ISRM Newsletter No. 58 - June 2022

lnvitation to the ISRM 2022 International Symposium – LARMS IX, Asunción, Paraguay, 16-19 October 2022

We kindly extend a warm invitation to attend the 2022 International Society of Rock Mechanics International Symposium, the 9th Latin American Rock Mechanics Symposium (LARMS IX), which will be held in Asuncion, Paraguay, from October 16-19, 2022!

The theme for LARMS IX is “Challenges in rock mechanics: towards a sustainable development of infrastructure”. This event will provide a unique opportunity for meeting international experts from around the world and exchanging new ideas and exploring the future directions in the fields of rock mechanics, rock engineering, and geological engineering. Confirmed keynote speakers are Antonio Bobet, Antonio Samaniego, Doug Stead, Ismet Canbulat, Nick Barton, Norikazu Shimizu, and Xia-Ting Feng.

The symposium will be preceded by two days of short courses and workshops, includes industrial exhibitions, and post-conference technical tours. Attractive programs will be provided for young researchers and students, including the student night, poster and paper competitions for students and young researchers/professionals.

Participate in the RockBowl, a great competition of teams of students from any university, who answer questions about rock mechanics with exciting awards.

Registration at a promotional price will end on 15 July 2022.
Visit the conference website for complete details.

Click here to join our mailing list.

Visit Paraguay and participate in this great event! We are waiting for you in Asuncion!

José Pavón

Chairman of the Organizing Committee of LARMS IX
ISRM Vice President for Latin America

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38th ISRM online lecture by Prof. Yingxin Zhou

The 38th ISRM Online Lecture was given by Prof. Yingxin Zhou. The title of the lecture is “The Rock Engineering Process (for Cavern Construction)”. It was broadcasted on the 23rd June 2022, 10 A.M. GMT at www.isrm.net.

Dr Zhou is a Senior Consultant with Deeptek Pty Ltd. Prior to joining Deeptek, he was Head Engineering (Underground Facilities) with the Defence Science and Technology Agency (2013 to 2021) and concurrently Assoc (Adj) Prof with the Nanyang Technological University (2011 to 2018) in Singapore. He served as ISRM Vice President for Asia (2011-2015) and first President of the ISRM Commission on Rock Dynamics (2008-2011).

Dr Zhou has more than 30 years of experience in research, engineering and teaching in rock engineering and underground space development. He played leading roles in several major rock engineering and research projects and served as technical advisor to many government ministries in Singapore. He led the rock engineering and technology development for the pioneering underground ammunition facility in Singapore and developing new safety standards for underground ammunition storage which have been adopted by NATO.

Dr Zhou received the Defence Technology Prize 2018 Individual (Engineering) Award and was featured twice in the Institute of Engineers Singapore (IES) Who’s Who in Engineering Singapore in 2013 & 2020. He was a key member of the winning teams for the IES Prestigious Engineering Achievement Awards 2004 and the IES Top 50 Engineering Feats 2016.

Dr Zhou is a Fellow of the ISRM and Fellow of the Academy of Engineering Singapore. He is currently a Director (Asia) and Board Member of the Associated research Centers for the Urban underground Space, and member of the Editorial Board for the International Journal of Tunnelling & Underground Space Technology. He has authored/co-authored more than 100 technical papers, 8 books and conference proceedings as editor or co-editor, and delivered many keynotes and invited lectures covering topics in rock mechanics, rock dynamics, and underground space. He led the efforts in publishing the first ISRM Suggested Methods for rock dynamic testing in 2012.

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15th International ISRM Congress, Salzburg, Austria – deadline for submission of abstracts is now 31 October 22

The Austrian Society for Geomechanics is happy to invite you to the 15th International ISRM Congress in Salzburg, Austria in October 2023. Salzburg is the city where the ISRM was founded in 1962.

The ISRM Congress will be held in conjunction with the 72nd Geomechanics Colloquium, which has always been a perfect and prestigious meeting place for researchers and practitioners since its foundation in 1951. The success of this concept is reflected not only in the continuous meetings over more than 70 years, but also in the regular attendance of about 1000 participants.

Since 2020, we have been hosting our conferences digitally in addition to the on-site event - so the ISRM Congress will also be a hybrid event.

Due to several reasons, the organizing team has decided to extend the submission deadline for abstracts to 31 October 22! We look forward to your contributions and encourage especially young engineers and scientists to actively participate and to submit papers.

Do you want us to keep you updated? Join the mailing list here.

If you have questions, ask us. We are ready at www.ISRM2023.com.

If you want to see the venue of the Congress and the city click here.

Wulf Schubert
President of the Austrian Society for Geomechanics
Chairman of the ISRM Congress 2023

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Eurock2022, Helsinki-Espoo, Finland, 12-15 September

You are invited to reunite with your colleagues on solid bedrock at the EUROCK 2022 - Rock and Fracture Mechanics in Rock Engineering and Mining in Espoo, Helsinki-region, Finland, 12 to 15 September 2022.

The conference themes include but are not limited to the latest advances in rock mechanics, interesting mining and rock engineering cases, and engineering education. The conference includes parallel sessions, short courses, workshops, and excursions.

The full programme is available with over 130 oral presentations and over 40 poster presentations from 44 countries! In addition, several short courses and workshops will be arranged one day before the conference, and excursions to unique rock engineering sites one day after the conference. See you there!

Full program: https://newsletter.ril.fi/go/39768827-1210542

Short courses and workshops: https://www.ril.fi/en/events/eurock-2022/programme/short-courses-and-workshops.html

Find out more on the conference website: https://www.ril.fi/en/events/eurock-2022.html

Jointly organized by Kalliomekaniikkatoimikunta (The Finnish NG of ISRM) and RIL.

See you there!

Lauri Uotinen, Chair of the Scientific Committee
Ville Raasakka, Chair of the Organizing Committee

12th Asian Rock Mechanics Symposium - ARMS12, Hanoi, Vietnam, 22-26 November

On behalf of the Vietnam National Group of ISRM - Vietnamese Society for Rock Mechanics (VSRM), we take honor to invite all of you to attend the ISRM sponsored Regional Symposium, the 12th Asian Rock Mechanics Symposium - ARMS12, to be held on 22-26 November 2022 in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, with imperial citadel of Thang Long - the world’s heritage. The theme of this ARMS12 edition will be “Rock Mechanics & Engineering – Contemporary Issues”. 

The Symposium topics are:

  • Physical properties of Rocks – Testing Techniques
  • Rock Mechanics & Engineering in Petroleum Engineering
  • Rock Mechanics & Engineering in Civil Engineering and Mining
  • Rock Mechanics applied to the Protection and Reinforcement of Global Geoparks, Ancient Sites, ...
  • Numerical Methods in Rock Mechanics and Numerical Modeling
  • Geodynamic Hazards - Reinforcement and Prediction
  • Geo –disaster Prediction and Monitoring System
  • Application AI and IoT in Rock Mechanics and Engineering

Important dates:

  • Deadline for Abstract Submission: 12 July 2022.
  • Deadline for Full Submission: 30 Aug 2022.

We have received until now abstracts from 10 countrie, including China, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Bangladesh, Norway, Japan, Mongolia, Korea, Nepal and Vietnam. You are still in time to submit your abstract!

For more information, click here to visit the ARMS12 website. 

We are looking forward to seeing you attend ARMS12 in Hanoi, Vietnam, 22-26, Nov. 2022.

The ARMS12 Organizing Committee

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AusRock 2022, Melbourne, 29 November-1 December - an update

The Australasian Ground Control Conference (AusRock 2022), hosted in partnership with AusIMM and UNSW Sydney, is being held in conjunction with the International Society of Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering as a Regional Symposium for Australasia, from 29 November - 1 December 2022 in Melbourne, Australia and online.

A vehicle for information exchange between various industry experts and academia, AusRock2022 will focus on new technologies and developments, current and future industry needs, operational problem solving, and practical case studies.

The current progress is as follows:

  • The list of keynote speakers has been established and invites have been sent out. All keynote speakers have accepted to join us.
  • The Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (JRMGE) will be the official partner to publish some of the good quality papers in the journal.
  • We have arranged three excellent free webinars on (1) digital rock characterisation, (2) future of rock mechanics, and (3) technologies in visualisation and data analytics. The purpose of those webinars was to promote AusRock 2022 and initiate the early discussion on those topics. We have attracted over 350 people to those webinars.
  • We have received over 130 abstracts.
  • The abstract submission deadline has passed, and we have appointed the reviewers for the extended abstracts.
  • All other preparations are progressing well.

For more information about AusRock 2022, or to sign up to receive a reminder, visit https://www.ausimm.com/conferences-and-events/ausrock/

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New course on Rockburst in Deep Tunnels

The current ISRM President, Prof. Resat Ulusay, invited Prof. Xia-Ting Feng (ISRM President from 2011 to 2015) to present this video course on Rockburst in Deep Tunnels. In order to improve the understanding of the rockburst in deep tunnels, it consists of nine parts, specifically addressing the types, intensity, influencing factors, microseismic monitoring, mechanism, dynamic warning, and rockburst risk mitigation. Finaly, typical scenarios are provided from the viewpoint of deep engineering practice.

  • Part 1 - Introduction to Rockbursts
  • Part 2 - Types and Intensity of Rockbursts
  • Part 3 - Factors Influencing Rockbursts
  • Part 4 - Microseismic Monitoring of Rockburst Development Process
  • Part 5 - Mechanism of Rockbursts in Deep Tunnels
  • Part 6 - Dynamic Warning of Rockbursts in Tunnels
  • Part 7 - Rockburst Risk Mitigation in Deep Tunnels
  • Part 8 - Application in Deep Headrace TBM Tunnels
  • Part 9 - Application in Deep Railway Drill and Blast Tunnels

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Second European Rock Mechanics Debate

The second European Rock Mechanics Debate on "What model for what application in rock mechanics" took place online on 9 June 2022 and was streamed to the ISRM YouTube channel, where it can be watched.

The debate was chaired by Philippe Vaskou from France and featured the participation of Heinz Konietzky from Germany, talking about "From State-of-the-Art in Science towards Engineering Practice" and Jonny Sjöberg from Sweden talking about "Principles, Capabilities, and Strategies for Choosing Models". A flyer with the contents and indicative rules of these debates can be downloaded here. This second debate can be considered a success, with over 100 attendants. Other debates will follow and will be announced on the ISRM website.

Leandro R. Alejano
ISRM VP for Europe

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ISRM Young Members’ Seminar Series completed 6 months

Established in January 2022, the ISRM Young Members’ Seminar (YMS) Series provide a global platform for ISRM young members to share knowledge, experiences, and ideas. The event is organised and coordinated by a group of passionate ISRM young members from all over the world, who have come together with the goal of fostering knowledge and friendship among young professionals and students on the international scale.

In the past 6 months, the organising committee have hosted 12 speakers from all six ISRM regions, who have delivered technical talks with diverse topics ranging from laboratory and field testing, numerical modelling, technical design, and operational risk management with applications in several industries. All the past talks, listed below, are archived and made available for later access on the ISRM Young Members’ YouTube Channel. 

28 June 2022

  • Extended Finite Element Procedures for the Analysis of Reinforced Dual-Permeable Rock Media
    by Dr. Yashwanth Kumar Gujjala (University of Sejong - South Korea)
  • A probabilistic-based approach to rock slope stability analysis in open-pit mine using numerical modelling
    by Mr. Lewis Mathe (University of Johannesburg - South Africa)

27 May 2022

  • Directional and 3D-Confinement-Dependent Fracturing, Strength and Dilation Mobilization in Brittle Rocks
    by Masoud Rahjoo (AECOM - Canada)
  • Stochastic Discrete Element Modeling for Pillar Strength Determination: a First Step in a Risk-Based Pillar Design Approach 
    by Juan José Monsalve (Virginia Tech University - USA)

28 April 2022

  • Experimental analysis of burst type extreme rock failures and rock fracture under high-stress conditions
    by Selahattin Akdag (Australia).
  • Coseismic rock slope failure mechanisms - insights from landslides triggered by the 2016 Mw 7.8 Kaiköura earthquake
    by Corine Singsein (New Zealand).

30 March 2022

  • Numerical modelling of rock masses in block cave mining
    by Kimie Susuki (Chile).
  • Strategy and tactics for burst-prone conditions in a deep underground mine 
    by Alexander Ramos (Peru).

23 February 2022

  • Development of coupled thermal-hydraulic-mechanical-chemical (THMC) models for predicting rock permeability change
    by Sho Ogata (Japan).
  • Comprehensive in-situ stress estimation for a fractured geothermal reservoir from drilling, hydraulic stimulations, and induced seismicity
    by Sehyeok Park (South Korea).

26 January 2022

  • Modelling the time-dependent behaviour of fractured zone around underground storage structure in argilites
    by Sophie Jung (France).
  • Challenges in the Lyon-Turin base tunnel project
    by Alessandra Insana (Italy).

The organising committee welcomes collaborations with all ISRM national groups in the organisation of the future events. National groups can contact the organising committee to nominate speakers and assist with the coordination of the events. We also encourage individual members who would like to share their experience to contact the organising committee directly. Information on how to participate and speaker criteria are available on the ISRM webpage https://isrm.net/page/show/138?tab=1634.

The organising committee can be contacted at isrm.ym.seminar@gmail.com.

The next seminar is scheduled for the last week of July 2022. The topics and speakers are:

  • Innovation of giant NPR cable and its advantages in critical slip warning for landslide disaster by Dr Chun Zhu.
  • Reconciliation between Laboratory and In-situ Measurements of Elastic Stiffness for Opalinus Clay by Dr Lang Liu.

Stay tuned for more details from the organising committee.

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RocDyn-4, Xuzhou, China, 17-19 August 2022 - an update

The Fourth International Conference on Rock Dynamics and Applications (RocDyn-4) will be held on 17-19 August 2022 in Xuzhou, China, co-organized by China University of Mining and Technology and Southeast University. Rocdyn-4 is a specialized conference of the International Society for Rock Mechanics and Engineering (ISRM). The theme of this conference is "Rock dynamics: Progress and Prospects". Due to the restrictions of COVID-19 pandemic, RocDyn-4 will adopt a hybrid on-site and virtual attendance format.

We invite all those engaged in rock dynamic research and engineering to register to participate this conference. You can click here to register for the conference.

Up to now, 153 conference papers have been accepted for publication in CRC Press and will be submitted for EI indexing, including 6 keynote papers, covering a wide range of dynamic issues related to rock mechanics and rock engineering, from rock failure mechanism, stress wave propagation, to seismic behavior and impact. Keynote reports will be given by Manchao He, Jonny Rutqvist, Yulong Li, Ömer Aydan, Gaofeng Zhao, Larisa Nazarova, Petr Konicek, Alex Spathis.

For more information click here to visit the conference website.

Organizing Committee
RocDyn-4, Xuzhou 2022

9th Brazilian Rock Mechanics Symposium, 23-26 August 2022, Campinas, Brazil

The 9th edition of the Brazilian Rock Mechanics Symposium (SBMR) will take place between August 23 and 26, 2022, at Expo Dom Pedro, located in the city of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil. SBMR represents the most important Brazilian meeting for the presentation and discussion of scientific and technological research, projects and works in Rock Mechanics, and occurs in parallel to the 20th Brazilian Congress of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, 9th Brazilian Symposium of Young Geotechnical Engineers, 6th South American Conference of Young Geotechnical Engineers and the 11th Luso-Brazilian Congress of Geotechnics.

SBMR received more than 60 full papers and will have four parallel oral presentation sessions dedicated to rock mechanics topics, as well as poster presentation sessions. Among the highlighted topics are field and laboratory investigations in rock mechanics; soft rock mechanics; foundations, excavations, and slopes in rocks; as well as rock mechanics for mining, tunnels, and petroleum.

The event will receive Prof. Doug Stead (Simon Fraser University), who will present a lecture entitled “Characterising rock and soil slope failure: A combined remote-sensing-numerical modelling- mixed/virtual reality approach”. The round table “Innovations in rock mechanics” will be held during the SBMR, where innovative practices in the areas of infrastructure, petroleum, and mining will be debated. The events will feature short courses on different geotechnical topics, including two in the rock mechanics subject. The former president of CBMR, Prof. Lineu Ayres da Silva will teach the course “Rock Blasting by Explosives in Urban and Underwater Areas”. The course “Fundamental Aspects to the Study of Rock Mechanics”, to be taught by Prof. Carlos Emmanuel Lautenschläger (CBMR vice-president) will be aimed at students and young professionals.

Furthermore, as a tradition of CBMR in its most important national event, RockBowl will take place during SBMR 2022. The 4th national edition of the Rockbowl is being sponsored by Geobrugg, and in this edition, competitors of the winning team will earn participation in IX Latin American Rock Mechanics Symposium (LARMS), to be held in Asunción (Paraguay) in October 2022.

The organizing committee invites the rock mechanics community to participate in the event, as well as to follow the page www.cobramseg2022.com.br and the social networks of the Brazilian Rock Mechanics Committee (available at www.cbmr.com.br) for updates on the symposium.

The SBMR 2022 Organising Committee

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CouFrac 2022, 14-16 November, Berkeley, California, USA 

CouFrac2022 will take place on 14-16 November 2022 in Berkeley, California. We have received 214 abstract submissions to the conference by June 15!

We welcome ISRM members to submit Extended Abstracts. The deadline for Extended Abstract (2-4 pages) submission is August 17, 2022.

Why CouFrac 2022?

What is new and special?

  • Mengsu Hu and Laura J. Pyrak-Nolte have organized a Special Session on Machine Learning for Coupled Processes in Earth Sciences and Engineering. Six Distinguished Invited Lecturers have been invited to deliver state-of-the-art machine learning applications.
  • The conference will be held in person in Berkeley, with online options available for participants who are unable to travel.

For more information, please visit our conference website.

We look forward to your participation! We look forward to your participation!

Jonny Rutqvist, LBNL, Chair
Mengsu Hu, LBNL, Carl Steefel, LBNL, Ki-Bok Min, SNU, Antonio Rinaldi, ETH, Pengzhi Pan, CAS, Hideaki Yasuhara, Ehime University, Co-Chairs

ISRM Rocha Medal 2024 - nominations to be received by 31 December 2022

Nominations for the Rocha Medal 2022 are to be received by the ISRM Secretariat by 31 December 2022. The winner will be announced during the 2023 ISRM Congress on Rock Mechanics in Salzburg, Austria, and will be invited to receive the award and deliver a lecture at the ISRM International Symposium in 2024.

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 young researchers. Besides the Rocha medal awarded to the winner, one or two runner-up certificates may also be awarded.

Click here to download the announcement with details on the Rocha Medal 2024.

ISRM Sponsored Conferences

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