (SANIRE) an author under 35 years (Ortlepp award) was presented to Ms Shaune Liebenberg. A new award, the Napier award, was - Tunisian Society for Rock Mechanics (TRSM) introduced to honour an outstanding life contribution to - Zimbabwe National Institute of Rock Engineering rock mechanics. The first recipient was Prof. John Napier. SANIRE hosted it’s own RockBowl competition and the (ZINIRE) winners represented South Africa at the ISRM congress in Rock engineering groups in the Democratic Republic of Brazil. Prof. Francois Malan presented a keynote lecture Congo (DRC) and Egypt have gained some momentum, on “innovative rock engineering solutions for deep tabular but are not ready to become national groups of the excavations” at the congress. ISRM. At the end of 2018, a committee was established in SANIRE communicates through a quarterly newsletter, the Lubumbashi, DRC with the intention of forming a National SANIRE website and social media. Group, following a rock engineering workshop, but at this Tunisian Society for Rock Mechanics stage they do not appear to be ready. A group in Egypt has Prof. Essaieb Hamdi is the current president of the Tunisian expressed interest in forming a national group, but at this Society for Rock Mechanics (TSRM), which was established stage they do not yet have sufficient support. in 2013. The membership for the previous year and current The following report backs were obtained from the three year comprises 10 members. recognised national groups: The TRSM remains active in rock mechanics education. They are currently preparing a national seminar on “Valorisation SANIRE of Alternative Aggregates in Civil Engineering Applications”. Mr Paul Couto took over from Mr Jannie Maritz as president of SANIRE for the term July 2019 to June 2021. SANIRE is a ZINIRE very active national group with six branches (Gauteng, Free Mr Patrick Mushangwe is the current president of the State, Northern Cape, Eastern Bushveld, Western Bushveld Zimbabwe National Institute of Rock Engineering (ZINIRE), and Coal) operating in different parts of the country. Each which was officially recognised as a national group of the branch has a youth representative (less than 35 years old) to ISRM in 2014. The ZINIRE AGM and symposium was held on encourage young member activity. There are currently 539 the 31st August at Victoria falls. SANIRE members. Membership remains at 42 members in 2019. ZINIRE is actively SANIRE is actively involved in the university rock mechanics involved in the training and development of young rock courses and the Minerals Council Rock Engineering mechanics practitioners. The Young Rock Engineers Foundation Certificate. SANIRE hosted the Deep Mine 2019 conference (YREF) remains active and there are 46 student members. together with the Southern African Institute of Mining ZINIRE arranged a technical visit to Hwange colliery and is and Metallurgy (SAIMM) and the Australian Centre for currently developing a local rock engineering qualification along Geomechanics (ACG) on the 24th and 25th June 2019 at the lines of the South African Minerals Council qualification. Misty Hills in the Cradle of Humankind. The SARES 2019 conference was held on the 26th June at the same venue. Mr Patrick Mushanghwe, Delegates at the ZINIRE AGM and President of ZINIRE, annual symposium presenting at the AGM Prof. Nielen van der Merwe Prof. John Napier receiving the receiving the Salamon Award from Napier award from Paul Couto, SANIRE President Prof. Fancois Malan 39
December 2019 12 ASIA IRSRM, Dr Morteza Amadi after the hard work of the former Seokwon Jeon | Vice-President for Asia President Dr M. Gharouni Nik. IRSRM published two issues of online Journal of Rock Mechanics in Persian. ISRM Asia Region has 13 National Groups while their membership continued to grow roughly at 9% from the ISRAEL previous year. Asian NGs organized one ISRM International IRMA maintains it strong membership of 15 individuals, Symposium, two ISRM Specialized Conferences, and more coming from academy, research institutions and private than 20 forums, workshops, seminars, and short courses sector. IRMA board organized a special session on geo- in the period from October 2018 to September 2019. This hazards within the frame of the Israel Geological Society report summarizes the activities of each NG for the period. Annual Meeting (March 2019). A double track degree in Structural Engineering and Geology is now in its sixth year. CHINA This track was developed by members of IRMA, in light of NG China held a huge event “China Rock 2018” in Beijing on ever increasing demand for engineers in the infrastructure 19-22 November 2018 where more than 4,000 participants industry, with emphasize on hard rock tunneling. Currently attended in 27 parallel sessions. Other activities include the a total of 60 students are in progress of their studies. 368th Young Scientists Forum, which was held in Chengdu Twelve double degree students graduated in 2019 and are on 10-11 November 2018, the 9th Sino-Russia Forum employed in the infrastructure sector. held in Xuzhou on 6-8 September 2018, and International Workshop on Underground Oil and Gas Storage held in JAPAN Shenyang on 18-20 August 2019 as an ISRM Specialized Main activities include 2019 Rock Dynamics Summit in Conference. Prof. Qian Qihu, former President of CSRME, Okinawa, an ISRM Specialized Conference, which was won honorable National Science and Technology Award. held in Okinawa on 7-11 May 2019 with 128 papers, 157 Prof. Shucai Li, VP of CSRME, won the National Guanghua participants from 25 countries, ISRM Franklin Lecture 2018 Engineering and Technology Award. NG China published by Prof. Y. Hideaki in the occasion of ARMS10 in Singapore, a special issue of CSRME Newsletter with 6 articles and ISRM Commission activities on UNPP and Suggested to memorize the late Prof. John Hudson. Individual Methods. 2019 JSRM Awards were commenced for 3 membership of NG China grew up from 1,882 in 2017 to excellent papers, 1 excellent technology, 1 excellent doctoral 2,073 in 2018 with 22 corporate members. As a forthcoming thesis, and 1 excellent frontier work. Financial support was event, CSRME is preparing for the 11th Asian Rock provided to 4 students to attend the 53rd US Rock and Mechanics Symposium in Beijing on 23-27 October 2020. RDS 2019. Four issues of News Magazine and numerous Rock Net mails were distributed to the JSRM members. As INDIA forthcoming event, JSRM is preparing the 5th ISRM Young Main activity was five training courses including “Slope Scholars’ Symposium on Rock Mechanics (YSRM2019) in Stabilization Challenges in Infrastructure Projects” Okinawa on 1-4 Dec 2019 and the proposed 14th Asian (Dehradun, 9-10 Oct 2018), “Spillway and Energy Dissipation Rock Mechanics Symposium in 2026. Designs” (Bhubaneswar, 30 Nov - 1 Dec 2018; Bhopal, 21- 22 Dec 2018), “Seismic Aspects of Dam Designs” (Bhopal, KOREA 7-8 Feb 2019), and “Dam Safety Management” (Himachal Main activities include the 2018 Fall Joint Conference held Pradesh, 14-16 Mar 2019). NG India published two issues in Kangwon Land on 7-9 November 2018 with more than of ISRM (India) Journal in the period with the last issue in 500 participants and 2019 Spring Conference held in Seoul June 2019. NG India proposed to host the 13th Asian Rock National University on 28 March 2019 where more than Mechanics Symposium in New Delhi in 2024. NG India 120 participants attended with the keynote lectures by Prof. maintains steady number of individual members over 200. Richard Müller on deep isolation of HLW and Prof. Albert Yeung on HKZM bridge and subsea tunnel. Six Issues of INDONESIA Journal of KSRM and four issues of U-Space (a webzine) NG Indonesia organized the 5th Workshop and National were published. As a forthcoming event, KSRM is preparing Symposium on Geomechanics (WSNG5) in Makassar, CouFrac2020 as an ISRM Specialized Conference in 11-12 Sulawesi, on 26-28 August 2019 which covered rock November 2020. mechanics and rock engineering with the emphasis on safety of mining operation and infrastructures. There were MALAYSIA 5 keynote/special lectures, 11 parallel sessions, blasting Main activities include the Short Course on Geomechanics workshop, a field trip with 46 technical presentations. for Tunneling Engineering and Project Management Indonesian Rock Mechanics Society (IRMS) was involved in held in Selangor on 5-8 November 2018, the Seminar on exercising and socializing Degree of Minister of Energy and Geomechanics and the 3rd SEGRM Annual General Meeting Mineral Resources in mine management. held in University of Tenega Nasional on 21 March 2019, and the Workshop and Field Practice for Landslide Assessment IRAN held in Sabah from 29 February to 2 March 2019. Main activities include eleven meetings of Board of Directors, five sessions of scientific lecture, two workshops of 30 hour-long each, and election of the new President of 40
NEWS J URNAL ISRM 12 International Workshop on Tunnel Construction Practices in the Himalayan Region, Kathmandu University, Nepal NEPAL VIETNAM NSRM hosted the International Workshop on Tunnel VSRM hosted the Workshop on Mining Engineering on Construction Practices in the Himalayan Region in 13-16 February 2019 in cooperation with Seoul National Kathmandu University on 18 March 2019 which was University where representatives of VSRM and KSRM co-organized by NTNU, Seoul National University and discussed future collaboration. VSRM co-organized the Hydro Tunneling and Research (HTR, Nepal). There were National Symposium on Applied Mechanics at the Institute presentations by Prof. Seokwon Jeon, Prof. Krishna Panthi, of Mechanics on 9 April 2019. As a forthcoming event, Dr Pawan Shrestha, Dr Shyam Khadka, and 7 more speakers. VSRM is preparing the International Symposium on Rock Following the 2015 Nepal field investigation made by Mechanics and Engineering, as an ISRM Specialized CSRME and ISRM EFC on Earthquake damage, extended Conference, in conjunction with the 35th VSRM Anniversary research plan was discussed between CSRME and NSRM. Symposium and the 1st Vietnam-China Researchers and Dr Megh Raj Dhital (Ttibhuvan Univ.) visited China. Engineers Symposium (VCRES2019). VSRM proposed to host Main activities include the Seminar in Geological the 12th Asian Rock Mechanics Symposium in Hanoi, 2022. Assessment for Long and Deep Tunnels held on 14 There was no activity reported from NG Middle East Asia for September 2018, SRMEG Evening Lecture and Networking the period. Night 2019 on 24 January 2019, the 14th Annual General Meeting and Book Prize 2019 on 6 March 2019, the SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES AND INITIATIVES Workshop on Engineering Geology on 10 July 2019, and In Asia Region, there have been one ISRM International ARMS10 from 29 October 2019 to 3 November 2019. SRMEG Symposium (ARMS10), two ISRM Specialized Conferences Best Presentation Award 2019 was presented to Mr. Yokota (RDS2019 and IWUOGS) and more than 20 forums, Yashuhiro at NTU. As a forthcoming event, SRMEG proposed workshops, and seminars at different locations and scales. to host the 13th Asian Regional Conference of IAEG (2021). There have been more than nine national and international journal publications. The activities for the initiatives on SOUTH EAST ASIA education and networking included free short course, The activities include the 20th Southeast Asian Geotechnical geological field trip, book prizes, scholarship programs, and Conference & 3rd AGSSEA Conference held in Pullman Hotel award presentations. on 6-9 November 2018 with more than 300 participants from 10 countries, 12 keynote lectures, and 180 technical papers in 10 parallel sessions, 2019 Council Meeting of SEAGS & AGSSEA where Dr Chung-Tien Chin was elected as the Chairman of the AGSEA for the period of 2019-2022. 2019 Asian Council Meeting in Foz do Iguassu, Brazil 41
December 2019 12 AUSTRALASIA Prof. Bill Bamford receiving his ISRM Fellow documentation Stuart Read | Vice-President for Australasia from current Vice-President Dr Sevda Dehkoda Rock mechanics in Australasia remains active and strong. Employment has remained relatively steady in both civil on a regular basis, such as NZGS Geomechanics Lecture engineering and in the mining sector, both on the surface in 2019 (Prof. Misko Cubrinovski). Attendance and papers and underground. However some pressures remain in prepared for the 14th ISRM Congress in Foz do Iguacu teaching institutions, more so in mining engineering was at a similar level to those at previous congresses. Prof. than geotechnical. Bill Bamford, who was unable to attend the congress, was The two National Groups in the Australasian region, presented with his ISRM Fellow certification during the AGS Australia and New Zealand, continue to function as Victorian Chapter Symposium in Melbourne on 30 October, technical societies of National Engineering Institutions at which Bill coincidentally was an invited speaker. - Engineers Australia and Engineering New Zealand. The Both countries continue to actively promote professional technical societies; Australian Geomechanics Society registration for geotechnical engineers and engineering (AGS - website www.australian geomechanics.org, Chair: geologists, including Body of Knowledge and Skills (BoKS) Stephen Fityus) and New Zealand Geotechnical Society documentation in New Zealand. Recently prepared national (NZGS – website www.nzgs.org, Chair: Tony Fairclough then practice documents are in Australia: Australian Standard Ross Roberts) are also National Groups for the International AS 1726 (with Standards Australia) for Geotechnical Site Society for Soil Mechanics Geotechnical Engineering and Investigations and in New Zealand: Geotechnical earthquake International Association for Engineering Geology and engineering practice guidance for design modules (with Environment. There are also several rock mechanics mining- Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment) including related focus groups in Australia including Australian Centre for rockfalls. for Geomechanics (ACG), Bowen Basin and Hunter Valley Jointly promoted by AGS and NZGS the 13th four yearly Open Cut Geotechnical Society (BOHOGS), Eastern Australia Australia New Zealand Conference on Geomechanics Ground Control Group (EAGCG) and in both countries attracted 465 registrants to Perth from 1-3 April 2019, Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM). including a healthy number of exhibitors and sponsors. 200 Current Australasian ISRM membership is membership is papers from 23 countries were presented in oral and poster 549 (7% of 8,482 total) with 357 members in Australia sessions, with best paper awards selected, including for (with 4 corporate) and 192 in New Zealand (0 corporate young (under 35) professionals. members). Within each country the societies are divided into geographic areas - Chapters in Australia, Branches in New Upcoming conferences include: Zealand. Regular publications for members are ‘Australian Geomechanics Journal’ (quarterly dominated by technical • 2020 International symposium on slope stability in open papers) and ‘New Zealand Geomechanics News’ (biannual pit mining and civil engineering, Perth on 12–14 May with news and short technical articles). 2020 (ACG) Apart from local chapter (Australia) /branch (New Zealand) meetings with invited speaker addresses on current practice • 13th ANZ Young Geotechnical Professionals Conference, and recent projects have continued (incl 58th UK Rankine Cairns, on 21–24 July 2020 (with young practitioner lecture - Prof. Nick Riordan), workshops and courses (incl awards – AGS & NZGS) geology for engineers, engineering geology, geotechnical mapping, landslides). Young professional activities, including • 21st NZGS national symposium “Good grounds for the post-graduate scholarships, travel awards also play a Future” Dunedin, on 14-18 October 2020 (NZGS) contributing role, including involvement with Society Management Committees. Recognition awards are made • 20th International Congress on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Sydney on 12–17 September Best paper awardees at 13th ANZ Conference on Geomechanics in Perth. 2021 (AGS). Tony Fairclough (NZGS Chair), Sean Goodall, Ian Finnie, Su Kwong Tan and Prof Stephen Fityus (AGS Chair) 42
NEWS J URNAL ISRM EUROPE 12 Charlie Li | Vice-President for Europe European members are active to deliver courses / workshops in international conferences. The following The ISRM has 8400 individual memberships and 165 short courses were delivered by European experts at the corporate memberships in 2019. It is approximately 3100 14th ISRM Congress in Brazil: individual members in Europe (37% of the total), and 87 corporates (51% of the total). It was a profound increase • Christophe Vibert, Philippe Vaskou. Geology for rock in memberships in Russia in the last two years. It was 44 engineering projects individual members in 2017. The number increased to 156 in 2018 and 200 in 2019. The number of corporates in Russia is • Wulf Schubert. Geotechnical monitoring in conventional increased from 5 in 2018 to 11 in 2019. tunnelling The 2019 European council meeting was held on the 17th September 2019 at the 14th ISRM Congress in Foz do • Nick Barton, John Cosgrove. The integration of Iquassu, Brazil. Nineteen (19) representatives from fifteen (15) structural geology and applied rock mechanics European National Groups of ISRM attended the meeting. The winner of the Rocha Medal 2020 is Dr Junlong Shang The ISRM supported conferences held in Europe in 2018- (China) who completed his doctoral study at University of 2019 are EUROCK2018 in St. Petersburg, Russia, RocDyn-3 Leeds, UK with the thesis “Persistence and tensile strength in Trondheim, Norway, and Nordic Grouting Symposium in of incipient rock discontinuities”. The winner of the Franklin Helsinki, Finland. Lecture 2020 is Dr Fredrik Johansson, Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden. He will deliver his Franklin lecture at • Some of the conferences in upcoming years are EUROCK 2020 in Trondheim. • EUROCK 2020 , Trondheim, Norway • EUROCK 2021, Torino, Italy • Nordic Rock Mechanics Symposium, 2021, Iceland • EUROCK 2022, Helsinki, Finland • 15th ISRM Congress 2023, Salzburg, Austria Many NGs hold annual meetings and courses / seminars to their members. The activities of some of the European NGs are presented in the following table. Attendees of the 2019 ISRM European council meeting held at the 14th ISRM Congress in Brazil: (left to right) Mauro Muñiz Menéndez, José Muralha, Konstantin Morozov, Janny Descamps, Conrad Boley; Wulf Schubert, Maria Migliazza, Lauri Uotinen, Åsa Fransson, Petr Konicek, Leandro R. Alejano, Jean-Pierre Tshibangu, Charlie C. Li, Vladimir L. Trushko, Vojkan Jovicic, Erich Pimentel, Giovanni Barla, Ivan Vrkljan, Philippe Cosenza, and John Harrison (missing in the photo). 43
December 2019 12 National Group Activities in 2018-2019 Sweden A seminar on the historical research and future challenges in rock mechanics was held in Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory. Turkey 195 individual members. The 12th Regional Rock Mechanics Symposium - ROCKMEC'2018 was held on 3-5 October, 2018. Finland The Finnish NG held Nordic Grouting Symposium in 2019 France Technical meetings organized by the French NG (CFMR): - Microstructure of clayey geomaterials on 25 October 2018. - General Assembly of CFMR on 6 December 2018, with lectures by the laureates of the Pierre Londe prize (Dr Hadrien Rattez) and the Jean Mandel Lecture (Prof. Charlie Li). - Induced Seismicity on 14 March 2019. - Large underground excavations on 13 June 2019. Publications: 4 issues of ‘Revue Française de Géotechnique’ were published in 2018 -19 (http://www. geotechnique-journal.org/). Pierre Londe Prize: The prize honors the memory of Prof. Pierre Londe who was a former President of CFMR and a leading engineer in the domain of large dams. The prize is awarded to a young doctor for an outstanding doctoral thesis every year. The Prize of 2018 was awarded to Dr Hadrien Rattez (Ecole des Ponts ParisTech, Université Paris Est). The Prize of 2019 was awarded to Dr Jan Borgomano (École Normale Supérieure, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University). Jean Mandel Lecture: The Jean Mandel annual CFMR Lecture is in honor of the first president of CFMR. The Lecture of 2018 was given on 6 December by Prof. Charlie C. Li (NTNU, Norway) on “Fracture patterns of hard rock - onsite observations and mechanics”. Two conferences: - The International Conference on Computational & geoenvironmental geomechanics for underground and subsurface structures (COGGUS2) in February 2019 in Nancy, France. - The 3rd International Conference on Smart Underground Space & Infrastructures in October 2019 in Lille, France. Short Course: P. Vaskou & C. Vibert held a one-day short course on Geology for Rock engineering at the 14th ISRM Congress in Brazil. Russia The Russian NG organised EUROCK 2018 on 22-26 May 2018, Saint Petersburg. Active recruitment of memberships was carried out in the past two years. The number of ISRM individual members in Russia has been increased from 44 in 2017 to 200 in 2019. Within the framework of the Russian Geomechnical Association, a youth section was created with 42 members. The number of corporates is increased from 5 to 11. Rock mechanics events in 2019 include: - “Miner’s Week” on 28 Jan. – 1 Feb. 2019 in Moscow. - Congress 2019 of the International Society of Mine Survey, on 26 – 30 Sept. 2019 in Irkutsk. - 1st Int. Conf. on Problems of Rock Mechanics of Highly Compressed Rocks and Massifs on 15 – 22 July in Vladivostok. Belgium - Annual Meeting and conf. on deep sea mining on 25 May. - A seminar on engineering geology in Namur area on 18 December. Iceland The NG organized the 17th ECSMGE in Reykjavik on 1 – 6 September with 900 delegates and 670 papers. The group starts the organization of the Nordic Rock Mechanics Symposium 2021 in Reykjavik. Germany - Established a newsletter (released twice a year), giving information on ISRM activities, conferences, going works on SC7, etc. - Established a new working group \"Rock mechanics for radioactive waste disposal\" - Annual meeting in Sept. 2018 - Symposium on rock mechanics and tunneling in Oct. 2019, Wuerzburg - Grouting short course, Sept. 2019, University of the Federal Armed Forces, Munich 44
NEWS J URNAL ISRM NORTH-AMERICA ARMA Honours and Awards Doug Stead | Vice-President for North-America Dr Laura Pyrak-Nolte, Purdue University, US, was elected as the Vice-President ISRM for North America (2019-23). Membership: The total ISRM membership in Bill Dershowitz was inducted as a 2019 ARMA Fellow. The North America is approximately 695 members. ARMA Fellows program recognizes individuals who have The US National Group, ARMA, has 406 ISRM achieved outstanding accomplishments in the area of rock members, including 3 corporate members mechanics and who have contributed to the professional and 3 corresponding members. The Canadian community through ARMA. National group, CARMA, has 280 ISRM The ARMA Presidential citation went to Kate Baker. members including 1 corporate member and 2 The NGW. Cook Ph.D. Dissertation Award was given to corresponding members. Shantanu Patel for “Impact of confined extension on the failure envelope of intact low-porosity rock”. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA The MSc. Thesis Award went to Prasoon Garg for “Behaviour The American Rock Mechanics Association, ARMA, http:// of a laminated roof under high horizontal stress” armarocks.org/ represents the ISRM’s National Group for The Applied Rock Mechanics Award went to Goteti, R., the United States of America and currently has 1200 active Agar, S.M., Brown, J.P., and Sibon, H.J. for “Deformation of members. The President of ARMA is Dr Joe Morris, Lawrence siliciclastic stringers in a Layered Evaporite Sequence (LES): Livermore Laboratory. Insights from geomechanical forward-modeling.” The ARMA 53rd US Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics The ARMA Class of 2019 New Future Leaders inducted Symposium took place June 2019 in Brooklyn, New York were Anahita Modiriasari, Mojtaba Pordel Shahri, Sevda with 500 papers including 250 posters and 775 participants. Dehkhoda, Eva Ieronymaki, Jennifer Day, Farrukh Hamza, There were 5 keynote speakers including Herbert Einstein, Hamid Roshan, Haiyan Zhu, Tryana Garza-Cruz, Bruno “Why observe”. (11th Annual MTS Lecture), Antonio Gonçalves da Silva, Jian Huang, Shengli Chen, Mahdi Bobet,”Resilient extraterrestrial habitats on the Moon and Haddad, Seunghee Kim and Tianshou Ma. Mars”, Marlene Villeneuve, “Teaching rock engineering In September 2019, Prof. Derek Elsworth, Pennsylvania in the 21st Century”, Erik Eberhardt, “Mining deeper: The State University, delivered the 27th Online ISRM Lecture importance of understanding brittle fracture mechanisms” on “Seismicity-permeability coupling in the breaching and and Chloe Arson, “Micro-macro damage and healing rock sealing of reservoirs and caprocks”. mechanics”, (Early Career Keynote). The symposium was There are currently 4 active ARMA Technical Committees on preceded by 2 workshops, 2 short courses and 2 technical tours. Hydraulic Fracture (TCHF), Induced Seismicity, Tunneling, and Drilling Mechanics and Engineering. The ARMA 54th US Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium will take place in Golden, Colorado, June 28 – July 1, 2020, http://golden2020.armarocks.org/ Kate Baker being presented ARMA Citation by Past President Laura Pyrak-Nolte ARMA 52nd US Rock Mechanics/ Geomechanics Symposium Awards Banquet, Brooklyn, New York Photos courtesy of Hill Montague 45
December 2019 12 CANADA 99 1st choice and 255 2nd choice members. The CGS The Canadian Rock Mechanics Association (CARMA http:// RMD organized rock mechanics sessions at the annual www.carma-rocks.ca/) represents the ISRM’s National CGS Conference in St. Johns Newfoundland and along Group for Canada. Members are from CARMA’s two with the CGS Engineering Geology Division, a 1-day core constituent groups, the Rock Mechanics Division of the logging workshop. The Chair of the CIM Rock Engineering Canadian Geotechnical Society (CGS), and the Society for Society, RES, https://www.cim.org/subsites/societies/society- Rock Engineering of the Canadian Institute of Mining and for-rock-engineering-res/ is Dr Doug Milne, University Metallurgy (CIM). of Saskatchewan. The CIM RES re-established the Rock CARMA currently has 281 active members. The President of Engineering annual award and promotes increased rock CARMA is Dr Sam Proskin, Thurber Engineering Ltd. Major engineering content in the CIM Bulletin. activities during 2018-19 included updating of the CARMA CARMA Honours and Awards website to provide useful scientific and technical papers making it an important resource for industry, researchers Dr Giovanni Grasselli, University of Toronto, was the 2019 and students; exploring the use of providing Geological recipient of the CGS John A. Franklin Award. The award Survey of Canada Open File report rock-property data via recognizes an individual or individuals who have made the CARMA website and creation of the CARMA student outstanding technical contributions to the fields of Rock award for rock mechanics/rock engineering, to be awarded Mechanics or Rock Engineering in Canada or internationally. during CGS (1) and CIM (1) conferences. CARMA supported Dr Derek Martin, University of Alberta presented the 25th ARMA’s nomination of Laura Pyrak-Nolte as VP ISRM North ISRM Online Lecture in June 2019 on “Stress-induced America for 2019-23. fracturing (Spalling) around underground excavations: The Chair of the CGS, Rock Mechanics Division, RMD, is Laboratory and In-situ observations.” Dr Mohsen Nicksiar, SNC-Lavalin. The CGS RMD https:// Dr Peter Kaiser, Laurentian University, Ontario presented the www.cgs.ca/division_rock_mechanics.php currently has 2019 ISRM Müller Lecture at the 14th ISRM International Congress in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, September 13-18, 2019. LATIN-AMERICA Sérgio A.B. da Fontoura | Vice-President for Latin-America Coinciding with the alteration of the name of BOLIVIA the region to Latin-America, 2019 was very The Bolivian Association of Geomechanics (BAG), together important for ISRM Latin-America, as the ISRM with the Geotechnical Laboratory of the Universidad Mayor Congress was held in the region for the first de San Simón, organized the 1st Bolivian Congress of Rock time. It took place in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, being Mechanics “Rock Engineering in National Development”, co-organized by the Brazilian, Argentinian and which took place from July 3 to 6 in Cochabamba. Paraguayan National Groups. BRAZIL Membership has been steadily increasing. In 2019 it The Brazilian NG was strongly involved in the organization exceeded 500 members, mainly as a result of the efforts of of the 14th ISRM Congress in Foz do Iguaçu, but it still the NG from Chile, that almost doubled their affiliates. managed to set forth a program of lectures, a National Symposia, seminars and courses have reached a great RockBowl competition and to propose the next Brazilian number of professionals and a growing demand for training Symposium of Rock Mechanics, in August 2020, to be an in Rock Mechanics, particularly from the mining industry ISRM Specialized Conference. groups, has been identified. ARGENTINA Besides participating in the organization of the ISRM Congress in Foz do Iguaçu, the Argentinian NG (SAIG) organized the 24th Argentinian Congress of Geotechnical Engineering, in Salsa, 17-19 October 2018, and inducted Prof. Manchao He (ISRM Vice-President) as Corresponding Member of Argentinian Academy of Engineers 46
NEWS J URNAL ISRM CHILE MEXICO 12 After last year’s success in the organization of the 3rd SASORE, Chile NG sponsored the XXI Symposium in The Mexican NG organized the following activities: Mining Engineering (SIMIN 2019) and arranged a set of conferences. Chile saw a strong increase in its membership, - Rock Mechanics session for the XVI Pan American which reached 83 members in 2019. Conference of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Cancun, November 2019; COLOMBIA The 8th International Symposium on Geomechanics, an - International Symposium on Applied Rock Mechanics to ISRM Specialized Conference, ran under the auspices of the Mining, November 2018; Colombian Geotechnical Society, the ISRM NG of Colombia. The Colombian NG participated in, or is organizing, several - Short courses on Laboratory tests and Structural other events, such as the III Course of Exploration and Geology for Rock Mechanics, November 2018. Characterization of the Subsoil and Design of Excavations, the XVI Colombian Geotechnical Engineering Congress- PARAGUAY XCCG, the IV International Seminar On Seismic Engineering- Besides co-organizing the 14th ISRM Congress, the IV SIISG, and the XIII International Landslide Symposium, in Paraguayan Geotechnical Society (SPG) participated in Cartagena 2020. the organization of several other events related with engineering geology for dams and with geotechnical design codes. Most activities that took place in Peru are related with mining engineering. They comprised the IV Peruvian Seminar in GeoEngineering, and the International Conference on Empirical Methods for Mining Design, held in Lima in June. VICE-PRESIDENTS AT LARGE Petr Konicek | Manchao He | Norikazu Shimizu The role of the ISRM Vice-Presidents at Large Prof. Konicek presenting his is to support their respective regional Vice- report in the Council meeting Presidents in divulging the Society, and to be in Foz do Iguaçu involved in the better performance of the ISRM Board, participating in the ISRM Committees In the course of his activities related with the divulgation and Commissions and offering their expertise and publicizing of the society, Prof. Konicek pursued several to organizers of symposia, conferences and actions. He popularized the main mission of the ISRM in a technical meetings. conference in Bulgaria with his active attendance. He visited Poland and Slovakia, where he met with representatives of Prof. Petr Konicek, besides contributing enthusiastically to the National Groups in order to try to establish the steps the activities described above, was involved in several Board that to be undertaken to solve the issues related with the tasks, such as the evaluation of the 12 doctoral dissertations ISRM membership. Prof. Konicek also repeatedly addressed that applied for the Rocha Medal, review of Suggested several colleagues from the universities of Tallin, in Methods and guidelines, and participation in the Young Estonia, Vilnius, in Lithuania, and Riga, In Latvia, with the Members Committee. intention of spreading the Rock Mechanics Community in the Baltic countries As a member of the Young Members Committee, along with Prof. Sérgio Fontoura and Prof. Shimizu, he continued the appraisal of the young members community and the discussion about the possibilities of increasing young members membership and involvement with the ISRM, following the examples that can be found in CARMA and ARMA. 47
12 December 2019 Prof. He in Vladivostok, Russia Prof. Konicek delivering one of his lectures in Australia Prof. Konicek participated in the International Coalburst Workshop, 4 to 6 September 2019, in Hunter Valley, Australia, attended by eight international experts from five countries (Poland, China, USA, Czech Republic and Germany) and Australian experts and practitioners. He delivered the following lectures: • The Experience with the Rock Burst in Multiseams Coal Deposit in the Czech Part of Upper Silesian Coal Basin and the Universal Applicable Conclusions. • Destress Blasting – Rockburst Mitigation Technique in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin Prof. Mancha He co-ordinated several activities related with the promotion of ISRM. Perhaps, the most relevant refers to the strong contribution of the Chinese NG to ISRM during his tenure. In 2019, ISRM individual members from China were more than 2000 accounting for 24% of the ISRM total of individual members. Following the success from the previous year, China Rock 2019 was held in Beijing and attendance exceeded of 3000 participants. Prof. He in Kyrgyzstan Prof. He in the Opening Cerimony of China Rock 2019 48 Two ISRM Specialized Conferences were organized in China: the Shaoxing International Forum on Rock Mechanics and Engineering Geology (SXFRG), and the International Workshop on Underground Oil and Gas Storage (IWUOGS 2019), in Shenyang. Next year, in October, the 11th Asian Rock Mechanics Symposium (ARMS11), the ISRM Asian Regional Symposium, will be organized jointly with China Rock 2020, in Beijing.
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