The International Society for Rock Mechanics held its 2016 Council meeting in Ürgüp, Turkey, on 28 August, in conjunction with the EUROCK 2016, organised by the Turkish ISRM National Group. 49 out of the 60 National Groups were either present or represented. The Council was also attended by Past President Prof. Shunsuke Sakurai, Chairmen of several ISRM Commissions and a representative of the IAEG. Membership The ISRM has 7,796 individual members and 150 corporate members, from 60 National Groups. Iceland and Malaysia joined the Society since the last meeting. 41% of the members come from Europe and 32% from Asia, which has been the fastest growing region in the recent years. Activity report of theISRM Board The President Dr Eda Quadros, the Vice Presidents and the Secretary General presented the activities of the Society since the last meeting in Montreal, Canada, May 2015. Dr Eda Quadros mentioned that this was the first year of the new Board, but that relevant results had already been achieved. Among other issues, the Board members informed the Council that:
The ISRM Board held a full day meeting in Zagreb, Croatia, in March 2016, and participated in a Workshop hosted by the Croatian Geotechnical Society. The Board met again in Ürgüp, on 27 August. Activities of the ISRM Technical Commissions Several of the 17 ISRM Commissions met on 28 October. The Technical Oversight Committee, which coordinates the work of the Commissions, presented a report on the activities of the Commissions during the past year, with an assessment of the work they develop and recommendations for the future, namely concerning communication and relevance of the Commission products. FedIGS - Federation of the International Geo-engineering Societies The Secretary General reported on the FedIGS Board meetings held in July 2015 and April 2016, joining the IAEG, the IGS, the ISRM and the ISSMGE. He presented the Board proposal to revise the FedIGS Cooperation Agreement, which reflects the simplified working practice and administrative operation that has developed since FedIGS was created. The Council approved this revision. ISRM sponsored conferences The number of ISRM sponsored conferences has been rising. The conferences to be held in 2016 and 2017 were presented by their organisers. Two ISRM Regional Symposia applied to host the 2018 ISRM International Symposium: ARMS 10, in Singapore, and EUROCK 2018, in Saint Petersburg, Russia. After excellent presentations of the two conferences, the Council decided, by secret ballot, that the venue of the 2018 ISRM International Symposium will be Singapore. |
the membership of the Society continued to grow;
 15th ISRM online lecture by Prof. Nielen van der Merwe,4 October at 10 a.m. GMT For the 15th ISRM Online Lecture the ISRM invited Professor Nielen van der Merwe. The title of the lecture is "Predicting the probability of failure into the future". The lecture will be broadcast on 4 October 2016, at 10a.m. GMT, and remains available in a dedicated webpage. Prof. Nielen van der Merwe was born in 1947. He graduated in Mining Engineering at the University of Pretoria in 1972, and obtained a Master's degree in 1984 and a PhD in 1991 at the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa. He has 27 years practical experience in mining rock engineering in coal, deep level gold, platinum, iron ore and asbestos mines. He currently does selected consulting work and student supervision at University of the Witwatersrand. During his career he held several relevant positions, which include:
Nielen van der Merwe is Fellow of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, of the Southern African National Institute of Rock Engineering, of the South African Colliery Managers Association and of the South African Academy of Engineering. He was the recipient of the Gold Medal of SAIMM on two occasions. In 2009 he was inducted as Fellow of the International Society of Rock Mechanics. Professor van der Merwe is author of more than 70 technical papers and of two handbooks on coal mine rock engineering.. Previous ISRM Online Lectures were given by Prof. Wulf Schubert, Prof. John Hudson Dr. Pierre Dufaut, Prof. Eduardo Alonso, Dr John Read, Prof. Herbert Einstein, Prof. Shunsuke Sakurai, Prof. Resat Ulusay, Prof. Dick Stacey, Prof. Jean Sulem, Dr. Nick Barton, Prof. Ove Stephansson, Prof. Peter Kaiser and Prof. Walter Wittke. All the ISRM Online Lectures remain available on the ISRM website. |
 In October 2016, Indonesian Rock Mechanics Society (IRMS) in collaboration with Petromindo.com, the leading information provider on energy and mining industry in Indonesia, will hold the 9th Asian Rock Mechanics Symposium (ARMS9) – a biannual event of International Society for Rock Mechanics (ISRM) National Groups. ARMS9 will be held on 18th - 20th October 2016 at The Stones Hotel - Bali, a Marriott Autograph Collection Hotel. In this symposium, we will have 9 Keynote Lectures, 88 Oral Presentations in two parallel sessions, 44 Poster presentations and additional 7 papers to be inserted in the Proceedings. Counting down to the opening of ARMS9 event, today there have been 120 professionals and 80 students registered from 23 countries geographically dispersed from Japan, China, South Korea, Australia, Turkey, India, Indonesia and other part of the world and 10 Companies as Exhibitors and Sponsors. Among these 200 confirmed participants are authors of 148 papers and contestants of Drilling Competition. The 1st ever in ARMS history Drilling Competition will be held on October 17th, 2016, 5 teams of students from Korea, Japan, United Arab Emirates, China, Australia and Indonesia consisting of 2-3 persons/team will demonstrate their skill and technique in this challenging competition. As a tradition of ARMS, on the 2nd day of the symposium, we will host Student's Night Party for 75 Students attending the symposium.
Given that this remarkable event will be conducted in the "Island of the Gods", the Committee has prepared wide range of sightseeing tours for the participants and their accompanying person, from local souvenir shopping, religious monuments exploration to white water sport. Anyone interested in joining the tour can register themselves directly on-site and choose their preferred program and schedule. As the ultimate of all the side events, the ARMS9 Committee will host an Awarding Night on October 19th, 2016 to give appreciation and salutations to all the participants and Awards to Outstanding Authors while enjoying the traditional performance and live entertainment. ARMS9 is supported by Groundprobe, IDS Australasia, Leica Geosystem, J Resources Nusantara, PT. Dua Tiga Makmur, Trumer Schutzbauten GmbH, APS GmbH Geotechnik, ACE Instrument, Kajima Corporation and Laboratory of Geomechanics and Mining Equipment of Institute Technology of Bandung among other sponsors and exhibitors.
Academicians, professionals, government officials and related companies wishing to join this respectable event can register online and book accommodation through the ARMS9 website and enjoy the benefits of early bird registration before August 31st, 2016. Click here to go to the Symposium website |
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On behalf of the Organizing Committee, I am delighted to invite you to participate in the 2017 ISRM European Rock Mechanics Symposium (EUROCK 2017) to be held in Ostrava, Czech Republic, on 20 to 22 June 2017. This Symposium is the common endeavour of the Institute of Geonics of the Czech Academy of Sciences and the Czech National Group of the ISRM who are doing their best to organize a pleasant and valuable event. The motto of the Symposium is "Human Activity in Rock Masses". The Symposium intends to cover all aspects of rock mechanics and rock engineering from theories to engineering practices, emphasizing the future direction of rock engineering technologies. This event will be an excellent opportunity to promote the exchange of knowledge and experiences in various areas of the rock mechanics and rock engineering, as well as to visit many historical heritage sites in Moravian-Silesian region. The venue of the Symposium is a unique industrial heritage site of the Lower Area of Vitkovice and an excellent Clarion Congress Hotel Ostrava. We believe that the huge potential of EUROCK 2017 will be supported by active participation of attendees from many countries not only from Europe, but also around the world. Revision process is running now but some chance for excellent papers is still open. Serious applicants can contact the chairman of the organizing committee. Keynote lectures will be given by invited speakers from the field of rock mechanics and speakers presenting the selected excellent papers of the Symposium. We are very pleased that the following famous rock mechanics experts have already accepted our invitation to present their keynote lectures:
In addition, four one-day workshops will be organized before the Symposium (19 June 2017):
Technical trips in the vicinity of the Moravian-Silesian region and surroundings including hardcoal and uranium underground mining and interesting underground constructions will be organized at the end of the Symposium:
Touristic trips in the vicinity of the Moravian-Silesian region as well as visits of industrial and folklore heritage sites and gems in Central Bohemia will be organized at the end of the Symposium:
Full registration will be open during October 2016. For further information click here and visit the symposium website: We are looking forward to meeting you in Ostrava in June 2017. Dr. Petr Konicek Go to the top of the Newsletter
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 The 2016 ISRM International Symposium was held in Cappadocia (Ürgüp), Turkey, 29-31 August 2016  The 2016 ISRM International Symposium EUROCK2016, organized by the Turkish National Society for Rock Mechanics (TNSRM), was held at the Perissia Hotel & Convention Center in Ürgüp (Cappadocia), Turkey, on 29-31 August. More than 250 delegates from 50 countries attended the Symposium and around a third of the delegates were students. The ISRM Board and Council meetings were held on 27th and 28th August, respectively. In addition, ISRM Commission meetings and two short courses dealing with "Key Points for Success in Mechanical Excavation (Prof. Nuh Bilgin)" and "Empirical Methods, Rock Mechanics and Structural Geological Models for Excavation in Jointed Media (Dr. Nick Barton & Prof. John Cosgrove)" were also held before the Symposium. Also, a Round Table Meeting and the European Council Meeting of ISRM were organized by the ISRM Commission on Evolution of Eurocode7 and by the ISRM VP for Europe, respectively, on 30th August.
The participants benefited from seven excellent Keynote Lectures presented by leading international experts including Prof. Yossef Hatzor, Prof. Giovanni Barla, Dr. Nick Barton, Prof. Sergio A.B. de Fontoura, Prof. Şevket Durucan, Prof. Nuh Bilgin and Dr. Philippe Vaskou. The 2016 ISRM Rocha Medal Lecture "The secrets of jointed rock masses as told by distinct element models" by Dr. Chia Weng Boon and the 2016 ISRM Franklin Lecture "Micromechanical rock models" by Prof. Heinz Konietzky were also presented.
 A Technical Exhibition was held in the spaces just outside the conference rooms by 20 companies and the groups. The participants and exhibitors had a chance to exchange information and opinions on the recent technologies in rock engineering. As social activities, the Welcome Reception and the Symposium Banquet were held on the pool side of the Perissia Hotel with magnificent view of the Ürgüp town on the 29th and 30th August, respectively. The banquet was opened with the presentations of forthcoming ISRM Symposiums and Congress and followed by distribution of certificates to the sponsors of EUROCK2016. The banquet was spectacular and all participants were very happy with the quality of the local entertainment including Turkish belly dancer and the jazz band. Half-day accompanying tours to different places in Cappadocia and balloon tours were also organized during the symposium.  Finally, EUROCK2016 Symposium was declared closed by a warm farewell from the Symposium Chair, President of TNSRM, ISRM VP for Europe and the ISRM President. The EUROCK2016 Best Paper Award was presented to the paper entitled "Mode I fracture toughness of rock under confining pressure (Brenne, S., et al.)" at the Closing Ceremony. A Post Symposium Tour in the Cappadocia Region was organized on 1st and 2nd September. The photos of the symposium and Excursion Guide can be downloaded from the website of the Symposium. Prof. Resat Ulusay |
ISRM Rocha Medal 2016 - winners were selected The Rocha Award Committee selected the winner of the Rocha Medal 2017 and decided to award two runner-up certificates:
The award will be given during the 2017 ISRM International Symposium in South Africa where the winner will be invited to deliver the Rocha Lecture. The Rocha Medal has been awarded annually by the ISRM, since 1982, for an outstanding doctoral thesis in rock mechanics or rock engineering, to honour the memory of Past President Manuel Rocha while stimulating researchers. Up to two runner-up certificates may also be awarded. Starting in 2017 the amount of the cash prize increases from 1,000 to 2,000 Euros. Nominations for the Rocha Medal 2018 are to be received by the ISRM Secretariat by 31 December 2016. Click here to download the announcement with details on the Rocha Medal 2018. |
Dear Colleagues of the ISRM,  We are inviting of all you to participate on our International Specialized Conference on Soft Rocks, second edition, to be held in Cartagena, Colombia, from 6 to 7 October 2016. The main theme of the Conference is "Understanding and Interpreting the Engineering Behavior of Soft Rocks". In this opportunity we will have to chance of enjoy this important and exciting Conference with the XV Geotechnical Colombian Congress on 5 and 6 October and three in simultaneous Short Courses previously on 4 October, about following issues:
As part of the technical program on development of the events, special lectures will be presented by Dr. Milton Assis Kanji, Professor at the Polytechnical School of the University of São Paulo; Dr Youssef Hashash , Professor at the University of Illinois (USA ); Dr. Vaughan Griffiths Professor at Colorado School of Mines, USA and University of Newcastle, NSW; Dr He Manchao, Professor at China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing, China and Dr. Nick Barton, International consultant in geotechnics of tunnels. The final information can be found on the website: http://scg.org.co/XVCCG/HTML/indexing.html. Click here to download the program. We are pleased to see you in Cartagena. Please do not hesitate to contact us for any question and for Invitation Letters for VISA applications.
Mario Camilo Torres Suarez, Milton Kanji Assis |
Experts in rock mechanics and rock engineering will meet in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil this coming October 20-22, 2016 during the VIII Brazilian Symposium on Rock Mechanics (SBMR). The highlights of this edition of SBMR are the applications of rock mechanics to solve problems of mining activities, both on surface and underground. The venue happens in association with the Brazilian Conference on Soil Mechanics and the Young Geotechnical Engineers Symposium. Considering the three events over 700 papers have been handed in and rock related papers representing about 150 of those.  This year event will also have the presence of the Presidents of three international societies, namely, the International Society for Rock Mechanics, Dr Eda Quadros, the International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineers, Professor Roger Frank, and the International Tunneling Association, Professor Tarcisio Celestino. Belo Horizonte is the mining capital of Brazil and participants will have the chance of meeting and interacting with all major Brazilian mining companies. For more information visit the website Sérgio Fontoura |
 RARE 2016, an International Conference on "Recent Advances in Rock Engineering", is being organised by National Institute of Rock Mechanics as a Specialized Conference of the International Society for Rock Mechanics during 16-18 November, 2016, at Bengaluru, India. The Conference is being organised under the aegis of the International Society for Rock Mechanics as a Specialized Conference, supported by the Indian National Group of ISRM. The event is sponsored by more than 20 Government organizations, infrastructure industry and instrument manufacturers from various countries. About 130 papers have been accepted from USA, Canada, China, Switzerland, Indonesia, Bhutan, Qatar, Lebanon and India. The papers included recent developments in various themes related to rock mechanics, and case studies from mining, hydro-electric projects, and large storage caverns. The proceedings are being published online by Atlantis Press, Paris. The papers will also be printed as a hardbound Proceedings Volume. The three-day event has been divided into 15 Sessions, including parallel sessions and special presentations by young Scientists. About 250 delegates are expected globally. Conference banquets and cultural shows are planned at the Venue in the evenings of 16 & 17 November 2016. Further details for participation are provided at: Dr V Venkateswarlu, Chairman - Organising Committee |
| YSRM 2017 & NDRM – Challenges and Innovations in Rock Mechanics and Engineering, Jeju Island, South Korea, 10-13 May 2017, an ISRM Specialised Conference
The theme of the Symposium "Challenges and Innovations in Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering" was therefore selected to provide a forum to discuss the related subjects. Special focus of these events are on the free exchange of rock mechanics experiences in friendly environments with various programs designed for young rock mechanics scholars. Notable events include: Field trip to both Seoul and Jeju island, special luncheon for female rock mechancians, short courses for young scholars and students contests. The event will be held in beautiful Jeju Island, a UNECSO's World Natural Heritage Site. The beautiful volcanic island and lava tubes attract many national and international tourists because of easy access with convenient flight schedules and no-VISA entry policy for most countries. We would like to welcome you to Jeju Island in May 2017 to exchange knowledge and experiences in rock mechanics and rock engineering and to discuss innovative ideas in multi-disciplinary subjects among participants including many young scholars. For more information visit the website: www.ysrm2017.com |
 GeoProc 2017, Paris, France, 5-7 July, an ISRM Specialised ConferenceAs part of GeoProc conference series, this event carries forward certain traditions as well as breaks new grounds related to Coupled Thermo-Hydro-Mechano-Chemical (THMC) processes in Geosystems. After Stockholm, 2003, Nanjing, 2006, Lille, 2008, Perth 2011 and Utah, 2015, the 6th GeoProc is held in Paris, France, at the Ecole des Ponts ParisTech campus, between 5 and 7 July 2017. Geoproc2017 is co-organized by the École des Ponts ParisTech (ENPC), the French institute of science and technology for transport, spatial planning, development and networks (IFSTTAR), the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). The conference theme "Multiphysical processes and phenomena across the scales" symbolizes scientists, engineers and practitioners coming together from different backgrounds to address new emerging scientific issues for a wide range of natural and engineering phenomena in geological systems and energy production. Topics
Oral presentations in plenary sessions are programmed as well as poster sessions. A two pages abstract is requested and a special issue in an international scientific journal is foreseen after the conference. Important dates Abstract submission: 30 October 2016 For more information visit the website: https://geoproc2017.sciencesconf.org/ |
| Shaoxing International Forum on Rock Mechanics and Engineering Geology SIFRMEG 2017, an ISRM Specialised Conference
The SIFRMEG will be hosted by Shaoxing University and sponsored by International Society for Rock Mechanics (ISRM), International Association for Engineering Geology and the Environment (IAEG), National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), Chinese Society for Rock Mechanics and Engineering, the Engineering Geology Commission - Geological Society of China, Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment, and the International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences. The Forum is aimed at the fundamental innovation of theory and technology in rock mechanics and engineering geology. Different from the current conferences, deeply and broadly discussion on the specialized topic will be the main style of the forum. The Forum will be organized every two years, each focused on a special topic. The Scientific Committee of top scholars for the Forum will select topics for each of the forum. One or two international famous scholars will be invited for keynote speeches and outstanding speakers will give invited lectures. English will be the official language of the forum. And the Forum will be open and free of registration fees. A website will be developed as the platform for information exchange and resources provision for professional education and training. The first Forum, SIFRMEG 2017, will be held in Shaoxing University on September 20, 2017, focused on "The Rock Mechanical and Engineering Geological problems for the B&R" (B&R, i.e. Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road). Around 50 international famous scholars will be invited to the meeting. |
ISRM Secretariat, c/o LNEC, Av. Brasil, 101, 1700-066 Lisboa, PORTUGAL
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