ISRM Newsletter No. 75 - Autumn 2026

2026 ISRM International Symposium, ARMS14 – Fukuoka, Japan, 22–27 November 2026 

Early Bird Deadline Extended to October 7, Tentative Program Published, and Event Updates

The Organizing Committee of the 2026 ISRM International Symposium - 14th Asian Rock Mechanics Symposium (ARMS14) is delighted to share key updates as we head toward our gathering in Fukuoka, Japan, from November 22 to 27, 2026.

1. Early Bird Registration Deadline Extended to October 7 (JST)!

To accommodate requests and assist international attendees with travel arrangements, the Early Bird Registration deadline has been extended to October 7, 2026 (Japan Standard Time). We strongly encourage all participants to take advantage of this extended deadline to register at the discounted rate!

2. Tentative Technical Program Now Available

The Tentative Detailed Technical Program is now officially published on our website! Participants can explore the schedule of parallel sessions, paper presentations, and distinguished lectures to plan their conference experience.

View the Tentative Program: https://www.ec-convention.com/ARMS14/

3. Program Highlights & Social Events

ARMS14 offers a rich technical and networking environment:

  • Keynotes & Special Lectures: Featuring the Rocha Medal Lecture (Dr. Alexis Sáez), Franklin Lecture (Dr. Zhihong Zhao), and 6 Keynote Lectures by distinguished international experts.
  • Short Courses (Nov 22 - 23): 7 comprehensive courses led by world-class experts covering topics from rock dynamics to bio-rock mechanics.
  • Next Generation Forum (Nov 24): An interactive networking event for students and young professionals (free for registered attendees; advance registration required).
  • Banquet (Nov 25): An evening of celebration, local culture, and networking at Hotel Nikko Fukuoka.
  • Technical Tour (Nov 27): A 1-day field trip visiting an active dam construction site in Nagasaki and a historic coal mining heritage site in Kumamoto.

For the latest information, please visit the ARMS14 official website: https://www.ec-convention.com/ARMS14/

We look forward to welcoming the global rock mechanics community to Fukuoka this November!

ARMS14 Organizing Committee

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55th ISRM Online Lecture by Leandro Alejano was broadcast on 24 September 2026

The 55th ISRM Online Lecture was delivered by Prof Alejano from Spain. The topic of the lecture is "Instability phenomena due to combined failure mechanisms in rock slope engineering". The lecture was broadcast on 24 September and will remain available on the Online Lecture's page.

Professor Leandro R. Alejano is a Ph.D. in Mining Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Madrid and Full Professor of Rock Mechanics at the University of Vigo, Spain, where he has been an academic staff member since 1995.

His research focuses on rock mechanics and rock engineering and their practical application to mining and other engineering fields. This includes the study of rock and rock-mass post-failure behavior and dilatancy; and how they affect tunneling, subsidence, underground mining and other excavations. Recent research focuses on rock slope engineering, and more particularly the stability of potentially risky large granitic boulders, management of rockfall hazard in quarries and mountain areas and complex failure mechanisms in rock slopes.

He is a regular consultant for mining, energy and construction companies mainly in Spain and he has participated in more than 20 competitive research projects funded at the local, national, and European levels, having raised so far more than 3.5 M€. He has published more than 110 papers in relevant journals co-authoring with researchers of more than 30 countries and more than 130 communications in congresses. His h index in Google scholar is over 40.

Prof. Alejano has also attended more than 30 Ph.D. thesis juries in Spain, France, Italy, Norway, Sweden and Peru and he has delivered more than 40 invited lectures and courses in more than 15 countries, including China, USA, Canada, Italy, Mexico, Australia, France, Sweden, Finland, Chile, Norway, Peru, New Zealand… in various rock mechanics related topics. He has visited relevant universities including University of Nottingham (UK, 1994), Universidad de Colombia Medellín (2016), Colorado School of Mines (USA, 2020), Politecnico di Torino (Italy, 2022), or Monash University (Australia, 2025).

He has been president of the SEMR, Spanish Group of the ISRM, from 2017 to March 2026 and was VP Europe of the ISRM in the term 2019-2023. He also was Associate Editor of the IJRM&MS in the period 2013-2018 and serves in various Editorial Boards of other relevant rock mechanics related journals. He has visited around 100 underground and open pit mine sites all over the world.    

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ISRM2027, the 16th ISRM International Congress, Seoul, 16–23 October 2027

Preparations for the 16th ISRM International Congress on Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering (ISRM 2027) continue to move forward, and we would like to share several important deadline updates.

Call for Abstracts – Open until November 30, 2026 – Submit your abstract

Abstract submission for ISRM 2027 is still open. We warmly encourage researchers, engineers, and professionals from around the world to submit their work and contribute to the scientific program of the Congress.

Call for Proposals – Deadline Extended to October 31, 2026 – Make a proposal

The submission deadline for Special Sessions, Workshops, and Short Courses has been extended from August 31 to October 31, 2026. We welcome proposals that will enrich the ISRM 2027 scientific program and encourage interested colleagues to take advantage of the extended deadline.

Sponsorship Application – Extended to December 31, 2026 – View Sponsorship Opportunities

The sponsorship application deadline has also been extended from September 30 to December 31, 2026. Organizations interested in supporting ISRM 2027 are encouraged to apply early. Early sponsors will have the opportunity to secure preferred exhibition booth locations before the remaining spaces are opened to later applicants.

We look forward to your abstracts, proposals, and continued support for ISRM 2027 in Seoul!

www.isrm2027.com

ISRM 2027 Organizing Committee

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Poland rejoins the ISRM as a National Group

The ISRM is pleased to welcome Poland back to its international community following the formal establishment of the Polish Society for Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering (PTMSIS). PTMSIS recently submitted its application to be recognised as the ISRM National Group for Poland, and the application has now been approved by the ISRM Board.

Poland has an active rock engineering community, which is now represented by PTMSIS, a scientific and professional association based in Kraków and a nationwide scope of activity. The recognition of the ISRM National Group for Poland marks the country's return to the ISRM after several years without representation, due to circumstances that have now been fully overcome. The PTMSIS founding members deserve sincere congratulations for their initiative and commitment to re-establishing Poland's national representation within the ISRM.

The NG Poland is chaired by Prof. Jacek Jabulowski, who recently attended Eurock 2026 in Skopje. The conference provided an excellent opportunity to meet with members of the ISRM Board and colleagues from the international rock mechanics and rock engineering community, and to strengthen the links between the newly established National Group and the ISRM.

The ISRM looks forward to close collaboration with PTMSIS in the years ahead.

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   Nick Barton
   Ivan Vrkljan

Nick Barton in an interview with Ivan Vrkljan in Skopje, September 2026

I met with Dr Barton in Sarajevo on May 28, where he delivered two lectures to the members of the Association of Geotechnical Engineers in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was then that we agreed to conduct this interview during the ISRM Regional Symposium EUROCK 2026 in Skopje. For this symposium, Dr Barton prepared a keynote lecture titled: NMT-NATM hybrid method for sustainability and risk reduction. Through his participation in conferences organized by the geotechnical societies of the former Yugoslav countries, Dr Barton has strongly supported their efforts to actively contribute to the development of geotechnics both regionally and internationally.

He has held workshops and lectures on multiple occasions in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, and North Macedonia, forging enduring friendships that continue to this day. Given the immense contribution that Dr Barton has made, and continues to make, to rock mechanics and geotechnical engineering, every interview with him presents a valuable opportunity to better understand his entire career, as well as current trends in these disciplines. Read the interview here.

Ivan Vrkljan

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7th ISRM European Rock Mechanics Debate – Tensile strength of rock: direct or indirect testing?

   Matthew Perras
   Ignacio Pérez-Rey

The series of debates aim at stimulating communications among academics and practitioners of rock mechanics and rock engineering in Europe. It is hoped that the European network of rock mechanics and rock engineering is strengthened through such communications. The debates are held virtually and each one has two speakers, with different perspectives on a hot rock engineering topic or on a specific technical aspect of rock mechanics. One of the main aims is also to collect opinions and suggestions from the rock mechanics community.

The 7th ISRM European Rock Mechanics Debate will take place on 5 October 2026, at 16:30 CEST. Click to open the announcement.

  • Moderator: Philippe Vaskou (France)
  • Speaker 1: Matthew A. Perras (Trent University, Canada)
    – Indirect Tensile Strength from the Brazilian Test: It is Good Enough
  • Speaker 2: Ignacio Pérez-Rey (University of Vigo, Spain)
    – Direct Tensile Testing of Rocks: Overcoming the Myth of Impracticality

Extra registration spots have been added, click here to register: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/lMQUE387Q8iWsoAzms14Ow

Or watch on the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@IntSocRockMechanics

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Slope Stability 2026, Slope for Safety Performance – Lima, Peru, 26–29 October 2026

The 10th edition of the International Symposium on Slope Stability will be held from 26 to 29 October 2026 at the Lima Convention Centre, as an ISRM Specialized Conference.

The organiser is the Large Open Pit (LOP), an industry-sponsored international research and technology transfer initiative launched in April 2005 to address the industry-wide need to improve understanding of rock slope failure in open-pit mines (www.lopproject.com).

The local organisers are the Peruvian Institute of Mining Engineers (IIMP), which has established itself as a technical and proactive leader for the development of mining in Peru, and the Peruvian Society of Geoengineering (SPEG), the ISRM National Group of Peru.

Visit the Slope Stability 2026 website for more information on the event.

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6th ICITG – Budapest, Hungary, 2–4 December 2026

The 6th International Conference on Information Technology in Geo-engineering (ICITG2026) will be held on 2–4 December 2026 at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME), Hungary.

The Joint Technical Committee 2 (JTC2) on Representation of Geo-engineering Data of FedIGS cordially invites you to the 6th International Conference on Information Technology in Geo-engineering (6th ICITG). The Federation of International Geo-Engineering Societies (FedIGS) is an umbrella organization linking international professional societies in the field of Geo‐Engineering, including the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE), the International Society for Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering (ISRM), the International Association for Engineering Geology and the Environment (IAEG), and the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS).

The conference intends to bring together engineers, scientists, researchers, and educators to discuss and review IT advances in geo-engineering and provide a forum for the discussion of future trends. The first five ICITG conferences were organized by: 1) Tongji University, Shanghai, China, in 2010; 2) Durham University, Durham, UK, in 2014; 3) the University of Minho and the Portuguese Geotechnical Society in Portugal in 2019; 4) by Nanyang Technological University and National University of Singapore in 2022 and 5) by Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado, USA, in 2024.

For details on the conference, visit: https://icitg6.com.

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SPLIT 2026 – Geotechnical Engineering in Soft Rocks and Heterogeneous Rock Masses – Split, Croatia, 12–14 November 2026

The Croatian Geotechnical Society is organising its 10th national conference as a specialized ISRM conference with the title Geotechnical Engineering in Soft Rocks and Heterogeneous Rock Masses.

The conference will take place from 12 to 14 November 2026, in Split, on the Croatian coast. The venue is the Radisson Blu hotel, where special prices for the conference participants are assured through the conference web pages. During the conference Professor Lyesse Laloui, the newly elected ISSMGE President, will deliver the Nonveiller Lecture. 

All questions, suggestions, and comments are welcome at SPLIT.2026.HGD@gmail.com.

Complete information and registration options can be found on the official web page: https://www.hgd-cgs.hr/savjetovanja/split-2026-2

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1st International Conference on Sustainability in Geotechnical Engineering (ICSGE 2027), Lisbon, Portugal, 28 June–1 July 2027

The upcoming ICSGE 2027 will serve as a premier global forum for discussing sustainability in geotechnical engineering. Organised by LNEC under the motto Geodiversity & Resilience, ICSGE 2027, which will subsequently take place every 4 years, will be held under the auspices of ISSMGE TC 307 – Sustainability in Geotechnical Engineering and CPGA/SPG, at the LNEC Campus in Lisbon (28 June - 1 July 2027).

380+ ABSTRACTS SUBMITTED

The submission of more than 380 abstracts from various regions of the world demonstrates the strong interest of the geotechnical community in the challenges associated with sustainability.

SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMME HIGHLIGHTS

ICSGE 2027 will feature a TC307 Honour Lecture, to be delivered by Professor Buddhima Indraratna, as well as several keynote and invited lectures by internationally recognised experts covering the various topics addressed by the conference. The programme will also include several short courses on emerging topics related to the scope of the conference.

PUBLICATIONS AND SCIENTIFIC RECOGNITION

Accepted papers will be published by Springer Nature as open-access publications in the prestigious Springer Series in Geomechanics and Geoengineering. The best papers will also be considered for publication in Environmental Geotechnics and in Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering.

JOIN ICSGE 2027

ICSGE 2027 invites the technical and scientific community to join this international event, dedicated to promoting more sustainable and resilient geotechnical engineering. Secure your participation and take advantage of the reduced registration fee available until 15 April 2027.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMPANIES AND ORGANISATIONS

ICSGE 2027 offers companies, organisations and industry stakeholders the opportunity to showcase their solutions, technologies and services to a specialised audience, enhancing their visibility among researchers, decision-makers, designers and professionals in this field.

INFORMATION AND CONTACTS

Website: icsge.lnec.pt          Contact: cursos@lnec.pt

ICSGE 2027 Organising Committee

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EUROCK 2026 in Skopje – a great success!

As the impressions start to settle down, we want to share our final remarks.

EUROCK 2026 brought together more than 450 registered participants and around 620 authors and co-authors from 53 countries.

Across the week, the programme included 224 peer-reviewed papers, 6 workshops, the Nick Barton short course, 7 keynote lectures, 9 plenary lectures, 23 parallel sessions and 2 poster sessions.

Beyond the scientific programme, EUROCK 2026 also featured a vibrant exhibition with more than 25 stands, creating an important space for industry exchange, networking and collaboration. We are especially grateful to our sponsors and exhibitors whose support helped make this possible.

Our sincere thanks to every participant for contributing knowledge, experience and energy; to the Organizing Committee and student team for their tremendous work; and to International Society for Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering (ISRM) for entrusting MAG with the organization of EUROCK 2026.

This achievement belongs to the entire community that made Skopje a meeting point for international rock mechanics and rock engineering.

The Macedonian Association for Geotechnics (MAG)

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20th ISRM Young Members' Seminar took place on 22nd July 2026

The latest ISRM Young Members’ Seminar took place on 22 July 2026. It featured three presentations:

  • Understanding Fracture Processes in Heterogeneous Rock Systems
    by Dr. Lie Kong (The University of Manchester, UK)
  • Physical and Mechanical Properties of the Tectonic Basin located at the Subduction Zone
    by Dr. Nana Kamiya (Kyoto University, Japan)
  • Genetic Discrete Fracture Network Modeling for High-Fidelity Network Representation
    by Dr. Jineon Kim (Seoul National University, Korea)

Seminar Recordings are available at the ISRM Young Members' Youtube channel.

Click for more information on the ISRM Young Members' Seminar Series.

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ISRM Rocha Medal 2028 – nominations to be received by 31 December 2026

Nominations for the Rocha Medal 2028 are to be received by the ISRM Secretariat by 31 December 2026. The winner will be announced during the 2027 ISRM International Congress in Seoul, Republic of Korea, and will be invited to receive the award and deliver a lecture at the ISRM International Symposium in 2028.

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 2028.

ISRM Sponsored Conferences

Click here to open the conferences webpage